Arts Wisconsin

Arts Day 2013: Educating the World

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:36:00 -0500

Arts Wisconsin tells the stories of the arts throughout Wisconsin. Andrea Kreuzer understands the importance of sharing our stories. But, not every time we tell them, do our stories come in the form of a tale, or a vignette Andrea presents stories through research and data. She tells the benefits from the arts through methods more common among policy and data analysis. This case shows how the arts permeate throughout society, not just a few ‘creative types’ Read on!

We all know the importance of arts within education, but sometimes it takes a different approach to convince those not swayed by traditional arguments. Those of us who directly engage in artistic development, either through our careers or hobbies, have the privilege of seeing the benefits of the arts in our everyday lives. Unfortunately those not operating within an “art world” may not recognize the vast opportunities that an education including and continuing to involve the arts creates in our communities and within our own mindset. Andrea Kreuzer will be presenting at Arts Day, March 13, about how to bridge this gap and show all the benefits of arts in education. Andrea worked in Washington D.C. with the Arts Education Partnership, a research and policy based think tank committed to gaining a deeper understanding of how arts education affects students. She utilized academic research methods to advise policy makers and educators on the impact arts education has on the thought process throughout an individual’s lifetime. She has recently moved to Madison to take a job with the University as a professional development coordinator with the World-class Instruction Design and Assessment. Andrea is a perfect example of showcasing the benefits of a well developed and involved artistic community. Art is for all, not just those labeled “artist.” In our everyday life, we all can be artists.

For more information about the Arts Education Partnership and Andrea’s work, please visit: www.artsedsearch.org

Arts Day 2013 Story: Jake's Cafe Revitalizes Sheboygan County

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:22:00 -0500

Arts Wisconsin tells the stories of the arts throughout Wisconsin. Tryg Jacobson, founder and owner of Jake’s Cafe, will be featured on a panel discussion regarding development of the creative economy on Arts Day, March 13! Tryg’s inspiration comes from his past and future; he uses what he learned working with his father and solves problems for our next generation of artists. Read on!

The shores of Lake Michigan meet a spectacular building in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Like the lake, the building’s massive size commands the attention of passer-bys, but inside this building there are more impressive feats being conquered. This building on the lake is Jake’s Café. Despite its name this is not a café of the usual sort. It is a place
where minds can work beyond the skull, where the plasticity of our brains can be molded beyond 1250 cubic centimeters. It is a place where Sheboygan, WI can get back on its feet and reawaken the inner creativity that has taken a blow from the past economic recession. It is a meeting of energetic professionals and inspired people.

It is Jake’s Café, a nearly 20,000 square foot campus of nearly 30 businesses and 50 individuals painting, filming, designing, building, creating, and thinking. Each individual is developing a new type of economy that departs from our traditional factories and moves towards innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit found only within ourselves, yet can expand to as far as we allow it.

30 years ago, Tryg Johnson assumed his father’s position as
chairperson at Jacobson Rost Advertising. His father, Jake, created the
advertising company to focus on company branding and creating a trust between customer and company. In 2010, Tryg sold Jacobson Rost Advertising and from his father’s legacy, and using his namesake, created Jake’s Café. As manufacturing companies were leaving the lakeshore and searching for the cheapest labor costs, Tryg was looking to expand. Problems arise here, so why not stay here and fix them? Tryg did just that. He created a space that utilizes human creativity and innovation to address our economic problems. He discovered a way
to keep businesses here by bringing people together. Tryg continues the push to expand our boundaries of thought and how we perceive our world around us. Jake’s Café is now partnering with Lakeland College to involve students into the creative economy and to change the image of the two year college. With this partnership, Jake’s Cafe and Lakeland Technical College has been recognized by the Sheboygan County Chamber for a “Working Together Award.” The award highlights the great work these two organizations are doing together to further our creative economy. Jake’s Cafe offers internships to Lakeland students in anything from architecture to film production.

Tryg is continuing the work of his father, as well as expanding upon it. He recognizes a shifting environment in Wisconsin. We cannot do business like we did in 1950, most simply because it’s not 1950. Tryg’s work with existing professionals and future contributors of our economy purports a vision of flexibility and creativity that can drive our minds for years to come.

For more information, please visit http://www.jakescafe.net/

Arts Day 2013 story: Waunakee Creative Economy Initiative

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:34:53 -0500

Arts Wisconsin tells the stories of the arts throughout Wisconsin. Todd Schmidt, Administrator for the Village of Waunakee and a featured panelist at Arts Day 2013 on March 13, tells the story of the Waunakee Creative Economy Initiative, an innovative economic development program to grow the village’s creative sector and opportunities and brand Waunakee as a creative place. Read on!

On a beautiful sunny Thursday afternoon in mid-June in Waunakee; a lovely little Wisconsin community of 12,000 people on the north side of Lake Mendota with a view of the capitol dome as it rests on Madison’s isthmus. Some of you may be thinking to yourself, “Ah, yes, the only Waunakee in the world,” which is expressed on the Village’s welcoming entrance signs.

A first-ever event is about to take place - scheduled for 3 - 9 PM - and will be held indoors at the Waunakee High School. Dubbed Waunakee’s Imagination Celebration, the event’s name itself leaves much to the imagination. Word had gotten around town about the event, but you nor any of your neighbors really know what to expect.

So what do you do? Enjoy one of the nicest evenings of the summer and spend it with your family doing outdoor activities? Or, head over to the high school for an unknown and untested event.

Amazingly, for approximately 1,500 Waunakee-area citizens, the choice was to come and experience the Village’s first ever Imagination Celebration. Upon walking through the door, attendees found a gathering of 60 exhibitors (all local citizens or businesses) showing off their creative sides. This was not your typical “craft fair.” Exhibitors were not allowed to sell anything. Rather, they were asked to answer the question, “What is it that makes you creative?”

The diversity of exhibitors demonstrated that creativity comes in many forms: candymaking, jewelry design, watercoloring, taxidermy, woodworking, quilting, chiropractic treatment, architecture, photography, cooking, physical fitness, cosmetics, dancing, videography, drama, model railroading, musky lure making, accordion playing, singing, and so on. One exhibit included a take-your-own-photo-booth, while another had a design-your-own t-shirt machine. A group of middle-school girls even showcased their abilities to create every-day items out of duct tape (easily one of the most popular booths on the floor).

