In June 2025, I joined a remarkable cohort of artists, poets, researchers, and community advocates for Pool V, a week-long workshop facilitated by artists Sonja Thomsen and Thom Bridge, held along the freshwater coast of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rooted in their ongoing transnational collaboration Pool, this fifth iteration extended beyond material explorations to engage urgent local and global concerns around water, access, and climate.
My own response to the week’s research took shape through a series of cyanotypes, created using samples collected by the artists from Harborview Plaza, a site that sits at the intersection of industry, public space, and ecological transition. Working with these materials—filtered through sun, water, and time—allowed me to reflect on the tensions between beauty and extractivism, care and consumption.
Conversations throughout the week were shaped by insights from the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, and the broader context of rapid data center development in the region. As water continues to be framed as both resource and commodity, we explored questions around allegiance, accessibility, and the ethics of use, asking what it means to live and make art in proximity to a body of water that is both abundant and increasingly contested.
Pool V was not only a site of making, but also of deep listening and exchange. It created space for shared learning and interdisciplinary inquiry, drawing connections between personal practice and collective responsibility. Throughout the week, we gathered with an incredible network of contributors who enriched our dialogues:
Collaborating Presenters
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Brenda Cárdenas, Wisconsin Poet Laureate
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Benjamin Peterson, School of Freshwater Sciences
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Emma Ehrlich, Water Policy Specialist
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Kristen Gaylord, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum
- Jennifer Current, Landscape Architect & Conservation Biologist
- Regina Agu, Visual Artist, Writer & Researcher
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Katie Stensberg, Milwaukee Harbor District
Participating Artists
It was an honor to work alongside this thoughtful and generous group:
It was an honor to work alongside this thoughtful and generous group:
- Katie Batten
- Tyanna Buie
- Billie Carter-Rankin
- Maeve Jackson
- Josee Pedneault
- Olivia Mikolai Ridge
- Kyle Seis
- George S.
- Amanda Smithivas
- Chuck Stebelton
- Siri Stensberg
🎞️ The week culminated in a public sharing of works-in-progress, alongside a curated screening of 16mm experimental films organized by Ben Balcom (beginning at 8:30pm), extending the conversations through moving image.
Pool V was made possible through The Open Fund via The Poor Farm, with generous support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Ruth Foundation for the Arts.