Submerged Seats of Wild Rice Marsh: A Whimsical Tale from Milwaukee's

The Hank Aaron State Trail, meandering through Milwaukee, Wisconsin, presents more than just a stroll or ride. Deep down its south side, along the Menomonee River, lies a hidden gem dubbed the Art Look. This public art display, titled A Place to Sit, pays tribute to Wisconsin’s Native American tribes, with high-backed chairs adorning it. Lining the Art Look of the Hank Aaron State Trail, it's a reminder of a bygone age, where tribes harvested wild rice in the valley before the arrival of the European settlers, who, in their folly, turned this marsh into an industrial hub, mirroring a real-life game of chairs.

Local historian, John Gurda, might say. Before the marsh was drained, it was a marshy expanse, extending from Lake Michigan to Miller Park for the Native Americans. Ignorant settlers, in their ignorance, changed this marsh into industry. The chairs in A Place to Sit were meticulously crafted by Melissa Cook and Annemarie Sawkins for the Art Loop of the Hank Aaron State Trail. This art piece, chosen through a Request for Proposal and a jury decision by the Art Committee of the Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail, is a creative conquest by Kathryn E.

Martin. A university instructor, Martin, teaches students in Foundation and Sculpture. Equipped with a BFA in Sculpture and Art History from MIAD and an MA and MFA from UWM in InterMedia Studies, A Place to Sit was unveiled on October 8, 2009.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata