Our Town Everywhere
Our Town Everywhere
1,194 portraits and 63 community partners ….and counting!
Let’s build a self-portrait of Madison!
Throughout 2023 and 2024, we’re championing Our Town Everywhere, a unique portrait-making project to spark joyful connection, deeper conversation, and collaborative creation in our libraries, parks, shelters, and other community spaces.
Check out our growing album of portraits from around the city!
Have an idea for a way to engage Our Town Everywhere with your group, event, or project? Fill out the form here:
Meet the featured artists!
Our Town Everywhere and the Little Book Project
The Little Book Project is a community arts and nonprofit printmaking series. Each limited edition “print book” weaves together visual arts and literary work based on a central theme.
It’s a team effort!
Numerous artists and collaborators continue to join in to make Our Town Everywhere happen. Thank you!
Facilitating Artists:
Christina Theobald
Annie Aaker
Lelia Byron
Elias Mittelstadt
Lexie Olson
Claudia Linnea Carlson
Sharon Tang
Mindy Julie Navarro
Mayela Finol
Sherri Shokler
Sharon Bjyrd
Christine Holm
Madison Weist
Ty Springer
Maria Amalia Wood
Bird Ross
Scott Pauli
Savannah Starlin
Hannah Sandvold
Ella Deitz
Tess Stroh
2022 Madison Public Library Staff Day Artists:
Audifax
Emily Balsley
Gabrielle Javier-Cerulli
Corey Dean
Tyler Brunsell
Rob Franklin
Project organizers:
Trent Miller
Carlee Latimer
Risograph Printer:
Kate Mead
Videographer:
Aaron Granat
Just what is Our Town, anyway?
It all began in Tennessee! Our Town Nashville was a community art project that ran between 2014 and 2015. Letterpress printmaker Bryce McCloud traveled around Davidson County with a team of artists, inviting people from all walks of life to participate in a public art project titled Our Town Nashville.
Actively engaging folks in a conversation about community, the initiative created a space where people unlikely to otherwise participate in art-making could use handmade stamps to create their own self portrait.
Learn more about the history of Our Town and how it became Our Town Everywhere!
Quick resources:
Have an idea for a way to engage Our Town Everywhere with your group, event, or project? Fill out this request form!
Meet the artist team.
Check out the library’s calendar for upcoming events.
“Our Town Everywhere is such a beautiful project. It creates unity while honoring individual differences—such balm for our current times. I loved working with people and encouraging them to participate, to get over the ‘I can't make art’ hump.”
—Maria Schirmer Devitt, Artist
Our Town Everywhere programming and exhibitions have received support from the City of Madison, the Friends of Madison Public Library, Madison Public Library Foundation, Madison Arts Commission, Ascendium, Dane Arts,
and the Evjue Foundation.