Arts Midwest and the National Endowment for the Arts Partner to Invest in Wisconsin For more than 25 years, Arts Midwest and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with the Wisconsin Arts Board, have provided enriching cultural opportunities to Wisconsin artists, arts organizations, and audiences fostering and sustaining vibrant, diverse communities throughout the state. Federal Funding for the Arts Publically-funded arts organizations such as the NEA, the Regional Arts Organizations, and State Arts Agencies are uniquely situated to ensure that all Americans regardless of geographic location, economic situation, or educational background have access to the arts. Federal funding for the NEA not only supports national programs that provide services throughout the country, but also supports targeted programming provided by State Arts Agencies. These Agencies have a deep understanding of the specific needs of their communities and have the capacity and insight to increase access to the arts in areas where arts opportunities can be scarce. Thanks to this structure, arts organizations across Wisconsin receive grants that allow them to reach more audiences, maintain their significant role in local economies, support artists at livable wages, and provide your constituents access to valuable arts experiences in their communities. About Arts Midwest Arts Midwest is one of six Regional Arts Organizations in the United States, created by the State Arts Agencies and the NEA to transcend state boundaries and give citizens access to a broad variety of arts experiences. We serve more than one million people annually through performing, visual, and literary arts and leadership development programs, as well as a series of national initiatives, managed on behalf of the NEA and the U.S. Department of State. Our programs reach across our nine member states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, and are an integral part of our position as an essential cultural resource for the entire Midwest and beyond. Service at a Glance Arts Midwest Touring Fund: awarded $35,804 to 22 performing arts organizations, and supported the touring of one Wisconsin ensemble, which will earn $5,800 for its work Arts Midwest World Fest: $50,000 in services per year for two years of artist residencies in Arts Midwest Conference: provided business, learning, and networking opportunities to 55 individuals from 40 Wisconsin organizations in 2012 Leadership: continued professional development and networking opportunities for state arts agency staff and leaders Learn more by visiting www.artsmidwest.org.
Arts Midwest Touring Fund Arts Midwest Touring Fund encourages performing arts touring by providing financial support to arts presenting organizations in the Midwest. Arts Midwest Touring Fund provides fee support up to $5,000 to performing arts organizations to bring dance, theater, and music to audiences across Arts Midwest s region. Each engagement includes in-depth educational activities and public performances, and aims to reach underserved audiences. Through the FY13 Arts Midwest Touring Fund cycle (2012 2013 performance season), Arts Midwest awarded $35,804 to 22 performing arts organizations in Wisconsin. Grantee City Artist Grant Alverno Presents at Alverno College Milwaukee Morgan Thorson $3,046 Aurora University's Music by the Lake Williams Bay The Lettermen and The Four Freshmen The Touring Fund is also supporting one project featuring a Wisconsin ensemble touring to other Midwestern states during 2012 2013. In total, the ensemble Big Top Chautauqua's Blue Canvas Orchestra from Washburn will earn $5,800 by participating in Arts Midwest programming. $2,800 Capitol Civic Centre Manitowoc Liz Callaway $2,100 Chippewa Valley Cultural Association Chippewa Falls Gingarte Capoeira $500 Early Music Now Milwaukee The Rose Ensemble $2,240 Flambeau Valley Arts Association Ladysmith The Chenille Sisters $736 Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Appleton Five By Design $1,680 Green Lake Festival of Music Green Lake The Amelia Piano Trio $2,800 Heider Center for the Arts West Salem New Directions Veterans Choir $1,470 Indian Music Circle of Wisconsin Nirmala Rajasekar $3,200 Janesville Presents! Janesville Lisa Rock $800 John Michael Kohler Arts Center Sheboygan Luna Negra Dance Theater $2,960 Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua Washburn Mu Daiko $808 Latino Arts Milwaukee A Flor de Piel $720 Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts Menomonie Buckets and Tap Shoes $1,040 River Arts Prairie du Sac Darlene Koldenhoven $700 Schauer Arts & Activities Center Hartford Troupe America $2,800 Thrasher Opera House Green Lake The Alley Cats $630 Three Lakes School, Community Arts Association WideSpot Performing Arts Center & Community Project Wisconsin Union Theater at the University of Wisconsin Young Auditorium at the University of Wisconsin Three Lakes Girl Singers $512 Stockholm Transatlantic Love Affair $500 Tia Fuller $1,312 Whitewater Aquila Theatre Company $2,450
