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. The gallery, a Black-owned space for underrepresented artists, has hosted hundreds of artists and thousands of visitors. Laster is also an interdisciplinary artist whose current immersive installation, “Interrupted: Cash for Homes,” recreates her grandparents’ home to explore gentrification and housing displacement on Milwaukee’s north side. She acquired the building through the city’s ARCH loan program and took a five-year loan from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Impact Investing program, but a $260,000 balloon payment is due by December 1, 2025. Laster has been fundraising to keep the gallery open, citing rising costs, cuts to arts funding under the Trump administration, and the COVID-19 pandemic as major challenges.
The closure of 5 Points Art Gallery & Studios would leave a void in Milwaukee’s art community, as it serves not only as an exhibition space but also as a hub for examining systemic issues like housing insecurity and gentrification. The gallery includes two artist residency apartments and has fostered a supportive community for artists of color. Laster’s situation highlights the precarious financial realities facing small, mission-driven art spaces, especially those serving marginalized communities, and underscores the broader impact of funding cuts and economic pressures on local arts ecosystems.