Photographer and writer Eddee Daniel will be the first artist in residence with the Menomonee Valley Artist in Residency Pilot Program. The program focuses on interconnections between culture, community and ecology in the Menomonee Valley. 

As the inaugural artist in residence, Daniel brings a vision of the Menomonee Valley as a dynamic and vital part of the fabric of Milwaukee, where economic and community development is integrated with parks and natural areas. 

Daniel will be working out of the offices of Zimmerman Architectural Studios, 2122 W. Mount Vernon Ave., and the public can view his work there on Friday, Jan. 17 during Gallery Night.

The program is a partnership between Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc., a non-profit organization that has been a leader in the Valley revitalization efforts since 1999, and Zimmerman Architectural Studios, one of the oldest architectural firms in Wisconsin. 

Once the industrial as well as geographical center of Milwaukee and later a victim of post-industrial decay, the Valley has seen a dramatic turnaround in the past 15 years. The Valley’s redevelopment includes the Hank Aaron State Trail and the new Three Bridges Park, which opened in 2013.

Daniel is a fine art photographer and writer with well-established ties to the Menomonee Valley. He is the author of "Urban Wilderness: Exploring a Metropolitan Watershed," which examines the Menomonee River in photography and prose. His photography has twice won awards in the Milwaukee Artists Resource Network’s Menomonee Valley plein air event, Beyond the Canvas. 

Daniel will be available by appointment throughout 2014 and can be contacted at (414) 771-8857, (262) 385-3755 or eddee@eddeedaniel.com.