Milwaukee County Courthouse unveils 7 new murals by local artists

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Seven new works of art were unveiled at the Milwaukee County Courthouse Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The murals, each done by local artists, were chosen to do more than just brighten up the halls.

"Everyone walking through that courthouse will have a much broader vision, appropriately, of who we are and who we celebrate," said Chris Abele, former Milwaukee County executive.

Abele was part of Tuesday's virtual unveiling ceremony. 

The idea here is to create a welcoming and inclusive space at the courthouse. 

For example, one of the murals is actually a series of framed quilts, each one showing a hand.

"The five fabric gestures each spell out the letters M-K-E-W-I in American Sign Language, and they cover a spectrum of skin tones," said artist Rosy Petri. "These hands are not faces. They can belong to anybody and they're standing as a reminder that we all belong to the culture of Milwaukee."