Ciera McKissick—founder of music, art and lifestyle magazine AMFM—found writing to be her vehicle for artistic discovery. She remembers carrying a notebook as a kid, and scribbling anything from prose to poetry, a drive that eventually helped her start AMFM.
"When you're a writer you're kind of meticulous, and I also think that artists are meticulous in a sense too. The way that words are placed, the way that art is placed, all of those things go hand in hand, and just the flow, creative flow of juices and the way that they bond, I think that was a natural progression into art. I never thought I'd be a curator," McKissick said.
But in the past few years, McKissick's been organizing arts events all over the city. And now AMFM has a space that recently opened in West Pilsen at 2151 W. 21st St. A Milwaukee transplant, McKissick fell in love with Pilsen when she would visit.
"A big part of what I love about Pilsen is the community and the culture and all of the beautiful murals and art. It was definitely stimulating for me," said McKissick, who's worked with neighborhood arts organizations like Cultura and Elevarte in the past few years. "Pilsen's like my heart. It embraced me a lot when I came here."
Her love for Pilsen's vibe is reflected in the gallery space, which has a mural by local queer artist Sam Kirk and uses every inch of real estate to further its aesthetic, from a chalkboard wall calendar, to a stunning full-bathroom illustration. The space also includes a shop where artists can sell products like backpacks and prints, and a small work area where fashion designers have already deposited sewing machines and fabric.
"I'm connecting people to opportunities," said McKissick. "Different people come to me for artists if they're having an event. I link them with people I think would be a good fit."
McKissick takes participating in a community seriously. As a queer artist, she wants to make sure everyone has the space to express themselves. "I'm not the type to march in streets," she explained. "We feel like it's our role as artists right now to help the people and bring the people together. That's my form of activism, doing an event and creating joy within people within the midst of turmoil. Where people can come and feel safe, whether you're queer or not."
Having interacted with the neighborhood over the last few years, she's also incredibly conscious of her role in Pilsen's rapidly changing ecosystem.
"A lot of times, people don't feel invited by the community, don't feel invited by the spaces. I see people looking at the flyers and they're curious about the space. When we have open hours and I see people walking past, I wave and invite them to come in," said McKissick.
She made a point of introducing herself to the neighbors, and plans have yoga classes and community craft events. She also thinks the nearby liquor stores probably will appreciate the flow of traffic the space will bring.
"It's consistent business if I'm doing a show every weekend," McKissick said. "The biggest thing that I love about my events is the diversity. You'll see every kind of person there. It's intergenerational as well, so older folks will be like, "what's going on?" and they'll pop in. It's just warm and it's very good vibes, and people see that and they want to experience that. I think that's what's helped me not be like a gentrifier, and a part of the problems in Pilsen. I'm not coming in trying to take over anything, I'm coming trying to build."
She said that the neighbors were impressed by seeing "nothing but love" at the crowded opening, and if the jampacked grand opening and current rate of pre-booking is any indication of future success, the crowds will be flocking to the West Pilsen space.
"There was a line out the door, and I was kind of overwhelmed with joy," McKissick said about the early January launch party. "I didn't expect that much of an outpouring of love. Everyone I had touched or had worked with came out to support."
Check out more of AMFM's projects at AMFM.life.