Kids enjoyed visiting a petting zoo (that is, an interactive instrumental petting zoo). Demonstrations were held on floral arranging and cake decorating. Musical groups meandered among the crowed showing off their talents. The evening was then capped off by a Waunakee Community Band concert.

As Waunakee’s Village Administrator I learned something important from this event. Citizens are eager to rally around creativity, imagination, connection, artistry and innovation. It feeds passions and generates energy. All of these things are useful to enhance a sense of community, and gives people the chance to connect with where they live in ways which have never been harnessed before.

You can learn more about Waunakee’s Imagination Celebration at www.waunakee.com/celebration. Todd can reached at (608)219-0341 or by e-mail at tschmidt@vil.waunakee.wi.us.

About the Cable Hayward Area Arts Council

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:59:00 -0500

The Cable Hayward Area Arts Council (CHARAC) works to connect and create networks of artists in the surrounding northern Wisconsin area. Creating a network expands community with the regional artistic community, as well as creating a vibrant and flourishing outpost for creative expression; it “creates a conduit,” said Pat Ruddle Dooley,CHARAC President. Artists are able to “encourage each other along the way in their work and learn from one another.” A viable network not only functions to keep artistic expression fresh and creative, but also to keep the people of Cable, Hayward, and surrounding areas connected to one another. “We’re so spread out here,” said Pat. Through the hard work of the CHARAC board and volunteers, they have been able to connect people, ideas, and creativity throughout the region.

CHARAC connects people in the Cable-Hayward area with enhanced artistic experiences and raising the level of awareness for all aspects of the arts. For example, CHARAC awards annual grants to four local area schools to fund arts projects and education. Through this program, the Drummond Middle/High School music appreciation class received a grant from CHARAC to tour the Madison Media Arts Institute, providing the students with an opportunity to imagine a future in the arts and learn about “music in media, business, and careers.” The instructor of the music appreciation class said that without the grant these kids would have never been able to gain this real-world experience in the arts.

“Art broadens our spectrum,” says Pat Dooley. “Art has its own language and it helps expand our vision of our own world.” CHARAC sponsors areas events that both create exposure for local artists and display the fun of art to all northern Wisconsinites. In May, CHARAC will be hosting the “Wild About Art” event in Hayward. There will be a silent auction showcasing local artists’ work, live entertainment, and various food vendors. A portion of the money raised goes towards grants and scholarships given to arts programs like the one at the Drummond High/Middle School.

A shining accomplishment of CHARAC occurred under the guidance of board member Mary Ringlestetter who recently helped to establish the “Gallery on Main” in Cable, Wisconsin. This internationally recognized open air gallery of banners adorns downtown Cable and celebrates the creative minds of northern Wisconsinites. The outdoor gallery started taking designs for banners two years ago, with just two artists on display, and has quickly grown to 24 artists creating designs for the downtown gallery.

CHARAC also sponsors an Art Crawl and Art Stretch in Hayward, the Artist Co-op gallery in Cable, and is working to preserve the Park Theater in Hayward as well as building a new performing arts center in that community. CHARAC is also looking to start offering community art classes, giving their member artists chances to teach their craft and local residents time to hone a new skill.

The Cable Hayward Area Arts Council continues to create opportunities for the people of northern Wisconsin. They provide, what at some times can be the most difficult aspect of the creative process: a starting point.

For more information, go to www.cablehaywardarts.org.

Arts Alliance of Portage County speaks up for the arts in the region

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 03:35:00 -0500

As Arts Alliance of Portage County Co-Director Elizabeth Aguillera says, “art is universal.” The word itself, ‘art,’ is difficult to define, and can bedifficult to create; but what we do know is that art is everywhere. Art is beauty - however you want to define that. Art “enhances our quality of life, self-expression, and communication. It challenges our thinking, connects us to deep feelings, and makes us human,” says Elizabeth. For those reasons, the board, staff and volunteers of the Arts Alliance of Portage County (AAPC) dedicates their time to advocating for the arts.

The move towards a county-wide arts alliance began in 2000, when Portage County residents, members of the Wisconsin Legislature, Wisconsin Arts Board, and the Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts (now Arts Wisconsin) came together to create an “Arts Assessment and Plan for Portage County.” By 2004, the Arts Alliance of Portage County was created and immediately set to work to achieve its mission: “to connect, promote, and illuminate artistic expression, artists, and audiences across Portage County.”

“Buzz Around Town,” 1-18-13

AAPC believes that advocacy for the arts is an ongoing task. Advocacy is “not a product you can show or buy,” says Elizabeth. It “starts with tiny steps and grows over time.” Advocacy is an ongoing process and a necessary groundwork for any artistic expression to flourish. It requires communicating and developing relationships with everyone in the community to show how arts benefit our lives. A painter needs some sort of canvass - and that’s what advocacy work does. It brings the painter his or her canvass; and even more, the finished product to the people. It’s what the people at the Arts Alliance are doing every day.

Their hard work continues to pay off. The AAPC can brag of many accomplishments to date: creation of grant and counseling services for Portage County artists, “Buzz Around Town” networking events, the Central Wisconsin Film Festival, April ArtsMonth, the Stevens Point Sculpture Park, Arts Walk, and The Community Show. The people of Portage County have even been treated to a community concert and master class by world renowned musician Yo-Yo Ma with the Silk Road Ensemble! The AAPC supports a community of individuals working and creating together to form a vibrant and expressive society which allows all variations of human life to flourish.

“Birdcraft” by Mike Godell

Stevens Point Sculpture Park

The AAPC is currently focused on working with community planning and strategic economic development. AAPC has established an ongoing conversation with elected officials and community decision makers about the importance of, and investment in, a local and regional creative economy. The AAPC is looking towards the future, to develop a special, non-outsourcable, economy: the community’s own creativity. By the end of this year, the AAPC, in association with various community, artistic, governmental, tourist, and economic organizations will launch the Creative Economy Inventory, a road-map to bring high quality, fulfilling jobs to Portage County residents. Bill Schierl, President of AAPC said, “Portage County is an exciting place to be right now as it embraces creativity as part of its economic future.”

