Create Wisconsin Actions and Accomplishments 2022

Written By Create Wisconsin

Coming up in 2023 - lots more info coming up:

  • Advocacy, lobbying, and public policy for investment in Wisconsin’s creative sector during state budget season, January - June 2023 

  • Monthly advocacy info/action calls, starting in January 2023, dates TBA

  • Creative Wisconsin Month - April 2023

  • Creative Wisconsin Day - Wisconsin’s annual advocacy and networking conference returns, live and in-person!  At the Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison, April 13, 2023 

  • Creative Economy Tours, meetings, and site visits throughout the state

  • Make Music Wisconsin 2023 - 21 communities involved in 2023, the larger number of communities in any state!

  • Regional Leaders Network - connecting leaders and communities to benefit all.

Advocacy, Service, and Development Recap 2022

Advocacy, public policy, and promotion

  • A legislative hearing with the Assembly Committee on Rural Development was held in support of the Rural Creative Economy Development program legislation in February 2022.  Advocates testifying:

    • Doug and Luke Gasek, creative entrepreneurs, Medford

    • Sam Luna, artist and Director, The Heist, Ripon

    • Darby Lunceford, Director, The Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson

  • Creative Wisconsin Month, virtual in April 2022, celebrated creative people, organizations, businesses, and communities throughout the state!  Featuring the statewide Creative Economy Summit, presented in partnership with the Community Economic Development Program of UW Madison/Extension, 4-21-22

  • The Wisconsin Creative Community Champion Awards are presented by Create Wisconsin in partnership with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. These awards honor civic leaders as champions and communities in Wisconsin focused on creativity as integral to economic, educational, and community vitality. In 2022, Create Wisconsin honored the City of La Crosse for its support of and investment in the arts, culture, and creativity as essential to community well-being, quality of life, and economic, workforce, and civic growth and strength. The 2022 award was presented to La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds, City Arts Board President Jennifer Williams and founder Don Smith, Pump House Center for the Arts Director Allison Kryzch, and other city leaders at the League’s conference in La Crosse on October 20, 2022. 

  • Creative Economy Tours 2022 - bringing together state leaders, elected officials, and creative and civic leaders, to discuss the critical importance of investment in the rural creative economy

    • Sauk County, June 23 - special guests DOA Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld, Tourism Secretary-designee Anne Sayers, WEDC Office of Rural Prosperity Program Director Jerry Exterovich,  Tours stops were the Maa Wakacak Studio on Ho-Chunk land near Baraboo, Witwen Park in Sauk City, and American Players Theatre in Spring Green.  Organizations and agencies represented during the tour were Little Eagle Arts Foundation, Wisconsin Dells; Wormfarm Institute, Reedsburg; Al. Ringling Theatre, Baraboo; River Arts, Inc., Prairie du Sac; Circus World, Baraboo; Taliesen, Spring Green; Wyoming Valley School, Spring Green; American Players Theatre, Spring Green.

    • Northwoods, July 28 - special guests were the Director of the WEDC Office of Rural Prosperity, Beth Haskovec, and WEDC Regional Representative Jim Rosenberg; Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Deputy Director Rebecca Williams and Chief Economist Dennis Winters; Wisconsin Department of Tourism Regional Representative Jeff Anderson.  Tour stops were Artstart Rhinelander, Childs Frame Shop, Vital Industries and Nicolet College.  Organizations, agencies, and businesses represented were Vital Industries,  Rhinelander; Childs Frame Shop, Rhinelander; ArtStart, Rhinelander; The GRID, Rhinelander, WXPR, Rhinelander; Land o’Lakes Arts, Land o’Lakes; Grow North; The Warehouse, Eagle River; Dillman’s Art Workshops, Lac du Flambeau.

    • SW Wisconsin, October 7 – Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) was the special guest.  Tour locations were the Driver Opera House Center for the Arts in Darlington and Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts in Mineral Point.  Organizations and businesses involved were Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts; Green Lantern Studios; Fall Art Tour; Mineral Point Opera House; Mineral Point Gallery; Mineral Point Chamber of Commerce; Driver Opera House Center for the Arts; Rountree Gallery, Platteville; Monroe Arts Center.