Arts Midwest World Fest Arts Midwest World Fest connects small and mid-sized Midwestern communities to world cultures through week-long residencies with global performers. Arts Midwest World Fest s mission is to instill appreciation for diversity and acceptance of other cultures. Over a two-year cycle, four global musical ensembles conduct week-long residencies in Midwestern communities. Residencies include public concerts; K-12 school workshops, and community outreach activities such as family and senior citizen workshops and master classes. The program is committed to reaching communities that lack access to high-quality international arts and education programming. Arts Midwest invests approximately $100,000 to bring this program to Wisconsin for the two-year cycle; and local communities are only responsible for school busing, hall rental, and hospitality costs. The current 2011 2013 Arts Midwest World Fest cycle features Yamma Ensemble (Israel), Tarim: Uygur Song and Dance (People s Republic of China), Wust el Balad (Egypt), and Cudamani (Indonesia). Wust El Balad and The Yamma Ensemble had a terrific impact on our organization and on Central Wisconsin. Not only were the members charismatic performers, they were superb communicators and open, approachable people....the members of Wust el Balad and Yamma shared both meaningful music and profound cultural insight with Wisconsonians of all ages. -James O Connell Executive Director Area Performing Arts Foundation The fall 2011 tour featured Wust el Balad. During their week-long stay in, the artists conducted 16 educational and performance events and reached more than 2,000 residents, including more than 995 youth. Location City Description Youth Adults Rib Mountain Historic Chalet Reception 1 82 Workshop with junior and senior high students 300 13 Q & A with AP Geography students / Female choir performs for Wust el Balad 100 5 Q & A with junior and senior high students 100 5 Rasmussen College Workshop with adult college students 1 28 Newman Catholic Schools Q & A session with 7th & 8th graders 90 11 Newman Catholic Schools 7th & 8th graders presented on US music 50 5 Newman Catholic Schools 7th & 8th graders improv with Wust el Balad with student-created poetry 25 5 Newman Catholic Schools 4th 8th grade workshop 110 12 Wisconsin Public Radio WPR interview for broadcast 0 2 West High School Workshop with world history students 30 4 East High School Workshop, Q & A with band, orchestra, and world history students 300 15 Early Bird Rotary (Rose Garden) Mini workshop with community leaders 0 50 The Grand Public concert 63 570 Rose Garden Mini workshop with local 3M employees 0 180 Private Residence Thanksgiving farewell dinner 0 11
The spring 2012 tour featured the Yamma Ensemble. During their tour, the artists conducted 13 educational and performance events and reached more than 2,345 residents, including more than 1,560 youth. Location City Description Youth Adults Mount Sinai Congregation Welcoming Reception 0 51 Workshop with high school band, choir, orchestra students Workshop with high school jazz band students on composition 300 12 30 6 Impromptu session with high school girls' choir 25 6 Newman Catholic High School 6-8th graders presented to Yamma projects on religion, social studies, folk songs, and parodies. 120 15 Newman Catholic High School Workshop with 4-12 grades 365 40 Wisconsin Public Radio WPR radio interview for "Route 51" 0 11 West Senior High Workshop high school choir and orchestra students from WSD and Merrill 200 10 Horace Mann Middle School Workshop with 7th and 8th graders 265 40 The Grand Public Concert 234 548 Boys and Girls Club Workshop with multi-aged youth 28 28 Woodson Art Museum Tour of the Woodson 0 11 Mount Sinai Congregation A Shabbat potluck dinner and concert unknown/ private unknown/ private The fall 2012 tour featured Çudamani. During their week-long stay in, the artists conducted 13 educational and performance events and reached more than 3,470 residents, including more than 2,920 youth. Location City Description Youth Adults Unitarian Universalist Church Welcoming Reception 2 45 West High School Workshop with high school music classes 700 10 East High School Workshop with high school dance students 15 1 East High School Workshop with high school orchestra students 42 4 Newman Catholic Schools Workshop with middle school students 110 10 Newman Catholic Schools Workshop/performance for grades 4-12 400 40 Woodson Art Museum Tour of art museum 2 20 DC Everest Middle School Workshop with 7th grade music students 290 3 DC Everest Middle School Workshop/performance with 6th grade students 420 17 DC Everest Middle School Workshop/performance with 7th grade students 440 19 DC Everest Middle School Art Exchange with 6th grade art students 350 3 The Grand Theater Community Performance 150 356 Since the program s inception in 2003, we have brought engaging international performers to five communities across Wisconsin: Eau Claire, Hartford, Menomonie, Prairie du Chien, and. Learn more at www.artsmidwesworldfest.org.
