Isthmus

06/11/2026

Billed as a “surprise public market preview,” the Wednesday markets feature vendors that are accepted merchants as well as those hopeful of scoring a permanent space or interested in vending in the smaller kiosk spaces. About 20 vendors were on site at the June 10 event. It’s also a way to invite the public into the building before the scheduled grand opening on July 23.

Market CEO Keisha Harrison said the bad weather had kept several pop-up vendors away.

The inaugural June Wednesday pop-up included a variety of small businesses. Some, such as Capri Cheese, Mango Man Cooks and Yalla Dips, are familiar from area farmers’ markets. Others sold handmade decorative items, from TacoCat Creations’ cat toys to The Stillroom Scientist’s candles and air fresheners.

Grace Christensen of The Stillroom Scientist said she had tried to get a merchant space, but was not accepted. Nonetheless she signed up for all four June pop-ups. Joe Whitney of Air Joe Farms, who grows microgreens, said he is also coming to all four markets and is interested in a kiosk space. Hannah Burwell of Sun and Moon Farm, selling spring turnips, lettuce mix, kale and other fresh produce, is interested in continuing to sell at the public market’s pop-ups, and said that there was currently nothing other than the pop-ups for her to apply for at the market.

Sam McDaniel of the the sweet nut company Fortune Favors, one of the accepted permanent merchants, noted that “everything takes a long time,” and that while opening the market “looks like it should be easy,” it’s hard for the public to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes, even the work that goes into signing the multiple leases. Fortune Favors closed its storefront on Atwood Avenue last September and McDaniel is looking forward to the cooperative nature of selling in a group at the market. “It’s hard for small retail if it requires the shopper to make an independent trip,” he said, noting that the multiple and varied businesses at the market can be “an engine for bringing people in.”

Read more at isthmus.com

06/10/2026

SPONSORED | Each month Community Shares of Wisconsin presents the Backyard Hero Award to organizations and people making change happen in our community. This month’s hero is Margaret Brauer, a board member and volunteer manager for Open Doors for Refugees, an organization that helps refugees make a home in the Madison area. Margaret coordinates transportation and winter wear donations, manages volunteers, and works with partner organizations. She does this with grace and perseverance, even in these challenging times. Thank you, Margaret!

The Backyard Hero Awards are sponsored by Isthmus, 105.5 Triple M, and Budget Signs Specialties.

https://www.communityshares.com/backyard-hero-margaret-brauer/

06/05/2026

Madison school board member Ali Muldrow is pushing back on criticism that the board has been “dragging their feet” in finalizing a cell phone policy for the district.

“I am interested in having a highly effective cell phone policy, and I don’t think what we have in front of us tonight is that,” she said at a board work group meeting on June 1.

The board is facing a state-imposed July 1 deadline to finalize a district-wide cell phone policy. A draft policy, prepared by district leadership, would prohibit K-8 students from using phones throughout the school day — they would need to be stored securely for the entire day — while allowing high school students to use their phones during passing periods and lunch.

Parents and teachers have been pushing the district to adopt the stricter policy for high school students too. But some board members at the meeting raised concerns that under a stricter policy a disproportionate number of students of color would be disciplined for infractions and reinforce disparities already reflected in the district’s discipline data.

“It would be hard for me to vote in favor of what we’re currently looking at because I think it would reinforce pretty negative and racialized phenomena,” said Muldrow.

Read more at isthmus.com

06/04/2026

What's the best use for the final parcel of the Judge Doyle Square project?

A design prepared this year by Potter Lawson, the design firm that served as the lead consultant and master planner for parts of Judge Doyle Square, envisions the vacant lot’s final use as an “urban oasis” connecting other downtown projects on the horizon, including the redevelopment of two state office buildings (the state is selling G.E.F. buildings 2 and 3, and bids are due in early June) and the city-owned Brayton Lot (the city is reviewing two different proposals for housing from different developers).

Under Potter Lawson’s vision, the vacant lot could be a “green spine” between those buildings and a redeveloped, “worldclass” waterfront along John Nolen, an expansion of Monona Terrace, an Amtrak Station, and a hotel at 1 W. Wilson St., another state-owned building being sold off. (Following approval from the State Building Commission in May, the Legislature’s budget committee on June 2 approved the sale of the building to a private developer for $10 million.)

“That area is going to change a lot, and there’s a lot we want to be intentional about, especially with the G.E.F. and the Brayton Lot parcels now coming to fruition,” says Rebecca Prochaska, Potter Lawson’s president and CEO.

Read more at isthmus.com

06/03/2026

The stalls for the 15 announced merchants are beginning to take shape. They are different sizes and configurations and meant to be flexible, to change as merchants move in and out in the future. Harrison points to the largest space, just under 2,000 square feet, that occupies the corner near the intersection of Johnson and First streets. It’s earmarked for a restaurant/cafe, as it can be closed off from the rest of the market (and could have different operating hours) and includes its own patio. Harrison says there are businesses interested in that space now. The largest merchant space, originally planned at almost 2,500 square feet, has been absorbed into the event space, says Harrison.

