Vedale Hill
Neighborhood Liaison
[focusing on the translation and application of authentic arts + culture]
Vedale Hill is a fine artist, arts educator, and community advocate born and raised on Milwaukee’s eastside. He is known to draw inspiration from his perspective of an impoverished urban upbringing, which has allowed him to apply his creative skills as a pragmatic practice of culture and identity. One of his most noteworthy accomplishments includes his creation of Jazale’s Art Studio, a non-profit arts education community youth studio, as well as an artist and residency program for artists of color. Vedale holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Studio Arts from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, where he has also served as an adjunct professor. He is an active board member of the Milwaukee Arts Board and several other community/arts-related organizations. With this and his constant contribution to neighborhood beautification, activism, and mentorship, he is constantly redefining the role of arts and culture in society.
His experience with displacement throughout his professional art career has been a stimulant of Vedale’s interest in development. His attempt at creating spaces for his professional art practice, youth, underrepresented individuals, and other community stakeholders have often been disrupted by systemic inequities. However, his effort to create tangible experiences of arts and culture application continued to blossom while building out creative interior spaces, and countless community-scaping projects including, The Beerline Trail Neighborhood Development Project (also known as The ARTery), Hawthorn Glen nature preserve, Milwaukee’s Juneteenth Black Lives Matter Mural, and many more.
As a co-founder of HomeWorks: Bronzeville, Vedale uses his role to maintain authentic relationships with the neighborhood, its cultural practices, and its interest. He also bridges the gap between community aspiration, the populace in which the initiative serves, and institutional structures. He actively serves as project manager of HomeWork: Bronzeville’s properties with a hands-on approach to community appreciation and elevation.