Fox Theatre

The Arts Alliance has recently announced that members of Stevens Point’s Sanders family had confirmed its donation of the historic Fox Theatre to the Arts Alliance. The theater, located on Main Street next to the Q Artists Cooperative and the Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, is “an important piece to the continued revitalization of downtown,” according to Stevens Point Mayor Andrew Halvorsen. AAPC and civic leaders will develop an action plan to reinvigorate the theater as a resource for the entire community.

To learn more about the Arts Alliance of Portage County, please visit: www.artsportagecounty.org or contact Elizabeth Aguillera at elizabetha@artsportagecounty.org, or, head on out to Portage County and experience their work first hand!

Arts Wisconsin - by the numbers 2012

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:59:00 -0500

Years in existence: 20

Member organizations/businesses/agencies: ~ 250 nonprofit arts and community organizations, corporations and businesses, economic development organizations, educational institutions (preK-12 to higher ed).

Member individuals: ~ 225 artists, arts supporters, business leaders, educators, community-based activists

FaceBook fans: 4,130

Twitter fans: 2,436 (66% Wisconsin; 90% U.S.)

Legislative Action Center: 2,250 activists

Advocacy messages sent through Legislative Action Center: 750 messages sent by activists in 2012

Wisconsin communities visited in 2012(many more than once) – site visits, consultations, presentations: 30 (Amery, Appleton, Ashland, Baraboo, Bayfield, Door County (several communities), Eagle River, Gays Mills, Greenwood, Green Bay, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Land ‘o Lakes, Madison, Milwaukee, Minocqua, Oshkosh, Phelps, Racine, Rhinelander, Sheboygan, Stevens Point, Superior, Three Lakes, Washburn, Waunakee, Wausau, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Rapids)

Regional, statewide, national conference presentations: 10 (Wisconsin Presenters Network, UW-Parkside Nonprofit Leadership Conference, Appleton Creative Economy Working Group, Eagle River Economic Summit, SW Wisconsin Economic Summit, Wisconsin Downtown Action Council Conference on Economic Development, Wisconsin Rural Summits (3), Erie (PA) Creative Economy Summit)

Email/phone contacts/conversations/technical assistance with constituents and the general public: ~ 5,000 annually (answering questions, listening to ideas, providing information, resources and connections)

Arts Day 2012: 200 activists came to Madison from Superior to Kenosha to speak up for state investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy

Local Arts Conference (2 conferences, March & Nov.): 80 (at least 30 different communities were represented)

Rural Arts Management Institute: 7 community leaders graduated in April 2012

ArtsPeers Advisory Network: 3 community-based strategic planning projects

Wisconsin ArtsJobs: 50+ arts, arts education and creative economy jobs posted throughout the year

Thanks to Arts Wisconsin's outstanding board of directors!

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:44:00 -0500

President - Debra Karp, UW-Parkside | Racine

VP - Ben Richgruber, Eau Claire Regional Arts Council | Eau Claire

Treasurer - Kate Rericha, Birch Creek Music Festival | Sturgeon Bay

Secretary - Carole Spelic, Green Lantern Studios | Mineral Point

Brad Anthony Bernard, Mt. Mary College/Community Arts and Funk Festival | Milwaukee

Caitlin Fitzgerald, Bolz Center for Arts Administration, UW-Madison | Madison

Daniel Goescha, Mill Paper and Book Arts Center \ Rhinelander

Ann Huntoon, Central Wisconsin Symphony | Stevens Point

Frank Juarez, Sheboygan North High School | Sheboygan

Christopher Naumann, On Broadway | Green Bay

Jennifer Terpstra, UW-La Crosse | La Crosse

Jonathan Winkle, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts | Brookfield

Arts Wisconsin’s 2012 Holiday Card Fundraising...

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:43:00 -0400

Arts Wisconsin’s 2012 Holiday Card Fundraising Campaign!

Arts Wisconsin is proud to support the work of Wisconsin artists in its annual holiday card campaign. The 2012 campaign features the work of Donna Lindboe Trupin of Fish Creek and her oil painting Floral Charm.

Original image: Floral Charm, 2012, Oil, 20” x 20”

About the artist: Donna Lindboe Trupin was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and has lived in Wisconsin since 1994. She attended the Art Institute of Chicago and UW-Madison and received a BFA in commercial design from the University of Arizona and a MFA in painting from Eastern Illinois University. Donna’s work has been exhibited in juried shows locally, regionally, and nationally with numerous awards. She is a member of the Door County Art League and the Francis Hardy Gallery. Her work can be seen at Fine Line Designs Gallery in Ephraim, WI.

Donna’s dynamic painting style exudes color and expression inspired by local Wisconsin beauty, nature, and travel. She says about her work, Color and expression dominate my art. Creativity is a cherished gift. The ability to coordinate eyes, hands, and brain to execute a pleasing piece of art is extremely rewarding and soul fulfilling. The intent is to embellish the ordinary or make the mundane merrier. As a child I can never remember not wanting to color or draw. As a colorist, the excitement of a piece is achieved by placing one color next to another to produce the maximum dynamic impact. The goal is to embellish the ordinary and translate the spirit of color to the viewer. Art inspiration is everywhere, just add a little imagination and ‘voila!’ - happiness follows!

Contact Donna at 920-868-1945 | ltrupin@gmail.com.

In addition, please enjoy some of the wonderful artistic cards from years past.

What's it really like to work in the creative sector?

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:32:00 -0400

For a look at how Wisconsin’s creative sector really lives and works,Wisconsin film industry leader Michael Keeney of Madison’s Key Media Entertainment recently sat down with three creative industry workers for a series of questions and answers. The interviewees are:

Dawn Marie Svanoe, Madison, WI (DMS)
Co-Owner, Glitter to Gore, LLC
www.glittertogore.com

Dawn Emanuele, Milwaukee, WI (DE)
Make-up Artist/Designer
Moonhowler Productions

Joel B Talacko (JBT), Milwaukee, WI and Hong Kong
Haunted Attractions Design Director - Ocean Park Hong Kong
Owner - MoonHowler Productions Milwaukee, WI www.moonhowlerproductions.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do you do?

DMS: I am a make-up artist and makeup company owner.
DE: I am currently a makeup artist for Ocean Park Halloween Bash in Hong Kong, China.
JBT: I am the Haunted Attractions Design Director for Ocean Park Hong Kong’s Halloween Bash. I am also owner of MoonHowler Productions, a multi-focus creative company that focuses on the dark and spooky.

