Milwaukee art gallery owner working tirelessly to keep her space open amid potential foreclosure

Fatima Laster, owner of the 5 Points Art Gallery & Studios in Milwaukee’s 5 Points neighborhood, is facing potential foreclosure on the building she purchased in 2018. She acquired the property through the city’s ARCH loan program and financed it with a five-year loan from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Impact Investing program. The balloon payment of $260,000 is due by December 1, 2025. Laster has been fundraising to save the space, which has hosted hundreds of artists and thousands of visitors. Her current immersive installation, “Interrupted: Cash for Homes,” replicates her grandparents’ home and addresses gentrification and housing displacement on Milwaukee’s north side.