05/15/2026
🌊THIS JUNE: Bronzeville Center for the Arts is excited to present "If You Put Your Ear to It, You Can Hear the Waves," a yearlong outdoor sculpture installation by Milwaukee-based interdisciplinary artist Ck Ledesma (), located at the corner of West North Avenue and 2nd Street, the future home of the Museum.
Using clay, mirrors, tile, concrete, and other materials, Ledesma is shaping a contemporary altar dedicated to Yemayá, the Orisha of the ocean and mother of all things. Rooted in African diasporic traditions, the installation draws on Santería and Yoruba practices, connecting Bronzeville to Lake Michigan and Puerto Rico to coastlines across the globe. Over time, the installation will continue to evolve, reflecting the living, changing nature of both devotion and artmaking.
📅 On June 18, from 6 to 8 pm, experience a free artist talk at Gallery 507, followed by a guided walk to the installation. This event is free and open to the public on the eve of Juneteenth. More event information coming soon!
💧About the Artist:
Ck Ledesma Borrero is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and curator originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, now living and working in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for nearly two decades. Their artwork is rooted in community engagement and social practice, using performance, sculpture, and multimedia to create experiences that expand the definition of art beyond the object and into the realm of dialogue and collective meaning.
Ledesma is a 2025 40 Under 40 honoree, the 2022 Mildred L. Harpole Milwaukee Artist of the Year, and a 2020 Established Artist Mary L. Nohl Fellow. They have held artist residencies with Milwaukee’s Cesar Chavez Drive Business Improvement District and Milwaukee Public Library. Their work has been presented nationally and internationally, including at the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Haggerty Museum of Art, Racine Art Museum, and through the Museums Association of the Caribbean–and, most notably, within our communities.
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