Are Keys To The City 2019
6 x 14’
Dye sublimated printing on 12 oz Carpet

Are Keys To The City is a custom printed carpet commissioned for lobby of the Saint Kate Hotel. The piece serves as a welcome mat, inviting guests to walk across the artwork when checking in at the front desk. The project pays homage to Milwaukee poets by idealizing the urban center as a place where points of interest are named after them.

The following poets are included in the piece:
John Koethe Street
Antler Fields
Marilyn Taylor Terrace
Peggy Kwi-Suk Hong Commons
Susan Firer Circle
Brenda Cárdenas Place
Jim Chapson Promenade
Jeff Poniewaz Gardens
Matt Cook
Roberto Harrison Overlook
Dasha Kelly Hamilton Corner
Margaret Noodin Bridge
Chuck Stebelton Park

The names of all Milwaukee Poet Laureates, at the time of production, are featured in the artwork. They are joined by a few strong contenders including Dasha Kelly Hamilton who became the city’s Poet Laureate in round immediately following the work’s installation.

Druecke says of the project, “the words of poets are vital to unlocking what is easily overlooked and in plain view.” Are Keys To The City is a fantastical map where culture, nature, gulls, and poets overlap and coexist.