Since 2018, the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works' Decorative Crosswalk program has given residents and community groups to beautify their neighborhood streets by artistically painting crosswalks.
The new Paint the Pavement program, announced Friday, takes that idea a step further by allowing more places where murals can be painted: sidewalks, curb extensions, residential streets and residential intersections.
The idea is to allow residents to help boost community identity and a neighborhood's sense of place.
“Paint the Pavement builds on the Decorative Crosswalk program which premiered as a creative way to showcase streets as places for people to enjoy," said Interim Commissioner of Public Works Jerrel Kruschke.
"Paint the Pavement is another example of the Department of Public Works’ commitment to this and aligns with other initiatives such as Active Streets, our parklet program, and special events permitting.”
A Paint the Pavement Guide – which you can find here – explains eligible locations, materials and installation guidelines, a permit application and more.
There is no fee for the program but participation does require two permits – a Paint the Pavement Permit Application and a Special Event Permit – and any required barricades come with a fee. Sidewalk murals do not require a Special Event permit.
You can find more information and see examples of previously painted murals at milwaukee.gov/PaintthePavement.
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.
