In an introspective gesture of great maturity and selflessness, and with reverence to M.A.R.S.' paternal efforts in contributing to the greater good of the Milwaukee Art Community, Ken and Aaron came forward with the realization that in addition to the all the work they obviously can put forth into the Milwaukee Art scene, they must also be mentors, or facilitators, in giving other local artists/organizations the opportunity to show Milwaukee what they have to offer. Not only does this positively effect the complexity and responsibilities of Aaron and Ken's role here in Milwaukee, but it demonstrates a functional aptitude in allowing their green friendly firm, iNViDiA DESIGN, to organically thrive when the community needs it most. Put another way, M.A.R.S. can than be thought of as an avenue for allowing artistic growth in the community to take place on several different levels, and whats more impressive, is that it structures itself around the- more often then not- pressing business matters that can occupy much of Ken and Aaron's time, when they are focusing on iNViDiA'S many needs as a local business. The value in this service, to local artists, is- absolutely priceless; and in a last breath, I will commend (with caution as to not stir Milwaukeean's by using the "C" word) Ken and Aaron's fearless application of a "corporate" structure, in working to strengthen the tightly knit, local art community, that is often times inhibited in creative growth, by their refusal to sustain themselves with even the necessary funds to stay afloat. With such a stubborn problem at hand, it is necessary to have "super-hero's," here in Milwaukee, that are willing to share their resources, connections, and sometimes, even a modest budget; and in doing so, they are helping to showcase the many valuable art/artists/events, that Milwaukeean's would have otherwise, missed completely.
Needless to say, when Chris Roze approached M.A.R.S. with his idea for the Odyssey event, that seemed loosely envisioned as a concoction of local art, fashion, music, and skateboarding- Ken and Aaron were willing to listen.
M.A.R.S.' role in facilitating events for other artists/organizations, vary, and although sometimes they are simply providing the necessary space for an artist to put together a show, this is not always the case. In the instance of the Odyssey show, their presence was much closer to that of a collaborator, and their roles were not only to generally over-see the massive process that implementing such a show can be, but to provide door/security services, assist with bar, maintain the space, and be present for the set-up/construction, and the clean-up/ take down. The work leading up to the final week, is largely the organizing, e-mailing, paperwork, legal concerns, choreography, and general planning/mapping of the space, and then the final week, is where all the work prior, is put into action.
Chris did his part, and came through in organizing a magnificent show, highlighting some great Milwaukee art, fashion, music, and of course- people, in this enormous two day event. Everybody involved was pleased with the turnout, and Milwaukee's Odyssey was a great hit for Chris Roze, as well as M.A.R.S!
In a last brief note, mostly as a preface to the photography, I will mention that much of the work shown below, is taken from artist Joseph R. Reeves' "Models in Motion" series. I mention this mostly in an apologetic tone, because for all practical purposes, the method/stylization of much of Reeves photography, is irrelevant to the the functional documentation of the event. This is not to be mistaken as an apologetic reference to the quality of the photos, but instead, as reference to their less functional purpose as conventional documentation. More of Reeves' work, from the "Models in Motion" series, to much more, can be found at www.josephREEVES.blogspot.com
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