What does that mean, really? How do you spend your day?

DMS: I do everything from special effects make-up to henna, beauty, gore, face painting, theatrical makeup and body painting. I spend my day shipping orders for my online stores that I co-own with Michelle Soltis… and planning for the next make-up job.
DE: I work with a team of artists from AEO Studios based in Orlando with an office in Hong Kong. I start at about 11:30 am. I spend the day doing airbrush, hand painting, prosthetic application and applying realistic bald caps. This year my most difficult makeup is doing a realistic bald cap every night that has to do five shows a night as the MC who also does dancing. It takes about 2 hours to apply it. Making it real under all the stage lights with costume changes is an incredible challenge. All the other makeup a I do takes anywhere from two minutes for a simple scary face to 30 minutes for detailed zombie or beauty makeup. Through out the day I am constantly problem solving. Let’s say an actor complains of a skin problem: I have to figure out if they are allergic (which is rare), if they scrubbed the makeup off too hard and now their skin is sore, if their skin is just too dry and needs moisturizer, if they just don’t like wearing makeup and are better in a mask, if they simply don’t like the design, or if they’re saying they don’t like airbrush so they can have the cute boy hand paint them —or they don’t like hand paint so they can have the cute girl airbrush them. It really is asking question after question. Which becomes even more challenging with the language barrier and translators. I will design new makeups whenever we get in a new costume — which can be almost nightly. Then we are available through out the night for touch ups. In the meantime I fix masks, wigs, make bald caps, basically prep for the next day. By then it’s time to start removing makeups around 11:30pm to 1:30am. Finally it’s time to go home! The hours are long but I work with good people, so that helps. When I can, I walk around the show taking photos and enjoying what I work so hard to put together.
JBT: That depends a lot on the day and what needs to be accomplished. I might find myself at a drafting table or up to my elbows in paint, latex and sawdust. It might be leading a meeting of designers and tech departments to design an attraction that will need to serve 150,000 people in 25 days. It might be taking a train into mainland China for a contractor meeting or a marketing event.

What training, academic, organized or otherwise, have you had to prepare you to succeed in your art?

DMS: I’ve been an artist all my life. In my case it was just a matter of learning to work with another medium. I’ve had no formal training. I learn by watching others and playing. There are some great books out there too. I didn’t hurt that I worked for the owners of a major league growing makeup company either — Graftobian Theatrical. I learned a lot from them.
DE: Mostly I’m self-taught. I started doing makeup as a child using my grandma’s beauty makeup. In high school I sat in on one theater class, then ended up as the lead makeup artist for the drama department. That was back in the early ’90s. Over the years I’ve learned from books, magazines and any videos I could find. Whenever I can, I take seminars from top artists in prosthetic, beauty, face painting, and special effects. Also working on the Halloween Bash, I’ve been able to work with very talented people with very different styles. I also draw, paint and make costumes, so I think they all work together. I’ve worked with three artists that have been on the Syfy show Face Off.
JBT: I have always studied art and drama in school, but I always found those classes restrictive and underwhelming. I always wanted to draw and paint, so I made it my goal to teach myself what I wasn’t getting in class. Between libraries and public television I learned a lot. I had to scrounge for information in the days before the internet and teach myself how to do makeup and effects. I was able to meet some amazing people who helped teach me new skills. When I decided to learn prosthetic effects makeup, I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the industry. I realized that designing haunted attractions would give me a chance to use all my skills. Everything I was interested in distilled into one field — scenic design, scenic painting, prop building, costuming, lighting design, sound design, acting, makeup effects, etc. It was still the early days of the internet, but I focussed on collecting all the info I could on both makeup and attractions. I taught myself CAD skills and researched both the physical skills and the psychological tools needed to create a scary and entertaining event. I have toured nearly 200 haunted attractions around the world and got backstage tours and discussions for many of those. These days its a lot easier to find information and research anything on the web, but I still think the hard work in learning the skills I needed was instrumental to my success. If it would have been too easy, I may not have appreciated the knowledge as much.

Are there individuals who’ve inspired you?

DMS: Not specifically… I pull from a lot of different inspiration… mostly sparkly stuff. LOL! I guess… Kevyn Aucoin for his amazing ability to transform ANYONE.
DE: It’s hard to just list a few names after all over the years I have really worked with so many talented people. I see things from different styles and take things from here there. There is a bit of competitiveness with my peers. We Encourage and inspire each other but still have different styles.
JBT: More than I can list. Seriously, I try to find inspiration in all the people around me, either as something I would like to be or as something that I want to avoid becoming. I will always cherish the haunted house stories I would make up with my father when I couldn’t sleep as a kid. We would trade off rooms as we explored these imaginary houses creating settings and monsters and stories in the dark.

What’s the most important skill or ability required to succeed in your field?

DMS: Adaptability… if you can’t adapt and re-think your project on the fly, you will be railroaded every time. I seem to forget at least one thing I need for a shoot almost every time. But, I’m able to say, well… there’s nothing I can do about that now and adapt the look or the process.
DE: Being able to go with the flow. If it doesn’t fit, ripped, broke be it needs to go on stage anyway NOW! Having a vast number of examples and knowing anatomy makes working on the fly easier. I also think that it is important to not just focus on one kind of makeup only. I use what I’ve learned from film productions, still photo shoots, commercials and weddings to make every makeup I do better than it would be if I’d’ve just focused on one type of makeup.
JBT: Talking to people. They say its not what you know but who you know, but that’s not quite right. What you know (what skills you have) is tremendously important, but if no one knows what you can do, skills alone won’t get you very far. Being able to network is a major skill in any field. You need to be able to meet people, engage them, and get them interested in what you do. Even in todays era of social networking, people skills are still so important. If you can’t relate to that potential client in person, the coolest profile in the world can’t save you. Even more important than networking is communicating on an interpersonal level. Learning how to get along with others (even if you disagree with them) is a huge skill. Learning to read people is highly valuable. Being able to understand not just the words but the subtext of a conversation is invaluable. Most important is being able to make yourself understood. If you can’t clearly express the ideas in your head, you will run into countless difficulties on your road to success.

How far can an artist go in your field, creatively, financially, professionally, and physically?

