User:Kathryne.martin

A Place to Sit, is a public artwork by America artist kathryn e. martin, located along the Art Loop of the Hank Aaron State Trail, situated on the south side of the Menomonee River, in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI. The work was completed in the Fall of 2010.

Before the onset of industry and European settlement, the Menomonee Valley was a vast marsh that extended from Lake Michigan to Miller Park. This was fertile ground for the harvesting of wild rice by American Indians. On an annual basis, various tribes came together peacefully to harvest rice, to carry them through the long winter. The arrival of Europeans disrupted Native American life. As Europeans began to settle in the area, American Indians were displaced and the marsh was filled to provide land for industry. Local historian John Gurda describes the turmoil as a “game of musical chairs. In the end, it was the Indians who had nowhere to sit.”

The high-back chairs of A Place to Sit honor the spirit and people of Wisconsin’s American Indian tribes.

Historical information
kathryn e. martin was selected for this installation through a Request for Proposal and juried process by the Art Committee of the Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail. This was her first permanent public artwork.

Condition
Excellent.