Tia Richardson
Driving Force for Community
Drawn to a new space in the heart of Milwaukee, Richardson approached the project not as an insider, but as a listener. She gathered 14 staff members from across the organization in different roles, departments and perspectives and asked them to reflect on what makes the Wisconsin Center District feel like home.
About Tia Richardson
Cosmic Butterfly Design’s journey began in 2003 as a freelance Graphic Design business. Tia, then studying Graphic Design at Milwaukee Area Technical College, started it to offer her design services and inspirational art. This included portraits, handmade jewelry and hand-painted clothes, greeting cards, calendars, and anything she could dream up.
Since 2007 that work has evolved into collaborative art efforts that offer community members from all walks of life a chance to freely express their feelings about their community.
Cosmic Butterfly Design has completed over 60 collaborative art efforts with non-profits, K-12 and post-secondary schools, businesses and local government. In 2017 and 2020 Tia produced two short films about her biggest healing community mural projects called ‘Sherman Park Rising’ and ‘Rockford Taking Flight’. In 2022 her children’s book ‘Caring All Around Me’ and an accompanying workbook on healthy relating was published by Orange Hat Publishing.
Q&A with Tia Richardson
