The MCTS Bus Shelter Art Project, which has beautified bus shelters with 29 works from local artists since it began in 2018 has now added 24 more canvases, thanks to its new Pop Spots initiative.
These provide activities that spark learning.
Two dozen shelters around the city will become places where children can use their imaginations thanks to artwork created in collaboration with The City of Milwaukee Office of Early Childhood Initiatives and Milwaukee Public Schools.
One of the shelters was unveiled Tuesday morning at 64th and Silver Spring by Mayor Cavalier Johnson, MCTS Community Outreach Coordinator Jacqueline Zeledon, Director of City of Milwaukee Office of Early Childhood Initiatives Dea Wright, Milwaukee Public Schools Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction Felicia Saffold, Ed.D. and Creative Director at bvk and Founder/Creative Director at Serve Gary Mueller.
According to a statement from MCTS, “Pop Spots empower parents and caregivers with fun, easy ways to boost their children’s learning in places where they are already spending time, such as bus stops.
“The art offers engaging activities in both English and Spanish, such as shape and color matching, in a family-friendly way that supports early brain development. Five of these murals will be located near Milwaukee Public Schools.”
For more information about the Bus Shelter Art Project, go to ridemcts.com/programs/bus-shelter-art-project.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