Another space is earmarked for a bar that will be run by the Madison Public Market Foundation through a spinoff corporation. That approach makes sense, Harrison says, as a way for the foundation to make money to subsidize the operating budget and work in tandem with catering operations for the market’s event space — it’s a “revenue stream that benefits everyone,” says Harrison. Revenue from event space rental is also key to the market’s budget.

The city of Madison owns the building and leases it to the foundation. Harrison confirms that the city will contribute no funds to the market’s operating budget, and as a 501(c)(3), the foundation will continue fundraising to support its merchants and vendors, often fledgling entrepreneurs who may experience barriers to owning a business.

See the rest of this story at isthmus.com

05/31/2026

Hand-painted Ghanaian movie posters? Why not.

On Saturday, paintings offering a surrealist twist on movies new and old crowded the walls at a pop-up shop from the Chicago-based Deadly Prey Gallery. Skulls and serpents made their way into movies that didn’t feature them, along with a lot of blood, a lot of muscle, contorted faces and at least several severed pen*ses.

The posters are part of Ghana's "mobile cinema," which peaked in the mid-1980's with makeshift video clubs that traveled through the country and played movies off of VHS. Hand-painted movie posters like these showcased the films.

“It was very common for the video operator to explain to the artists what to paint or give them reference material which might not exactly be central to the plot of the movie,” explains a handout, and while “the artists were encouraged to watch each film,” they were told “to focus on aspects outside the traditional printed posters.” Often, artists would add extra violence, horror and s*x to compete.

Mobile cinema has now mostly died in Ghana, but Deadly Prey Gallery continues to offer paintings, prints, books and other merch, with profits directly with the artists. Isthmus art director Tommy Washbush picked up five movie prints: Black Sheep, The Office (BBC), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Wild Style, and The Naked Gun.

Madison’s pop-up came together at Next Wave Studios, an artist workspace just off of Stoughton Road. Deadly Prey's traveling pop-up continues today in Milwaukee at the Charles Allis Art Museum.

05/28/2026

Dane County's data center advisory committee unanimously approved a moratorium on May 25, updated from a previous proposal to refer specifically to permits for large, “hyperscale” data centers.

The moratorium now heads to the Dane County Board for a vote on June 4. Under the proposal, county planners would have 18 months to “fully explore, analyze, and research” aspects of large data centers popping up elsewhere across Wisconsin, and “develop reasonable zoning regulations” to manage them.

If approved, the moratorium would cover most towns in the county. It wouldn’t apply to cities or villages, which manage their own zoning. Nor would it apply to towns that have “opted out” of county zoning. County Board chair Patrick Miles says he hopes those municipalities follow the county's example.

For more on this story, see isthmus.com

05/15/2026

SPONSORED | TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST TO CTM's Taste of Broadway
May 30 at the Sylvee!
Directed and Choreographed by Brian Cowing

Join us for a one-night-only dinner theater experience. Enjoy great food and a cabaret-style concert filled with singing and dancing from talented local adult and youth performers. Featuring favorite Broadway hits, this event is perfect for the whole family. Get Balcony seats starting at $45 or grab seats at a table with dinner!

Find out more: https://ctmtheater.org/series/taste-of-broadway-at-the-sylvee/

BUY TICKETS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

05/14/2026

SPONSORED | Each month Community Shares of Wisconsin presents the Backyard Hero Award to organizations and people making change happen in our community. This month’s hero is Deirdre Garton, a board member for Rooted. Deirdre continues her decades-long support of youth and families in Dane County through her work with Rooted, which provides youth and families with access to urban agriculture education, community spaces, and land to grow food. Thank you, Deirdre!

The Backyard Hero Awards are sponsored by Isthmus, 105.5 Triple M, and Budget Signs Specialties.

Each month Community Shares of Wisconsin presents the Backyard Hero Award to organizations and people making change happen in our community. Deirdre Garton This month’s hero is Deirdre Garton, a board member for Rooted since 2014. Deirdre has decades of experience protecting youth and families in ...

05/12/2026

The first 150 of 500 beagles from Ridglan Farms arrived at the Dane County Humane Society Monday morning. The release of the beagles from the dog breeding and research facility is the result of a deal between two animal rights groups and Ridglan, located about 30 miles from Madison in the town of Blue Mounds. In all, 1,500 of the facility’s roughly 2,000 dogs were sold to the animal rights groups.

The Beagle Freedom Project organized Monday’s transfer. Another 350 beagles will be transferred this week to the DCHS. They will receive shots, vaccines, microchips and general care. Some will remain at the humane society for adoption, and others will be sent to various other centers throughout the Midwest.

As of May 6, DCHS says more than 1,300 individuals had submitted forms indicating interest in adopting the 50 beagles that will remain.

Photos by Lizzy Larson.