Arts Midwest Conference The preeminent annual booking and education conference for the Midwest performing arts industry. The only meeting of its kind in the Midwest, our Conference attracts top presenters from across the United States and around the world. The goals of the Arts Midwest Conference are to connect arts administrators, foster and sustain the dynamic performing arts industry, and promote the vibrant local arts scene in the Conference city. In 2012, 905 arts professionals convened in Grand Rapids, Michigan from September 12 15 to network, conduct business, engage in in-depth professional development sessions, experience live performance showcases, and gain new insights into the world of performing arts touring and presenting. Representatives from Wisconsin included 55 individuals from 40 different arts organizations. The 2013 Arts Midwest Conference will take place September 9 12 in Austin, Texas and we expect to serve a broad sector of Wisconsin artists, presenters, and arts organizations at the event. Flamenco Vivo performs at the 2012 Conference. Photo by Joshua Feist. 2012 Attendees City Al Ringling Theatre CAL Center Presents, Inc Campanile Center for the Arts Capitol Civic Centre Cedarburg Performing Arts Center, Inc. Edgerton Performing Arts Center Entertain You Productions Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Grand Opera House - Oshkosh Green Lake Festival of Music Heider Center for the Arts Janesville Presents John Michael Kohler Arts Center Lawrence University Marcus Center for the Performing Arts Baraboo Reedsburg Minocqua Manitowoc Cedarburg Edgerton Lodi Appleton Oshkosh Green Lake West Salem Janesville Sheboygan Appleton Milwaukee
McComb Bruchs Performing Arts Center McCoy Artists Group Meyer Theatre / PMI Entertainment Group Overture Center Performing Arts Foundation Schauer Arts & Activities Center Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts SRO Artists Inc TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater The Magic of Bill Blagg LIVE! Third Avenue Playhouse Thrasher Opera House Three Lakes School / Community Arts Association Ticket Star University of Wisconsin - Marathon County University of Wisconsin - Platteville University of Wisconsin - Washington County University of Wisconsin - Whitewater University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Viterbo University Weidner Center for the Performing Arts Weill Center Performing Arts Wisconsin Arts Board Wisconsin Lutheran College Wisconsin Union Theater Wautoma Baraboo Green Bay Hartford Brookfield Middleton Pleasant Prairie Sturgeon Bay Green Lake Three Lakes Green Bay Platteville West Bend Whitewater Stevens Point La Crosse Green Bay Sheboygan Milwaukee
NEA Big Read The Big Read is a literary initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. Through this program, we bring partners across the country together to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment. We were thrilled to present Mabel Tainter Literary, Library and Educational Society in Menomonie and Young Auditorium in Whitewater with grants for the 2012 2013 Big Read cycle. Shakespeare in American Communities Shakespeare in American Communities is a national theater program that reaches middle- and high-school students in underserved schools throughout the United States by supporting high-quality, professional productions of Shakespeare s plays and comprehensive educational resources. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, we were able to present American Players Theatre in Spring Green with a grant to perform Twelfth Night and Richard III in the 2012 2013 cycle. Leadership Twice annually, Arts Midwest convenes a summit of the state arts agency executive directors representing Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Through this effort, George Tzougros, the executive director of the Wisconsin Arts Board, participates in leadership development and knowledge sharing with key professionals in the public art sector. Wisconsin continues to be strongly represented on Arts Midwest s Board of Directors and governance committees through Bruce Bernberg from Racine and Michael Louis Vinson from Green Bay.