Kenosha, Wisconsin: The Aftermath

(Select Enter Exhibition Rather Than Start Guided Tour, and then open the menu (circle with three bars), and select Full Screen)

Navigating The Gallery:

[Use the menu to enter Full Screen Mode

I recommend exploring using a combination of your mouse (click on the floor and then use navigation arrows). After the Kenosha postcard on the floor, the exhibit starts with the image displaying the American flag, and continues in a rightward direction around the room. In the second room, the exhibit continues with the Trump motorcade images, and moves rightward around the room.

Unfortunately, the self-guided tour does not follow the curated order of the images. I have no control over the order used in the self-guided tour. It does not track the “virtual physical space” layout, so the tour feature works, but it does not follow my narrative and sequencing.]

Introduction to the Exhibit:

An arrest on a Sunday afternoon, August 23, 2020; seven shots to Jacob Blake’s back; peaceful protests; riots, looting and arson; and two killings by a 17-year old wannabe policeman who claims he fired in self-defense—a lot transpired in just 48 hours. Kenosha, Wisconsin was unwittingly thrust into the national spotlight in the middle of a national health crisis that has consumed much of 2020. Within days, President Trump visited the city, followed several days later by presidential-contender Joe Biden several days later.

I came to Kenosha on a the Friday following the shooting. Like many photographers, I was attracted by the burned-out businesses, particularly the Car Source dealership just two blocks from the courthouse and Civic Center Park. Yet, what Immediately grabbed my attention were the many street artists scattered throughout the eight-square-block downtown who were busily painting the plywood now protecting the vast majority businesses from further damage. The artwork was primitive at best, mostly scribbled slogans, hearts, and flowers, but the collective effort revealed a community re-asserting its identity.

Kenosha was a classic rustbelt city, with its major employer, American Motors Corporation, shuttering its main facility in 1988. Unlike other cities that have not recovered from the loss of their manufacturing bases, Kenosha has re-imagined itself. Its leadership and business community replaced the AMC plant on the lakefront with a massive housing complex, parkland, public art, a new marina, and a museum. Tax and other incentives have turned Kenosha into a major distribution center, with blocks-long warehouses lining the Interstate and anchoring new industrial parks.

Throughout it all, Kenosha has not lost its infatuation with cars. As an outsider, I was overwhelmed by the explosive sounds of mufflers and engines as Harleys, muscle cars, classics like 57 Chevys, and other motorized antique curiosities tooled past my lens. There are car washes, car repair and customization shops, and even some dealerships selling antique cars on what seems to be every corner.

Impressed by Kenosha and the surrounding communities, I have now made five visits to the city. Covid denied me several photo opportunities, including of the first velodrome built in the United States; a Doron blue, massive municipal swimming pool; and an old-fashioned drive-in with no vehicles or carhops. But I did enjoy a sparsely attended Saturday farmer’s market, as well as the opportunity to see two outdoor religious services.

Over the next year, I plan to return as part of an effort to capture images of a community grappling with a late August tragedy that it did not want or expect. It will be interesting to see the downtown this Halloween, Christmas, and next summer, particularly once the plywood comes down. Here are some early images from my exploration, presented in an immersive 3D gallery exhibition space: 

All images, Copyright 2020, Jack B. Siegel, All Rights Reserved.