Community at the Space

Community at the Space is an interview series hosted by the Kenosha Creative Space and Leaders of Kenosha (LOK) to highlight the work of local organizations, leaders, and activists. Each Monday night at 6pm Central, viewers can tune in to see an engaging interview with someone actively working to make a difference in Kenosha.

This series was the idea of the Space’s Director, Francisco Loyola. After the shooting of Jacob Blake and the immediate aftermath, which left many businesses in Kenosha damaged and boarded up, the Space organized plywood board temporary painting projects that went up all over the city. The original goal for painting the boards was to soften the image of an empty boarded-up city. However, painting the boards provided the background for meaningful, difficult, and controversial conversations and became a vehicle for shared experience and dialogue. Francisco wanted to continue this dialogue, and so he teamed up with Erica Ness of LOK to start a series that provides an opportunity for Kenoshans involved in the community to share their work and their perspective and give people a chance to get to know them.

There continue to be misunderstandings and misconceptions in Kenosha about events this summer, who and what organizations are involved in the push for change, and what their goals are. Through this series, viewers can learn about programs and initiatives around the city, many that began just last year. These range from programs to provide resources to people in need, projects aimed at increasing equity, events being held around the city calling for reform, and much more.

This series is building bridges in Kenosha. It is facilitating dialogue and understanding, connecting people to the resources the interviewees provide, and also creating community through the arts. The Kenosha Creative Space is now planning events this spring and summer to highlight art from all communities in Kenosha. “Community at the Space” is bringing people from all over the city together, which will culminate in a shared experience of art.”