Art in MKE: Cosmic Butterfly Design inspires communities with vibrant, collaborative murals
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Founded in 2003, Cosmic Butterfly Design has created many vibrant murals throughout Milwaukee communities. The eye-catching murals can be seen throughout universities, public schools, and parks in Milwaukee and beyond, enhancing community spaces for all to enjoy.
Tia Richardson, the owner of Cosmic Butterfly Design, created it originally as a freelance graphic design business. Richardson began to do community work with non-profits who partnered artists with schools. She found that she really loved helping young people work together collaboratively with murals and involving them in sessions.
Grand Avenue Club community mural- Building Community with Passion
"Murals have been a way for me to, over time, provide an avenue for people with different perspectives to share their ideas together in a way that encourages mutual respect," said Richardson. "I found that collaborative murals are a really effective tool for team building, creating a sense of community, togetherness, first in the classroom, and later, over the years, in different community spaces and different groups that I have worked with."
Bringing communities together
Richardson says most of the collaborative works that Cosmic Butterfly Design has completed have a common theme: unity.
It has completed murals on every side of Milwaukee with many different communities.
Richardson says for her, personally, one of the murals that were the most impactful for her was Sherman Park Rising, completed in 2017.
"I remember when I was working on it, how much I underestimated the community's willingness to acknowledge painful issues in a constructive way. I was afraid, you know, it was just after the unrest and I was afraid people wouldn't want to participate, or you know, if they came, they would just be so angry over what happened, they'd just want to throw paint at the wall, or worse, not even participate at all."
Richardson said that was not the case, and that she received a warm response from the community. To this day, people come up and tell her how much they appreciate the mural being there.
"I have never experienced a community that is Black and white, and culturally diverse. You know, people who don't know each other, come together and participate in the way that they did. It's moving," said Richardson.
Over 150 people participated in the making of the mural.
Richardson says she is glad Milwaukee is embracing art, especially community art.
"When I see people join in and be a part of it, it's like pouring water on a thirsty plant. I hope we continue to invest in art in our city," said Richardson.
All around MKE
Not all of Cosmic Butterfly Designs are collaborative, but that does not minimize the impact that the murals make on a community. Richardson says she often works with community partners on commission pieces, allowing them to express what they need as a community, and what they hope the mural will do.
South or north, east or west. The murals can be found all over Milwaukee. The murals have caught the attention of many Milwaukeeans with their eye-catching designs. Several of Cosmic Butterfly Design's murals can be found around at parks, pools, schools, local organizations, and other public spaces.
Cosmic Butterfly Design has done four murals for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) in the past four months. One of the most recent murals is displayed outside Fratney Elementary. It's called "Growing Together/Crecemos Unidos."
Growing Together/Crecemos Unidos- Fratney Elementary School
The mural was created in collaboration with over 300 students, parents, faculty, and staff. The expressive imagery depicts the school's community's values, such as children's rights and environmental stewardship.
Families came out to support the celebration of the mural completion in May.
Beyond Milwaukee
Cosmic Butterfly Design does not only create stunning murals for Milwaukee communities, but communities throughout Wisconsin and beyond. One of its most recent projects was painting collaborative murals at several veterinary schools: Purdue University, Veterinary School of Medicine in Indiana, UW-Minnesota, and UW-Madison.
"Those projects involved the faculty, students, and staff of those colleges talking about different ideas that, well, Cosmic Butterfly Design was hired to do those projects because they felt it would bring the school community together," said Richardson.
Richardson explained that those projects are examples where busy professionals were able to engage in a creative project. The participants of the projects told her that it was relaxing and therapeutic for them, and that they liked coming together to share ideas.
Tia Richardson brought together an Illinois community through art in 2020. "Rockford Taking Flight" is a large scale, collaborative mural that was created through community design sessions. The mural feature's strong themes of unity and togetherness. A documentary was created discussing the creative process and community building on the project. To watch it, click here.
Richardson hopes that people take a message away from Cosmic Butterfly Designs art: We all have the power to make a difference.
Rockford Taking Flight
Beyond Murals
Richardson's main medium is murals right now, but has expanded to do video work, publishing, blogging, and more.
To see more of Cosmic Butterfly Design's projects, click here.