Board of Directors
Samantha Pekarske
Board Chair
Content Strategist
Standing Partnership
Nakeysha Roberts Washington
Vice Chair
Founder & CEO of Genre: Urban Arts
2025 Milwaukee Arts Board "Friend of the Arts"
Brenda Cárdenas
Secretary
Milwaukee Poet Laureate 2010–2012
Wisconsin Poet Laureate 2025–2027
Professor Emerita, Graduate Program in Creative Writing
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Steve Dittman
Treasurer
CPA
O'Leary & Anick
Vince Bushell
Publisher
Riverwest Currents, Inc.
Matthew J. Hills
Attorney
DeWitt LLP
Paula Kiely
City Librarian (retired)
Milwaukee Public Library
Ck Ledesma
Artist Director, Villa Arco
Milwaukee Arts Board 2022 Artist of the Year
Howard Leu
Founder, ArtFluent, LLC
Margaret Rozga
Wisconsin Poet Laureate 2019–2021
Professor Emerita, Department of English
University of Wisconsin-Waukesha
Jill Sebastian
Professor Emerita
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Mary Gute Witte
Philanthropist
Advocates
Karen Campbell
Former Chair of Woodland Pattern Board of Directors
Bill Embly
Writer, Community Member
Karl Gartung
Co-founder of Woodland Pattern
Peter Goldberg
Attorney (retired)
Ed Krishok
Founder, Remaining Awake LLC
Anne Kingsbury
Co-founder of Woodland Pattern
Robert Ragir
Philanthropist
Staff
Jenny Gropp &
Laura Solomon
Executive Directors
Michael Wendt
Programming Director
Antonio Vargas-Nieto
Education Director
Marla Sanvick
Art Director
Lewis Freedman
Book Center Manager
Molly Hassler
Executive Assistant
Chuck Stebelton
Director of Special Projects & Initiatives
Teaching Poets & Artists
LaDasia Bryant
Ajamou Butler
Sean Enfield
Eloisa Gloria
Nikki Janzen
George Jones
Kavon Jones
Jenna Koch
Phoebe Nelson
Oscar Quinto-Zamudio
CJ Scruton
Jackie Valadez
Shana Wilson
Kathrine Yets
2025-26
Poetry Coalition Fellow
Ae Hee Lee
2025-26
Milwaukee Emerging Poet Fellows
Moki Ruminski
(Practice)
Diya Gitanjali Mark
(Projects)
2025-26
Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate
Angela Wang
University School of Milwaukee
Curators
Kimberly Blaeser
Native Writers in the 21st Century Series
Brenda Cárdenas
Unwriting Borders Poetry Series
Karl Gartung
Readshop
Nomka Enkhee
Ping Pong Book Club
Roberto Harrison
Unwriting Borders Poetry Series
Siwar Masannat
Unwriting Borders Poetry Series
Jay Mollerskov
Formations Series for New & Improvised Music
Hal Rammel
Alternating Currents Live Concert Series
Nakeysha Roberts Washington
Genre: Urban Arts: Revolutionary Arts Criticism Residency
Takahiro Suzuki
aCinema Film Series
Janelle Vanderkelen
aCinema Film Series
Volunteers & Interns
Doyin Aderele, Mariah Brantley, Emily Dahm, Julia Dauer, Carly Davis, Ceci Downey, Bill Embly, Lauren Garza-Jones, Lisa Hollenbach, Karl Hooyman, Jacob Jackson, Mo Johnson, James Kramer, Oliver Krawczyk, Holly Kubert-Marshall, Liat Mayer, Jamie Messerman, Alex Niemi, Brett Olson, Katya Ravie, Joey Reindl, Luna Sachse-Abresch, Girma Schrank, Ella Strzempa, Allison Thompson, Miranda Trimmier, Will VanKoughnett, Ed Werstein, Karl Wolff, Emily York, Yuchen Zhao
We acknowledge that in Milwaukee we live and work on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee homelands along the southwest shores of Michigami, part of North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee, and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida, and Mohican nations remain present.
We further acknowledge the evil colonialism introduced to these lands through genocide and slavery, as well as through racist and xenophobic beliefs, laws, and practices that continue to inflict harm upon Black, brown, and Indigenous lives. We honor those who have lived—and do live, now—at these intersections of identity and experience.
720 E. Locust Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414 263 5001
Hours: Tues–Sun | 12-7 pm
Closed Mon
Building Accessibility: Despite the age of our physical location, and attendant limitations to access, Woodland Pattern is committed to making its programs and facilities available for as many as possible. Please call for more information.
Events Accessibility: Woodland Pattern is able to offer captioning services for its online events and with advanced notice can provide ASL interpretation for live events. Please contact us with accommodation requests and questions.
© Woodland Pattern 2025