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The Bubbler

What is the Bubbler?

The Bubbler at Madison Public Library is a hub that connects artists to the community and the community to artists through free, hands-on making, exhibitions, and community-wide events.

Learn more about the Bubbler and all the programs it offers on the Bubbler's website.

You can also check out all the programming for teens and examples of projects created during that programming over on the Teen Bubbler website.

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Featured Programs

Night LightNight Light

Night Light is the Bubbler's periodic after-hours, art openings at Central Library which rotate between music, theater, dance, storytelling, performance art and other live happenings, showcasing current exhibitions and community partnerships.

photo of front steps of Madison Municipal Building featuring large inflatable giant during Municipal art showPlacemaking

The Bubbler at Madison Public Library is a connector between the artist community and public spaces throughout the City in order to envision, curate, and organize unique and unexpected placemaking through public arts events.

Making JusticeMaking Justice

Making Justice is a community-based learning program for at-risk and court-involved teens, which includes weekly art workshops and an artist-in-residence program. The program annually serves over 500 at-risk and court involved teens in collaboration with Dane County Juvenile Court Detention Center, the Dane County Juvenile Court Shelter Home, the Neighborhood Intervention Program (NIP), and The Madison Metropolitan School District.

Making Spaces square logoGoogle Making Spaces

Madison Public Library in partnership with Google, Maker Ed, and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, is working to develop a national strategy to sustainably integrate making into schools across the country. The Bubbler is one of ten hubs in this project, currently working with six MMSD schools to support maker education in classrooms and integrate making into mainstream curriculum.

Maker CorpsMaker Corps

Maker Ed supports the Bubbler in the design and implementation of pop-up maker programs throughout the city of Madison. This includes all neighborhood libraries as well as other outreach sites including summer school, safe haven sites and community centers.

Funding provided by the Evjue Foundation, program support provided by Maker Ed

Artist in ResidenceArtist-in-Residence Program

The Artist-in-Residence program is designed to create opportunities for the community to connect with their creative side. It fosters emerging and established artists by providing space, materials, and connections necessary to deepen their practice, pursue new projects, and engage with the community.

Funding provided by the Friends of Madison Public Library

Maker KitMaker Kit Database

The Bubbler staff, artists, and community partners have developed 20+ school-aged maker kits that range from low-tech coding to foam printing to exploring maps and mazes. These portable kits travel around the city of Madison offering diverse maker experiences for all ages.

Media Academy JalenMedia Academy

Media Academy is a free 8-week comprehensive workshop focused around music production and social justice, pairing teens with industry professionals to work on group-oriented and self-guided digital learning projects.

Media ProgrammingMedia Programming

Hands-on workshops that introduce individuals and groups to a variety of creative media-based arts by collaborating with local artists and experts who facilitate diverse and engaging workshops around projects such as video game design, stop-motion animation, and music production.

ExhibitionsExhibitions

Gallery spaces at Central Library include galleries on first, second, and third floor, site-specific installations, and a video art screen. Shows rotate every 2-4 months and work is juried in annually by a committee.

Cabin Fever Writing Club squareCreative Writing

The creative writing programs offered by the Bubbler support writers of all levels. The Winter series, Cabin Fever Writers Club is facilitated by local writers and focuses in on specific topics. Bubbler Write-ins, offered monthly, provide a casual, laid-back space for creatives to gather and collaborate on their writing in self-led sessions.

Funding provided in part by the Wisconsin Book Festival

Beyond the Bubbler

Beyond the Bubbler

Beyond the Bubbler is program designed to expand the reach of the Bubbler by providing 13 Madison community centers with their own permanent maker kits, professional development and training resources for making, and connections and funds to hire artists to lead arts and maker programs in their spaces.

Funding provided by the Madison Community Foundation

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