A Great Day In Milwaukee, 2025

On Saturday, June 14th a curated list of Black Milwaukee Artists were invited to arrive at the THE CR8TV HOUSE with little to no context. The whole time we were plotting to recreate an iconic photo.

Today is Juneteenth. So it feels like the perfect time to share the photos with the world. The photoshoot was inspired by A Great Day in Harlem, an iconic black-and-white image taken by freelance photographer Art Kane in 1958. That legendary photo, which featured 57 jazz musicians in Harlem, was published in Esquire and has since become a timeless tribute to Black artistic excellence.

Redoing this photo outside THE CR8TV HOUSE was intentional. Just as Harlem had changed by the time of Kane’s photo, our neighborhood too holds memories of what once was a vibrant community for Black people.

When this photo was taken, Jazz was the sound. Jazz was and is Black art. And though it was wildly influential during that that time, the brilliance of Black musicians was often overlooked. Sound familiar?

Thank you to all the artists for trusting this process with us. Thank you for showing up looking GOOD! Thank you for believing in this work. We encourage you to learn more about the story behind A Great Day in Harlem, and take a moment to read Dr. Monique Liston’s powerful reflection on the moment below.

In art and Community,

Symphony SZ