Kudos! to Mckim and John Stropes for continuing their exhibitions, events and celebrations of the Avant Garde Coffee House and the counter culture which surrounded it. On April 29th they concentrated the celebration on Kaleidoscope; the underground tabloid newspaper published in Milwaukee. I did the first cover art for Vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 6, 1967). It was an evening of pure pleasure for the multiple generations who attended. The celebration featured black and white films — one of which brought a young Allen Ginsberg, reading, into the room. All the covers from volume one were displayed — so my late father’s eye was also present in the room; as seen on the “Germ Warfare” cover.
Editor/Publisher John Kois attended and addressed the crowd of photographers, graphic artists, writers and musicians who contributed to the publication and the greater culture in the late 60s and early 70s. Other poets, writers, DJs, archivists and musicians also provided the mood of a decade fifty years behind us.
The Stropes brothers have spent years seriously pursuing the preservation and archiving of folk and blues music, poetry, publications, films, and photographs from our local 60s, 70s and early 80s culture. They’ve managed to involve young finger style guitar students from the UWM guitar department; as well as the UWM Theatre Department; and the UWM Library Archivists. We owe them our gratitude.
More photographs from this Kaleidoscope event can be seen HERE.
(click photographs for larger view)
UWM has begun the arduous task of making a searchable archive of every issue of Kaleidoscope.
