Two local artists are helping the Cudahy Health Department create a welcoming and inclusive environment. Here's how.

Two local artists recently completed murals at the Cudahy Health Department that highlight diversity and tell a local story.

One is even interactive.

“I’m passionate of letting people tell their stories through artwork,” said John Kowalczyk, one of the artists hired by the Cudahy Health Department, 5050 S. Lake Drive. “Art can make life easier, joyful and brighter.”

Public Health Manager Teresa Ortiz led the project. She said as the Cudahy Health Department and Third Coast Clinic began to see more activity in early 2022 it was “important to create a more cheerful, welcoming and representative environment.”

“Artists play many important roles in public health, from incorporating critical public health messages into public art, to highlighting the strengths of communities, and creating pieces that support wellbeing, enhance community cohesion, and stimulate social engagement,” Ortiz said.

After the health department put out a call to brighten up the lobby and waiting areas, Kowalczyk said he thought about a study he read from the United Kingdom where art in hospitals actually reduced pain and recovery time in patients.

“I was excited to see that idea coming to life here as well,” he said.

Kowalczyk, a Milwaukee resident, said what drew him to work with the Cudahy Health Department is it was one of the first to declare racism a public health crisis.

“I think it’s necessary for us to acknowledge that as a society,” he said.

South Milwaukee resident Lauren Marvell was also selected. She grew up in Cudahy and said it was a “fun opportunity to break my paints out and work large-scale” to promote positivity and healthy living.

She said the health department was great to work with on the project.

“I feel like I made friends,” Marvell said.

Marvell said she’d work on the mural for a couple hours at a time and it took “quite a few months” to complete the project.

“I think it’s complete,” she said. “I told myself I’m walking away from it.”

She did leave her paints there just in case she needs to add little details.

Kowalczyk, who works for local non-profit Artists Working in Education, said his mural took about two months with all the conversations on design and then the actual painting.

The department didn’t originally plan to hire two artists.

“Although we had originally planned to select one artist for the space, the team agreed that both John and Lauren’s previous and proposed work brought different aspects,” Ortiz said.

Kowalczyk “captured both our mission to pursue health equity and illustrated the diversity of or our community” while Marvell’s proposal “created an engaging space that captured the natural environment of our community, while also capturing the services offered through the Cudahy Health Department,” according to Ortiz.

Heather Puente, health officer for the Cudahy Health Department, said grant funding was utilized to fund the project.

The murals showcase a healthy, inclusive community

Ortiz said some goals for the project was to promote health, celebrate inclusivity and diversity and celebrate the “natural, physical and human environment” of the area.

“I asked them what they wanted to see, what a healthy, whole, complete and well community would like to them,” Kowalczyk said. “(We) focused on diversity and inclusion and how when everyone is treated with dignity and included the world is a better place.”

A lot of big ideas were condensed into “something cohesive and nice,” according to Kowalczyk. His piece looks like a bouquet of people with different backgrounds and abilities scatted amongst a variety of flowers. The watery background pays homage to Lake Michigan.

“It’s surreal with the scale of flowers and humans,” he said. “One piece spells ‘welcome’ in sign language.”

Marvell also wanted to focus on supporting all different sorts of people, celebrate diversity and celebrate different services the health department offers. The department provided her a list of what they do and she made a sketch of what she thought would be fun to show.

She worked with staff to decide on suitable motifs and what interactive elements could be included for kids in the waiting room.

A couple elements in her mural came from Cudahy itself such as the Sheridan Park and Lake Drive signs. She also incorporated elements that would activate the senses, some fruits and vegetables and animals that can be seen around town.

“I’m just reminding kids to keep present and keeping things positive,” she said. “It’s a massive wall of color that wasn’t there before.”

Marvell also had laminated sheets created for dry erase markers, allowing kids to create some artwork of their own or just play around.

Ortiz said the murals brightened and enhanced the space. She said kids who come in love looking at the pictures in Marvell’s piece and playing “find it” games with staff.

“In addition, people have commented that they appreciate the inclusion of people who look like them or share their experiences in John’s piece,” she said.

Puente was also pleased.

“It was amazing to work with two talented artists that were able to capture our mission and the beautiful community we support,” she said. “The murals have elevated our space in many ways, purely through their existence. It has been a conversational piece for clients, an interactive learning game for kids and a lively space for staff.”

Both artists have strong ties to southeast Wisconsin

Kowalczyk has always been an artist and he considers himself lucky to be supported by family and schools. He likes to focus on the community and collaborative aspect of art. Working with teens and other young people on projects “just brings out a life,” he said.

“Sitting in an art studio making paintings all day can get lonely sometimes,” Kowalczyk said.

He likes to insert art into unexpected places so it’s part of the everyday lives of people.

Recently Kowalczyk said he’s been traveling around Wisconsin with projects in the Riverwest neighborhood, Green Bay and a 3,000 square-foot mural in West Allis. He has plans to do another mural in Hartford in September.

Marvell went to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, graduating in 2016 and has been working as a freelance artist since 2019.

“I’ve gotten to do all sorts of really cool things,” she said. Marvell worked with Milwaukee County Parks, the Central Waters tap room in Milwaukee and won first place in a national design contest put on by Culver’s and she is helping South Milwaukee redesign pole banners, among other projects.

Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter at @ES_Hanley.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New murals at Cudahy Health Department showcase diversity, inclusivity