The Milwaukee Post

12 • Milwaukee Post • August 16, 2013 Students dig into history for pop-up museum Display at South Shore Park showcases history of Bay View By KIRSTEN KLAHN Special to the Post MILWAUKEE – Bay View's past, present and future came together for one largerthan-life exhibit at South Shore Park on Saturday and Sunday . The pop-up museum, titled The Milwaukee Observatory, took up nearly a quarter of an acre at the park in the Bay View Neighborhood. It was created by Bay View and Bradley Tech high school students. The students who participated were enrolled in Discovery World's Art and Archeology of Me program. The pop-up museum's purpose was to show the public what it took to build a neighborhood in the 19th century and used displays to help viewers envision the community's future. The observatory provided interactive experiences for the public, tours of its innovative art display, a presentation of its recent excavation of a lost neighborhood, a walking tour and 16-foot displays of students with historic memorabilia. "The Milwaukee Observatory is a celebration of neighborhood history, the students' artwork and the pioneers, innovators, and game-changers that built this city," said Heidi Heistad, lead developer of Discovery World's Art and Archaeology of Me program. "It's a place where the students and Bay View residents can bring forth neighborhood history together and look towards the future." Bay View residents also were able to bring in historic items that students photographed, documented and posted online. Throughout the project, students explored the tools and methods of archeology while also using design, digital media and art. For Bay View senior Mariah Tonn, the best part of the project was learning more about graphic design. "For me, working with graphic design has been a great experience," she said. "I learned more than I could have imagined on a topic I'm going to school for. It really expanded my knowledge." Tonn said the experience helped her learn more than she thought possible about Bay View's history As a 10-year resi. dent of Bay View, she said she thought she had a good idea of the area's history . But, there was more much to learn, Tonn said. With the help of Discovery World employees, Tonn said that she, along with other students, pieced together facts of historic places in Bay View, including the Beulah Brinton House, South Shore Park, Photos by Kirsten Klahn/Special to The Post Top photo: Visitors to the Milwaukee Observatory pop-up museum at South Shore Park last weekend read about the history of Bay View. Right: One of the pop-up displays on the grounds of South Shore Park includes images of people from Bay View's past. Groppi's Food Market and Immaculate Conception. At the pop-up museum, Tonn worked at the portrait station where the public was invited to get their pictures taken. Tonn then took the photos and uploaded them to www.milwaukeeobservatory .com, the project's website. To help uncover more of historic Bay View, students also took part in an archaeological dig at South Shore Park, Heistad said. The students found square nails, stone wear, ceramics and evidence of European settlement. "They loved conducting a real archaeological excavation," Heistad said. "They used tools and worked with real archeologists to help understand the past. That dig helped them learn why things are the way they are." "They found artifacts and a lost neighborhood underneath the park," she added. "It really gives them a powerful set of skills." The program is in its fifth year and is offered as a spring class to high school students. In addition to developing new skills and interests, some students, such as Bay View graduate Tiffany Sneed, participated in the program to learn more about history . "We wanted to explore why Bay View began and how it grew," Sneed said. "Neighborhoods just don't happen. We make them happen. Bay View is filled with incredible people and amazing stories. We created The Milwaukee Observatory to share those stories, and we want the community to join us." The museum also included displays to help Bay View residents imagine what their town will be like in the future based on its past and present. Tonn said she feels the future Bay View will be an urban center, economic powerhouse and an incubator for a beautiful future. If she could, Tonn said she'd do the program again. "I loved doing the research on my community," she said. "I had fun learning about things I had no idea existed. This project helped me learn about Bay View, history and graphic design."

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