Art in MKE: John Kowalczyk connects with community, aspiring artists to create beautiful murals

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Ever since he was a little kid, John Kowalczyk knew he was interested in art. Little did John know, he would be able to turn his passion into a career.

John was born and raised in the Chicago-area and at the young age of 8, he started taking painting classes at the home of a woman who lived nearby. John found inspiration through his mentor's older children who were studying art at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD).

"I got to see some older cool kids in art school who showed me it was a possibility," John said.

John stuck with art all through high school and beyond. Following in his neighbors' footsteps, John graduated from MIAD with a degree in painting. John hasn't left Milwaukee since, making a name for himself throughout the Cream City.

"I've always felt that Milwaukee is a very supportive city. It's a city where artists can get cool things done. In Chicago, I might be a small fish in a big sea. In Milwaukee you can make a splash," said John.

For nearly two decades, John has worked with numerous groups including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Arts @ Large, and ArtWorks for Milwaukee to name a few.

When he's not helping to get others inspired, John is working on his own projects.

"I've been making my way around Wisconsin," John said.

John has murals across the state including pieces in Stevens Point, Green Bay, Oak Creek, Port Washington and more.

His first big-scale project was done in 2015. Milwaukee County Parks invited John to paint a mural in a county park. 

"That was a neat process because that was the first time the county parks allowed a mural to be painted," said John.

Working alongside Artists Working in Education, a local nonprofit, the park mural -- though no longer there -- was designed and created by the entire group.

"Since then, a bunch more have popped up in county parks," said John. "I think that's another cool thing that I like about public art and murals. Once you get one going, people fall in love with them but want more and more."

"Finding inspiration in the everyday"

Before creating a public mural, John likes to check out the space, talk to the neighborhood, or find a gem that inspires him to come up with the concept of the piece.

One of John's murals called, "I will be a hummingbird" sits along Milwaukee's Beerline Trail. It's painted on an old shipping container that's been transformed into a music stage. The inspiration behind the piece comes from an African proverb, "The Story of the Hummingbird."

The story is about a forest that is burning. All the animals, the tigers, and elephants run away from the fire as one hummingbird flies back and forth -- getting one drop of water at a time to put the fire out. The animals running from the fire ask the bird what its doing and the bird replies, "I'm doing the best I can and if we all do the best we can, we can save the forest. We can save our home." The hummingbird convinces all the animals to help get water and save their home.

The idea behind the story is a community working together to accomplish something -- the way John enjoys creating art experiencing the process with others.

"I'm using art as a connection tool and a community building tool to inspire and make people happy," said John.

No stopping here

Being an artist is John's full-time job. He continues to work with local nonprofits, schools, groups, and has a few new pieces in the works. The latest is a mural at MATC and another at the Cudahy Health Department.

"I think art in places like health departments is really cool. It can make people more comfortable and more at ease. It brings a little warmth and cheer to a stressful visit," John said.

John says his work with the community, local nonprofits and groups won't be slowing down anytime soon.

"One important thing to me is I love advocating for artists and the value of artists in our city and how much richness and vibrancy they bring."

See more of John's work here or follow him on Instagram.