DMS: As far as they are willing to let themselves go… I don’t think there are limits anymore. With the advent of online learning and social media… the sky is the limit.
DE: Well I never could have guessed that because of Halloween makeup, I would be flown to China for the last seven years. And of course everyone thinks of movies, but Halloween at theme parks is becoming more sophisticated. This is also a job that I can continue to do for decades.
JBT: That depends a lot on what you want. I don’t really view success based on money or position. I think if you can figure out what will make you happy and achieve that you are a success.

In every profession, there’s something that, well, sucks. What sucks about a career in your field?

DMS: Time… or lack thereof. I’m a busy person with a family. I never seem to have enough time for everything.
DE: Jobs are harder to come by. Some theater groups prefer the actors to do their own makeup. In Milwaukee people assume no one knows how to do what I can do, so they don’t ask. People also assume they can’t afford me without even asking.
JBT: Striking out on your own and starting a business or freelancing is tough. Its scary — its scarier than anything I design!
As a freelancer or consultant you are on a job by job pay cycle. If the next job isn’t lined up, there are lean times ahead. If a client doesn’t pay you are in a world of hurt - especially if you put your own money into the project. Sometimes you need to supplement your income with jobs that you might not want to do, whether that’s a project your heart isn’t in or making sandwiches to pay the rent. This only gets harder as you get older and others rely on you. You are no longer just trying to keep yourself afloat to peruse your dreams, you’ve got responsibilities. The hardest part about working for yourself is the uncertainty. But the best freelancers turn that uncertainty into drive. They force themselves out of a comfort zone and find a way to turn things around.

And yet, there’s a reason you do it. Why? What are the rewards? Any highlights or stories you’d be willing to share?

DMS: I keep doing it because when I see the reaction of people to what I do… it makes me happy. A couple years ago I started a project with a good friend of mine named Colm McCarthy called “Extinction”. The entire project was framed around drawing all types; male, female, healthy, frail, ethnicity, age, sexual identity, etc… into one tribe by using a body art style based on the Xingu Indians of Brazil. The idea was that if we don’t start treating each other like one tribe, we would all eventually be hurtling towards “Extinction.”
DE: I love the creative outlet. It really puts my brain to the test. I don’t just do realistic scary makeup, but also fun cartoon circus and glamorous beauty. It’s fun to get actors so excited that they hug me. When people are brand new to Halloween makeup and see themselves for the first time they’re amazed. Makeup and wigs really top off the character — even more than the costume. You can have Frankenstein makeup with a pink tutu and still know it’s Frankenstein. Makeup helps people come out if their shell. They have a chance to be someone they aren’t and do things out of the norm. It’s a way of experimenting with personalities. I’ve worked with several people that were dealing with major health/life issues. They’ve felt empowered by their transformations and it gave them a positive feeling about themselves again. THAT is why I do what I do!
JBT: I sometimes think I do what I do because it is just what I do. I’m not sure what else I would be doing if it wasn’t this. Even when I rest there are thoughts of the next project or of ways to make projects I see even better. I think its in the way that I’m wired. Creating spooky things is just in my blood I guess. I have the best job in the world. I love the screams and shouts and laughter of entertained guests. I love to see the look of awe when a guest looks at something I created. I like seeing that an effect or illusion works just the way its planned. I love seeing my designs come to life and illicit a raw primal reaction.I get to teach shy teenagers how to make grown men cry (or urinate on themselves - yeah it happens). I get to help people, some who are painfully introverted, to go out and put themselves on display, to not be afraid, to be the ones that others fear. I have seen so much positive come out of these lessons. I have seen shy people find strength, quiet people find a voice, and many a misfit find a home.I have made friends on shows that are now huge parts of my life. The friends that I have made and the adventures I’ve had pursuing my creativity are worth so much more than money … but money is nice too.

If you could start your career over, what might you do differently?

DMS: Push harder, earlier. I feel like I’ve waited too long to push this hard. And now that I’m pushing this hard, I feel like it’s taking too much time away from my family… either by physically taking me away… or mentally because I can’t seem to shut it off when I’m home.
DE: Maybe I would have invested more time money and energy on just this. But the other things I’ve done make me who I am today.
JBT: In hindsight there are a number of things I could’ve done differently. But if things had been different, that might’ve hurt other opportunities that I did capitalize on. Lessons I learned that might have been more helpful to have known 15 years ago:
• always get a contract
• get to know a lawyer who willing to help you with contracts
• if you are not good with something, do not be afraid to hire someone to do it. Asking for help is not defeat its proper asset management.
• the more you hate paperwork the sooner you should do it
• try to never use your own money on a project unless you are ok not getting it back if something goes wrong.
• work with people better than you. You are never the best, there is always someone you can learn from
• work with people smarter than you. Make use of the skills others have and are willing to share
• get paid what you worth.

And what are you going to do next?

DMS: I am really itching to learn how to make a foam latex or silicone prosthetic. I know I have the eye for it… just not the technical know how. I think that will take it too the next level for me. I really don’t know WHAT will come next. I’ve never been good at planning. I like to take it day by day… every new day gives me new inspiration. I can’t wait to see what comes next
DE: I hope to continue teaching drama and makeup at the high school level. I’ve worked on short films, photo shoots, commercials and weddings; it doesn’t mean I won’t do other types, but I think Halloween is my favorite because of the variety involved.
JBT: It looks like another year at Ocean Park in Hong Kong, but I am also looking at ways to get more involved in attractions back home in Wisconsin to work with my crew there again. The internet make communicating across the globe easier and I have amazing people on both sides of the planet that I love working with. Right now, I am looking forward to being home for the holidays to spend time with those I care about most, and maybe get a little rest … maybe.

Racine’s Main Gallery program provides high school students with arts and work opportunities

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:16:00 -0400

Racine’s Main Gallery program provides high school students with arts and work opportunities
By Julia Jacobson, UW-Madison student and Arts Wisconsin intern

While most teens head out to their first summer jobs in fast food, retail or babysitting, some Racine high school students receive a rare opportunity during these months: to work as paid artists.

Supported by Racine Parks and Recreation, the Main Gallery program employs youth to collaborate with artists and produce works of art to be sold in auction during the summer.

The Main Gallery idea began in 1995 after Racine saw similar success in a youth gallery in Chicago, said Program Director Jason Mars. Teens between the ages of 14-19 are eligible to participate. After a competitive application and interview process, approximately 30 to 50 participants are selected, placed into core groups and paired with local artists and college student mentors.

