News & Initiatives

Hot Spots

Spirit of Milwaukee has teamed up with other community leaders in developing a window decal to be placed at locations where the public has access to Wi-Fi connections.  Wi-Fi technology makes email and the internet available virtually anywhere.  According to the international Wi-Fi Alliance, "Wi-Fi is wireless technology like a cell phone.  Wi-Fi enabled computers send and receive data indoors and out; anywhere within the range of a base station.

The "Hot Spot" decal will be offered free to coffeehouses, libraries, hotels, etc. that have Wi-Fi.  The creation of this initiative serves two purposes:  1) assists workers, visitors, students in knowing the location of Wi-Fi connections and 2) develops a strong, positive perception that Milwaukee is a "connected" city. 

Distribution of the decals and development of a database of Wi-Fi locations will continue throughout 2005.

Milwaukee Pics Contest

A number of community organizations have indicated a desperate need to obtain new, different photos showcasing Milwaukee.  The type of pictures that are being sought is quite extensive - more people, more diversity, different activities, etc. 

Spirit of Milwaukee has collaborated with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, OnMilwaukee.com, Midwest Airlines, city of Milwaukee and Visit Milwaukee in conducting quarterly contests throughout 2005 to obtain photos from our local citizens.  The photos that are selected will then be made available to community based organizations for their use in promotional pieces

Milwaukee mark/logo

Spirit of Milwaukee spearheaded the development of the “community-owned” Milwaukee mark or logo.  Designed by Laughlin/Constable Advertising Agency, the objective was to create an identifiable connection between Milwaukee and the award-winning Santiago Calatrava-designed addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum – much like the St. Louis Arch or the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge have become identifiable icons of their respective cities.

Deviating from the path that many cities and states typically take, there was deliberate decision not to include a slogan as the majority of them are pointless and forgettable.  Instead, there was a firm belief that the building by itself makes a strong, powerful statement.  The remarkable inventiveness of the Calatrava addition serves as an excellent connection between the building and the new Milwaukee – an addition and a city that are truly – Innovative, Pioneering, Dynamic and Expansive.

In 2005, Spirit of Milwaukee will work on continuing to expand the use and incorporation of the Milwaukee mark by area businesses and organizations.  On nearly a daily basis Spirit of Milwaukee receives requests from various entities to use the mark in the promotion of their organization.  Various methods will be deployed to increase the awareness that the mark is available and free for their use.

Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee

The Spirit of Milwaukee chaired a steering committee of 21 individuals with a broad set of experience in  arts and culture to determine the feasibility of establishing a trade association that could speak with one voice for the arts and culture industry in the Milwaukee metropolitan area.  At the conclusion of this evaluation it was determined to proceed with the formal creation of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee. 

The Spirit of Milwaukee also led the recruitment of the Cultural Alliance’s first executive director who started with the organization in November 2004.  For a period of 12-18 months, the Cultural Alliance will be housed with the Spirit of Milwaukee so that it might be able to provide guidance and oversee the development of the organization.  Following that time period the Cultural Alliance will become a free-standing non-profit organization

For information about membership, please contact Tony Forman at tforman@spiritofmilwaukee.org.  Membership is open to individual artists and cultural organizations throughout the six county metro area. (Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha counties)

Milwaukee’s Regional Website

MetroMilwaukee.org

Since the beginning of 2002, the Spirit of Milwaukee, has been working with individuals from We Energies (formerly Wisconsin Energy Corporation), the City of Milwaukee, OnMilwaukee.com, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) and the Greater Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau, about the development of a regional web page for the Milwaukee region. We have decided to name the site MetroMilwaukee.org.  The site went live on March 28, 2004.

Spirit of Milwaukee continues to oversee the web site www.MetroMilwaukee.org.  Created in 2003, www.MetroMilwaukee.org was created as a tool to assist in the recruitment of talent to Milwaukee and to connect the viewer to nearly everything about living, working, learning and playing in Milwaukee.  The dynamic and vibrant site packages Web sites and resources dealing with such things as housing, jobs, schools, recreation, entertainment, news, religious organizations, etc. and links them under one umbrella.  The geographic region represented in the Web site includes Milwaukee, Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha, Walworth, Racine and Kenosha counties.  In 2004 the site underwent a major retooling of its presentation to reflect the new Milwaukee mark.

This is where I would take it off.  Spirit of Milwaukee spearheaded the development of the "community owned" Milwaukee mark or logo.  Designed by Laughlin Constable Advertising Agency, the objective was to create an identifiable connection between Milwaukee and the award-winning Santiago Calatrava-designed addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum - much like the St. Louis Arch or the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge have become identifiable icons of their respective cities.

Deviating from the path that many cities and states typically take, there was deliberate decision not to include a slogan as the majority of them are pointless and forgettable.  Instead, there was a firm belief that the building by itself makes a strong, powerful statement..  The remarkable inventiveness of the Calatrava addition serves as an excellent connection between the building and the new Milwaukee - an addition and a city that are truly - Innovative, Pioneering, Dynamic and Expansive.

The Milwaukee mark has been adopted by entities in the following Milwaukee sectors:

Advertising/Marketing, Airline, Architecture, Arts/Culture, Brewing, Business Improvement Districts, City Government, Community Developers, Construction, County Government, Economic Development, Financial Services, Food Retail, Foundation, Health Care, Higher Education, Historic Preservation, Hospitality, Housing Development, International Trade, Legal, Manufacturing, Media-Print, Media-Radio, Media-Television, Real Estate, Religious, Retail Development, Safety, Social Service, Sports, Technology