Special Projects

Complete coverage: multimedia website The symptoms began six years ago in his hand and gradually progressed up his arm. After months of living under a grey cloud, he scheduled an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He was tested, poked and probed for four days. At the end of his visit he sat […]

Complete coverage: multimedia website A quaint little shop with a yellow neon sign that reads “folk instruments” features guitars in the window. The store looks like a dwarf compared to the surrounding shops, bars and restaurants that fill the busy intersection of North Avenue and 69th Street in Wauwatosa. Inside, the atmosphere is a contrast to […]

Complete coverage: multimedia website The wrestling mats are laid out, swept off, bleached and taped down at Greenfield High School. Tables are set at each mat with the typical red versus blue scorecards and the ubiquitous stopwatch you might see hanging from your gym teacher’s neck. Competitors line up to weigh in and pick a […]

Complete coverage: multimedia website

Friday night football means packed stands, marching bands, students and parents cheering on the local high school team. This isn’t exactly the atmosphere at Custer stadium. The concrete bleachers are scattered with fans as players take the field. The sounds that usually accompany a football game are silenced to only a couple cheers. Cleats kick […]

Complete coverage: multimedia website “I’m a doer,” said Juli Kaufmann. “My company is called Fix Development because I just like to fix shit.” Kaufman “fixed” a plot of land in Milwaukee’s warehouse district that used to be considered one of the most toxic sites in the United States. Now, it is a symbol of sustainability […]

Complete coverage: multimedia site Nicole Contrino holds tightly onto her daughter’s hand as she weaves through a sea of parents and children at Bayshore Town Center. Sounds of jazz combos, flute choirs and string orchestras fill the mall. “We should have ironed your shirt before we left. It looks so wrinkly,” says Nicole. Nicole finds […]

complete coverage: multimedia website “Let me see your bear claw,” Lisa Kingery instructs a seventh grade student at Longfellow school on Milwaukee’s south side. The girl is perfecting her knife skills while chopping a sweet potato – – a food that many of the 30 bilingual students in Mr. Sisnero’s class say they had never […]

Complete coverage: multimedia website A pair of Levi’s Blue Jeans covers the glass on the door to Dr. Martin Jack Rosenblum’s office, which feels more like a miniature rock music museum than a professor’s office. Backstage passes, Bob Dylan posters, a plaque that reads “Music taking poetry too far,” and other vintage rock memorabilia cover […]

Complete coverage: multimedia project Jessica Davis sits on her horse, Just A Cool Kat, outside the coliseum, waiting for her turn to enter the arena. A group of riders is assembled, and Davis is the most vivid in a bright purple flamenco-style skirt. Her mount is also dressed up for the occasion. Her mane is plaited […]

“We’re only a paycheck away,” said an amiable Edwin Shea. “Nobody has a nest egg anymore. It only takes two weeks. You lose your income, you lose your residence; you’re homeless.” Somehow cheerful, Shea recounted his story in the Milwaukee Salvation Army Emergency Shelter where he was staying. Shea has been roaming the country for […]