August 21, 2026 — Karyn Olivier (CRF 2025) has unveiled a new public monument in Milwaukee, Wisconsin honoring civil rights leader Vel R. Phillips.
The work is part of the City of Milwaukee’s ongoing investment in the plaza, which honors the city’s first African American and first female alderperson and a longtime civil rights leader. Karyn’s artwork contributes a contemporary artistic perspective to the public space, connecting the plaza’s history with the community it serves.
Karyn, whose multidisciplinary practice often considers memory, place, history, and the ways public spaces shape collective narratives, created the work as part of the city’s public art initiative.
Civitella congratulates Karyn on this new addition to Milwaukee’s public landscape.