“We choose young people who are interested, they don’t have to be especially talented.” Mars said.

Some of the most popular projects the students create are furniture painting, photography and mural painting. This past summer, some of the student artists pursued unique projects like mosaic work, multimedia pieces, jewelry and even painting rain barrels.

Many participants in the program go on to pursue arts-related careers or jobs: from developing photos in stores to arts education to becoming artists.

“For many of them, its their first job, so they are learning good work skills.” Mars added.

Although a portion of the program’s support comes from the Racine Parks and Recreation Department, the program also receives funding via auction. Collaborating with the Racine Arts Council, a silent auction sells a majority of the students’ pieces at the end of the six-week program and has raised as much as $8,000.

Mars admitted it has been difficult to meet up with the huge demand for the program.

“It has been hard to keep the program going with the money we have been provided, and with budget cuts…it’s a struggle for a lot of arts programs, to keep the funding going on a long term basis.” Mars said.

Despite these difficulties, the Main Gallery program has found support through partnership with the Racine Arts Council, which assists with marketing and promotion of the final auction event in addition to the logistics of the auction.

The Arts Council also organized a “gallery night” for the students, which allowed them to work on their projects outside and promote the auction.

Racine Arts Council Executive Director Denise McKee said she supports the Main Gallery program because it provides teenagers with an applicable experience.

“The reason I like the program, beyond the fact that its arts focused, is that it teaches actual life skills…the students have to apply, get references, have to participate, and these are all things they have to do in the real world.” McKee said.

For more information on the Main Gallery, contact Jason Mars at (262) 636-9428.

Photos of Main Gallery artists at work and their artworks:

Stories of the arts across Wisconsin

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 08:06:00 -0400

Arts Wisconsin has been telling the story of the arts throughout Wisconsin for 20 years. Enjoy these great stories from communities across the state.

NE Wisconsin:

Rhinelander: Art Start!

Madison area:

Create Madison

SW Wisconsin:

ArtsBuild, UW-Platteville

Milwaukee

African-American Children’s Theater

Creative Alliance Milwaukee

NW Wisconsin

Arts in Burnett County

Central Wisconsin

Beaver Dam Area Arts Association

Beaver Dam Area Arts Association

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:56:53 -0400

Beaver Dam is a small, picturesque city on the shores of Beaver Dam Lake, surrounded by the rich farmlands of south central Wisconsin. According to the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce website, “quality of life has always been one of the chief themes of city officials, civic leaders and the business community of Beaver Dam.

The creation of the Beaver Dam Area Arts Association (BDAAA) in 1961, its sustainability over the past 50 years with only a few years of inactivity, and the recent

Seippel Homestead and Center
for the Arts, Beaver Dam

expansion of art programs throughout the region, is a testimony to the commitment and dedication of this community to the arts. Consequently, the arts are a significant factor in the quality of life for residents of Beaver Dam and its surrounding communities.

The BDAAA is a non-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide variable, sustainable, high quality, and accessible arts and education resources for people of all ages. Superior exhibits, events, and educational programs are offered at the Seippel Homestead and Center for the Arts, which has been BDAAA’s home since December 1995.

According to Karla Jensen, BDAAA’s dynamic executive director, BDAAA has worked hard to break down barriers to make art accessible to all members of the Beaver Dam Area. Her efforts, and those of many volunteers, have welcomed new patrons of the arts from all walks of life and moved the perception of art beyond the visual arts. Karla looks for every opportunity to collaborate with civic leaders and businesses, neighboring art programs and centers, and local artists. The result is a community that appreciates and supports the arts. Artists working in isolation have come out to provide classes and exhibits, neighboring art centers have partnered with BDAAA to expand their programs, city officials have joined together with BDAAA to restore and revitalize downtown Beaver Dam with murals after severe flooding. “Art brought us together,” Karla explains.

On the 15th anniversary of BDAAA’s residence at the Sieppel Homestead, Karla writes, “Our love for the arts is what keeps us afloat, buoying us to become greater, serving others and looking beyond the horizon, even into the clouds, and looking forward with passion and yearning to the next fifteen, fifty and one hundred and fifteen years to come.”

To find out more about what is happening arts-wise in Beaver Dam, including the upcoming Week of Art, taking place March 19 - 23, check out the Beaver Dam Area Arts Association website .

Arts in Burnett County

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:55:21 -0400

“In the small towns, villages and along the rustic roads of northwestern Wisconsin are some of the state’s most valuable assets: creative human beings who nurture beauty, value nature and share their heritage through places, objects and edibles that are

Burnett Area Arts Group members

handmade and homegrown.” This excerpt from a press release announcing the publication of the Wisconsin Passage, a guidebook published by Wisconsin’s Northwest Heritage Passage that highlights places and people who live and work along and around the Highway 63 corridor in 13 northwest Wisconsin counties as artists, artisans, crafters, and creative entrepreneurs describes a region rich in creative spirit and populated with artists.

It is no surprise that in Burnett County, one of the thirteen counties involved in the Northwest Heritage Passage Program, people have organized around the arts to create organizations and groups that expand opportunities for artistic expression for area residents and connect, support and advocate for the arts.

While the Burnett County population is small, with an estimated 16,000 people living in the county year round, it is home to a very engaged, passionate and active arts community. Founded in 2004 by Thom Scott and Jenny Goalen, the Burnett Area Arts Group is just one example of artists banding together to support each other and connect with other artists both regionally and state-wide. The Burnett Area Arts Group is the oldest and original visual arts group in the county. This organization was created as a support and social group that helps to meet the needs of local artists and crafters. The Burnett Area Arts Group sponsors four to five events, offers workshops, provides open studios and is proud to be included in this year’s Earth Arts Spring Tour in the Upper St. Croix River Valley, May 5-6. Thom Scott describes the art community in Burnett County as a “Northern Renaissance.” According to Thom, creative people in this small county are “exploring uncharted territory, evolving as artists, discovering what it is that they have always wanted to do.” This has resulted in artists that embrace their creativity and artistic talents and are fervent in sharing their gifts.

