Mikey Murry

About Mikey Murry

I\'ll tell you what freedom is to me. No fear!\"-Nina SimoneMikey Murry, also known as Mikey Cody Apollo, is a powerhouse of creative activism. For the last 10+ years, Murry has blended storytelling, social justice, and cultural strategy into a compelling career. With a degree in Community Engagement and Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Murry\'s current work as Executive Director at Mitchell Street Arts and previous roles within UBUNTU Research & Evaluation and Milwaukee Film demonstrate her commitment to elevating voices and establishing Beloved Community. Murry\'s writing not only speaks to the heart, but also challenges societal norms, often drawing from her personal experiences to touch on issues of race, queerness, and liberation. Featured in publications like Womanly Magazine, YES Poetry, Blavity, Hooligan Magazine, and Genre: Urban Arts, Mikey’s prose and essays are lauded for their authenticity and their power to spark introspection. A sought-after speaker and cultural architect, Murry captivates audiences. She has headlined numerous events and led thought-provoking workshops that blend art and poetry with social justice, such as \"The Art of (Be)longing: Queer Love Poetry, Literature, and Media\" at the 2024 Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference (MBLGTACC) and \"Becoming Dangerous: Evaluation as Witchcraft\" at the 2023 CREA (Culturally-Responsible Evaluation & Assessment) Conference. Beyond the stage or classroom, Murry\'s work has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. Their portfolio includes self-published poetry collections like \"Opposite of a Suicide Note\"(2024) and \"Black Girls, Silence, and Other Things Made of Gold\"(2017). Recognized as a four-time finalist in Shepherd Express\' Best of Milwaukee - Local Author category, as well as a first-time finalist for Local Philanthropist in 2024, Murry has solidified their record as a fearless voice for justice, authenticity, and belonging.

Experience

1. Executive Director

   Mitchell Street Arts

   Mar 2024 — Present · Milwaukee, WI, US

   Mitchell Street Arts was seeded in 2021 by a series of conversations with local residents, artists, and community leaders. We asked: what does the Southside need to have a thriving arts and culture scene? Those conversations have served as the backbone to our mission. Our home on Historic Mitchell Street serves as the base for our programming, and encompasses a performing arts venue and community makerspace. Our central purpose is to make bridges: to utilize art as a vehicle for cross cultural connection. We do this collaborating with community organizations and artist groups from around the city. Our stage hosts interactive theater troupes, spoken word poetry, open mic nights, community dialogues, and more. Programming is multi-lingual and take place in Spanish, English, and Arabic. In addition to hosting performing arts, our makerspace contains a wood shop, ceramics studio, photo darkroom, and more. It is a place for professional artists to collaborate, and a classroom for our community to learn new skills. Through an artist-in-residence program focused on public art, we provide free studio space and gallery time to local artists. We aim to foster arts access and creative place making projects in this beloved city of ours.

Education

• Milwaukee High School of the Arts

  High school diploma with a focus in Creative Writing

  2010 — 2014

• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

  Bachelor's degree, Community Engagement Education

  2014 — 2018