    • Door County, October 27:  Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) was the special guest.  Tour stops included Peninsula Players Theatre, Fish Creek and Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Egg Harbor.  Organizations and agencies represented were Peninsula Players; Birch Creek Music Performance Center; Peninsula Art School; Door Community Auditorium; Midsummer’s Music; Third Avenue Playhouse; Visit Door County; Door County Economic Development Corporation.

Service and development

  • Technical assistance, planning sessions, resources, and consulting, including:

    • Calls, visits, conversations with all sorts of people, all the time!

    • Regional Leaders Network - ongoing regional development, convening, and technical assistance

    • Make Music Wisconsin - ongoing convening and technical assistance for this global day of music, happening in 17 Wisconsin communities in 2022

    • Art$upport Fund, ongoing support and technical assistance with small arts organizations in SE Wisconsin

    • City of La Crosse Arts Committee planning - spring 2022

    • Town of La Pointe (Madeline Island) Public Art Committee - spring 2022

    • Wisconsin Downtown Action Council public art planning - ongoing

    • Northern Lakes Center for the Arts, planning assistance - fall-winter 2022

    • City of Superior public art planning, winter 2022 (planning session scheduled for 1-4-23)

    • Destinations Wisconsin, statewide tourism conference presentation - November 11, Wisconsin Dells

    • Barron County Creative Economy Summit, December 5, Barron

    • Oshkosh Creative Economy Summit, December 7, Oshkosh

    • Small Community Forums, fall 2022, in Orfordville, Rosholt, Washburn, and Reedsville, presented in partnership with UW Madison/Extension, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, WEDC Main Street program and Office of Rural Prosperity, USDA Rural Development-Wisconsin, Wisconsin Rural Partners

Statewide, regional, and national partners and collaborators include:

  • Wisconsin Arts Board

  • League of Wisconsin Municipalities

  • Wisconsin Counties Association

  • WEDC Office of Rural Prosperity

  • WEDC Main Street Program

  • Wisconsin Department of Tourism

  • UW Madison/Extension

  • Wisconsin Downtown Action Council

  • Wisconsin Philanthropy Network

  • Wisconsin Presenters Network

  • Wisconsin Partners in Arts Education

  • Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters

  • Local Government Institute

  • Wisconsin Rural Partners 

  • Wisconsin Partners

  • USDA Rural Development-Wisconsin

  • Arts Midwest

  • Creative States Coalition

  • Americans for the Arts 

Supporters 

We appreciate the support of generous individuals, organizations, businesses, and agencies, and these grantors and sponsors:

And:

  • Create Wisconsin is supported with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act:

    • provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and granted through the Wisconsin Arts Board and Arts Midwest

    • provided through Dane County and granted through the Madison Community Foundation

  • Herb Kohl Philanthropies, Milwaukee

  • Heil Family Foundation, Milwaukee

  • Special thanks to Scott Gelzer, DeSoto, along with family, friends and colleagues of Patricia Wyzbinski, in support of the Art$upport Fund. 

Board of Directors 2022-2023 

  • Mal Montoya, Milwaukee - President; President, Milwaukee Artist Resource Network

  • Christopher Naumann, Green Bay - Vice President; architect

  • Jennifer Stephany, Appleton - Treasurer; Director, Appleton Downtown, Inc. and Board member, Wisconsin Downtown Action Council

  • Emily Goretski, Madison - Secretary; Director of Presenting, Overture Center for the Arts

  • Chris Clemens, Viroqua; Director, Viroqua Chamber/Main Street

  • Dr. Nicole Foster, Ashland; Assistant Professor of Sustainable Community Development, Northland College

  • Dr. Chiwei (Jerry) Hui, Eau Claire; Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, UW-Stout

  • Sam Luna, Ripon; musician, artist, entrepreneur, and Director, The Heist

  • Carolyn Nelson-Kavajecz, Superior; Director, Sterling Silver Studios and Board Member, Superior Council for the Arts and Superior Culture, Entertainment and Public Art Committee

  • Dana Sonnenberg, Stevens Point; Project Manager, CREATE Portage County

  • Tom Targos, Kenosha; State of Wisconsin W-2 Refugee Programs Coordinator and Project Manager, Kenosha Community Foundation

  • Zach Vruwink, Rhinelander; Deputy Director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities

Create Wisconsin https://www.createwisconsin.org
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