This sentiment is echoed by Juli Dahlen Kannenberg, an artist and local restauranteur, who along with Harriet Rice, Chris Moeller, and Kathy Swingle, created Arts Burnett County in 2010. Juli describes the arts community in Burnett County as “fledgling” with an impressive and growing pool of inspired and passionate people pursuing art in all its forms. Juliana states that when she first moved to Burnett County in 2000, the arts community was almost invisible. In the past year alone, however, Arts Burnett County has hosted a commemorative artistic-expression display for the 10th anniversary of the devastating tornado that took place in Burnett County, supported Music in the Park in Siren, held social outings to support a local winery and local businesses, displayed local artists’ work at an annual Chamber of Commerce dinner, and sent members to attend the Wisconsin
Arts Wisconsin’s Arts Day in Madison. As a business owner, Juliana envisions art as central to the economic development of Burnett County. Consequently, Arts Burnett County is a growing umbrella organization dedicated to supporting all creative endeavors including everything from the theater to culinary arts.

Burnett Area Arts Group studio

There is much to see and experience in this corner of the state. When asked about the county’s assets, Thom Scott listed, “our lakes, forests and fresh air.” Juli Kannenberg agrees “that Burnett County is a place where they [artists] can connect with nature to be inspired in their own creativity.” While northwestern Wisconsin is clearly a natural wonder, it also supports another valuable asset of which to be proud - a creative, passionate population that is dedicated to preserving the arts in all forms, committed to improving the quality of life in their county through the arts, and appreciative of the natural beauty in which they live. The people of Burnett County also share a commonality of wanting to share their art with others. Check out the arts and culture in Burnett County, click here.

Creative Alliance Milwaukee

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:53:15 -0400

“You just never know where creative talent and wealth generation will spring from but it is best to encourage them both wherever and whenever they seem to be trying to blossom,” writes David Hawkins in his three part essay on the creative economy. The Creative Alliance Milwaukee, Inc., launched in 2011 from its parent organization the Cultural Alliance, is a leader in researching, defining, and not only encouraging the creative economy, but actively and ardently promoting and developing creative industries. The Creative Alliance works to advance the creative economy in the belief that with a “targeted focus, the creative industries will create jobs and businesses, enhance competitiveness of other businesses, be an important asset to attract and retain talent, and increase the vitality and quality of life throughout the region.”

The core tenants of the Creative Alliance, according to Jill Morin, chair of the Creative Alliance board, are to attract, develop, and retain creative talent. In order to promote creative industries, however, “we can’t leverage what we don’t know,” explains Jill. Christine Harris, executive advisor for the Creative Alliance and “chief connector”at Christine Harris Connections, agrees. The challenge, she says, is to define the creative industries as a “recognized industry that adds value to the economy and to every other industry.”

Take, for example, the marketing assistant in a manufacturing company. She may write a newsletter, design marketing materials, or update a website. She is a writer and artist, but statistically she is categorized as an employee within the specific manufacturing industry where in she works. Without recognition of her job within the creative industry sector and its impact on the manufacturing industry, the collective power of her industry is diminished and ultimately art is devalued.

In 2009, the Creative Alliance Milwaukee (known at the time as the Cultural Alliance), under the leadership of Ms. Harris, set out to define the creative industries through an independent, yearlong study called Creativity Works! Milwaukee Regional Creative Industries Project. The study, the first of its kind in the Midwest, was conducted by Mt. Auburn Associates of Massachusetts and Regional Technology Strategies of North Carolina, two nationally-known economic development consulting firms. The results of the study, released in 2011, demonstrate the economic significance of the creative industries, defined as “those individuals and businesses whose products and services originate in aesthetic, artistic or cultural content, to the vitality of a region”. The study’s report,Creative Industries: A New Economic Growth Opportunity for the Milwaukee 7 Region, established that the creative industries are indeed a major economic force within the seven county region in southeastern Wisconsin. Specifically, the study found that the region’s creative industry cluster represents 67,000 workers, $2 billion in wages, 4.2% of all regional jobs, and more than 4,100 individual business enterprises.

With statistical evidence and strategic planning recommendations from the report to support its mission, the Creative Alliance continues to “strengthen, advance, connect, and represent the creative industries as an essential asset for growing a vibrant, attractive region”. Today, its mission remains “to drive economic prosperity as a catalytic hub, growing our creative industries by leveraging applied creativity in education, commerce, and culture.” Christine states, “In tough economic times, too many communities de-prioritize investments around creativity and culture, often perceiving them as “nice” but not “necessary.” We didn’t want that to happen in Milwaukee.”

The Creative Alliance advances its mission with innovative initiatives such as Creativity Works Here, a program in partnership with the Shops of Grant Avenue. It is designed to foster growth and development in Milwaukee’s creative industry, as well as spur retail growth in the Shops of Grand Avenue. The Creative Alliance also operates a robust website, The Creative Hub, where “creativity meets commerce”, designed to connect the creative community via powerful networking and marketing tools for businesses and individuals.

In addition, the Creative Alliance maintains an active networking strategy to find new opportunities and connections. Annual conferences allow businesses and creatives to meet and connect. Most recently, the Creative Alliance is collaborating with Spirit of Milwaukee to develop an image campaign directed by academy award winning director Jack Turner and created with local talent. Finally, the Creative Alliance ”advocates for and builds consensus around creative education (the interface of arts, design and new media technologies) with the belief that a strong creative community depends on a commitment to arts in education.’ In doing so, the Creative Alliance continues to manage and develop its Milwaukee Arts Education Directory.

To illustrate the role of the Creative Alliance in advancing the creative economy, Christine recently told the story of a Racine-based business executive and owner of a flooring company. He attended a Creative Alliance conference aimed at providing networking opportunities to attendees. When asked why he came to the conference, he explained that he could make any kind of flooring, but needed design assistance. He wanted to meet artists and designers and be placed on a list of construction vendors to connect with designers, architects, and artists. From the conference, the flooring business executive hired a premier Milwaukee artist to design his flooring. He has since opened a new business in Milwaukee’s third ward and has hired three additional artists. This is a great example of the ongoing development work provided by the Creative Alliance.

With sound research, a clear mission, and dedication to building southeastern Wisconsin into a dynamic, innovative destination, the Creative Alliance provides invaluable services and vision to the Midwest. Learn more about the Creative Alliance at www.creativealliancemke.org.

