Documenting Culture With Care

Documenting Culture With Care is a workshop presented by Gaining Visuals, in partnership with Summerfest Music Festival. Last year, we centered why this work matters in a panel with Northcott Neighborhood House and Mahdi Atif. This year, we’re focusing on how photographers move forward, responsibly and sustainably, within major cultural spaces.

We are preparing creatives for a summer of cultural documentation as we celebrate the 55th Juneteenth Festival Celebration in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photowalk is putting in the practice. This multi-day event offers two opportunities for you to network and connect with the community during Juneteenth.

The workshop preps you for the day to decide if you’d like to join us to document the opening ceremony at Summerfest Music Festival celebrating the Juneteenth court and/or Juneteenth day at the parade and festival. Of the ten photographers interested in the photowalk on Henry Maeir Festival grounds, one photographer will have the paid opportunity to document the Taste of Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 20.

Hear from previous Juneteenth photowalk participants, get a tour of Summerfest stages while learning what it means to document culture in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are only 15 seats available for this workshop with food provided.

Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Summerfest Fireworks Conference Room & Henry Maier Festival Park
Workshop: Nadeena Granville, founder of Gaining Visuals and host of Juneteenth Festival Photowalk

This event is free to attend with complimentary Summerfest admission for an exclusive group attendees, which will be available to pre-registered guests. Seating is first come, first served.

Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. & Gaining Visuals LLC
In celebration of Juneteenth 2026

Info: This one-hour boardroom workshop prepares photographers to responsibly document both Photowalks and Taste of Juneteenth programming at Juneteenth and Summerfest Festival. Centered on the understanding that Northcott, Summerfest, and participating vendors are the culture, the session focuses on how can creatives enter with humility, intention, and accountability. We will combine guided discussion, real-world scenarios, and professional standards to help photographers understand consent, context, and ethical storytelling within any environment. Participants will also learn how to approach vendors and community members respectfully, move at the pace of the space, and deliver imagery that returns value to the communities being documented. Access is a privilege, documentation shapes memory, and responsibility is what sustains long-term opportunity within major cultural institutions.

Info: The floor will be open for creatives to ask questions about how to engage festivals, vendors, and the community for documentation alongside a tour of Henry Maier Festival Grounds.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Summerfest Headquarters - Stars Board Room, 639 East Summerfest Place, Milwaukee, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Get App