By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published May 05, 2023 at 11:01 AM

UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning's Mobile Design Box series of popups, which, since 2014, have taken place in four locations Downtown and on the Near West and South Sides, now arrives on the East Side.

A new exhibition, called "Gentle Giants," will open in a vacant storefront at 2216 N. Farwell Ave. thanks to a partnership with the East Side BID and building owner New Land Enterprises.

For the show, "Introduction to Architectural Design" student in the school's foundation studio examined the block between Linnwood Avenue and Kenwood Boulevard near the UWM campus and then formulated "theoretical and experimental low-rise densification strategies for new living interventions," which, in non-architecture-speak means they drew up ideas for adding housing in buildings that are not tall.

The exhibition will include a physical site-model, drawings, views, study models and a video that they produced.  

The show opens with a kick-off event Wednesday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m., at 2216 N Farwell Ave, where we’ll have drinks and snacks with the students.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

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.