‘I knew we had tons and tons of incredible and skilled artists in Milwaukee.’

Mya Giuliani is the owner of the River Press in Riverwest Milwaukee. The River Press is an art studio, shop and gallery and was originally built in 1890. The River Press sells, displays and highlights art made solely of local Milwaukee artists.

Raquel Escobedo: How long have you been the owner and working in this space?

Mya Giuliani: I have been working in this space as my own studio since July of 2024. Then we opened August 2025.

Raquel Escobedo: Do you know what this building was prior to you owning it and making it your own?

Mya Giuliani: It was originally built as a tavern. Before me it was the office for a furniture maker and before him, a massage therapist owned this place.

Raquel Escobedo: What was the purpose of creating this space and opening it up to the public?

Mya Giuliani: I am tired of doing market events. I worked full time in theatre before I opened this place up. Then I did market events every single weekend all summer. I never got time off, I was exhausted, my friends were exhausted. So having a brick-and-mortar space where we can put the work means we can reclaim a little bit of our personal life.

Raquel Escobedo: Why was it important to open up this studio and focus on selling art only by local Milwaukee artists?

Mya Giuliani: We have a lot of options in town where you can go to a gift shop and you can buy something artsy that was made in New York City or L.A. or imported from overseas. I didn’t really think that we needed to offer more of that. I knew we had tons and tons of incredible and skilled artists in Milwaukee. It is an opportunity for anyone making art locally.