Local Arts Spotlight: ArtsBuild

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:51:12 -0400

Creative economy development in SW Wisconsin

by Rachel Demitrios, Arts Wisconsin Program Director

Like so many stories I have heard since I have moved to Wisconsin less than one year ago, there are artistic and creative ventures happening everywhere in Wisconsin. That includes rural areas such as Platteville and southwest Wisconsin. Like many communities in Wisconsin, I am learning, the arts and creative industries are significant to economic and community development in this region.

In 2004, local artists and champions at UW-Platteville’s Office of Continuing Education(OCE) began programming to support and recognize the economic impact of the arts and creative economy. Together, artists, community members, and the university partnered to create a unique collaborative program called ArtsBuild, whose mission is to “use the arts as a means of economic development for rural Southwest Wisconsin.”

ArtsBuild Annual Exhibition

Nohr Gallery, UW-Platteville

The ArtsBuild’s website explains, ”Realizing that the arts are an untapped resource in the local economy, the OCE launched ArtsBuild to assist area artists in acquiring theskills they need to become entrepreneurs, thus helping to drive economic development in their communities.”

ArtsBuild is a regional program for all types of creative entrepreneurs including visual artists, composers, musicians, writers, actors, dancers, and choreographers. ArtsBuildconnects artists and arts leaders throughout southwest Wisconsin, advocates for the arts, delivers technical assistance, provides exhibition opportunities, and promotes networking. Tisha Sandberg, ArtsBuild Arts and Culture Coordinator, joined the program only a few months ago but has been a participating artist sinceArtsBuild’s inception. Tisha describes her experience with ArtsBuild, ”It’s amazing how many artists with studios are living and working in all these rural areas. ArtsBuild is a means to come together and share ideas.” According to Tisha, having an organization such as ArtsBuild that brings together artists as well as members of the university and the general community is invaluable. Information is disseminated, connections are made, and advocacy for the arts abounds.

What makes ArtsBuild unique are both the success of the program and the range of services, events, and opportunities housed within a continuing education department of a university. “We are viewed as a model by other organizations across the state. We have about 475 artists in our network, across 7 counties. When we started, we identified as our goal to reach about 75 artists in the region. So, we have surpassed our original vision for the program,” says Marian Maciej-Hiner, Director of Continuing Education and the Confucius Institute at UW-Platteville.

ArtsBuild services include career planning for artists and workshops aimed at business planning and marketing. Arts potlucks and conversations as well as networking retreats provide opportunities for artists to connect. Likewise, the SmART Communities Project initiates discussions with community leaders about the role of the arts, culture and history

Phantom Gallery Project

in the local economy, thereby creating avenues for creative industries to grow. Finally, ArtsBuild hosts annual exhibits at the Nohr Gallery on the UW-Platteville campus. Tisha explains that for many artists, this exhibit is their first introduction to showing. Currently, ArtsBuild is sponsoring the Phantom Gallery Project which places art by area school children into storefronts in downtown Platteville.

Carole Spelic, former ArtsBuild Coordinator, artist, lecturer at UW-Platteville, Green Lantern Studios owner, and Arts Wisconsin board member, left me with this poignant example of the impact the arts and ArtsBuild have on individuals, communities, and the world. Carole recently spent an afternoon displaying artwork in a legislator’s office at the State Capitol, through an on-going ArtsBuild program. A senior aide paused to express his enjoyment at having a “little taste of home” in their Madison office. “You are the only person all week who has come and given us something! Everyone else wants something from us,” he enthused. Carole reflected on this statement. She realized in that moment that “as artists, we are always being generous with our skills and world view when we put our art out there for others to enjoy.” It is a gift that our state of Wisconsin has so many creative citizens willing to share their talents. Organizations such as ArtsBuild are committed to investing in this gift so that we increase thevitality and quality of life, and as Arts Wisconsin Executive Director Anne Katz writes, “ maximize the power and potential of the authentic, unique qualities inherent in our communities” throughout Wisconsin.

Local Arts Spotlight: Create Madison

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:49:12 -0400

Emerging Arts Leaders and Wisconsin’s local Creative Economy

by Breanne Sommer, Arts Wisconsin Communications Intern

It started as a bus tour across the country for 5 months, stopping in different states to provide mobile spaces to inspire all forms of creativity, such as painting, writing and musical expression. This was the idea behind the non-profit, 7cees, originating in Madison, WI: to bring facilities to local communities, promoting creative experiences and increasing arts communities nationally and locally. 7cees, which stands for community, consciousness, creativity, culture, collaboration, cooperation and connection, was a starting point for co-founder Michael Fenchel’s goal to provide a “place and network for individuals to take their passions to the next level together.”

Greenhouses at Vitruvian Farms McFarland, W

7cees has now recently become the “Create Movement.” Michael Fenchel and Ari Eisenstat, co-founders of the non-profit organization, Create Madison, are young arts leaders focusing on promoting and sustaining creative communities. They are advancing a creatively fueled global society by hosting weekend retreats for creative people. In his blog, Fenchel illuminates that ”the motivation behind the weekends is to take advantage of the neuroscience and other emerging research behind creativity to give people who normally don’t get to do what they love the chance to tap into the potential of their passion.”

Music studio, Vitruvian Farms

The non-profit hosted its first creative weekend on Friday, June 22, 2012 where 15 people met to create and collaborate. These artistic weekends are hosted by Vitruvian Farms, founded by Fenchel’s business partner and co-founder, Ari Eisenstat. This setting provides an expansive, naturally beautiful and inspiring environment to propel the engaging and artistic atmosphere. Eisenstat explains that the importance of the organic Vitruvian Farms setting to the Create Movement is to advocate for creative sustainability. Group meals, provided by the farm and other local sponsors are a big center point of the weekend creative meetings because, as Eisenstat states, the group can “talk about what sustainability means and living in a sustainable, conscious way.” Many people are also interested about exploring the culinary arts in the Create Movement.

The farm can be characterized as a hub of inspiration. There are guided tours of the beautiful farm and facilities and a dinner sponsored by the farm and other local organizations. After everyone gets to know each other and grow accustomed to the environment at dinner, the first “create time” begins. People mostly find inspiration from the natural setting and like to experience creativity outside, rather than just the indoor creative spaces Vitruvian Farms has to offer such as a garage studio and music studio inside with a fully equipped DJ set. If you attend one of these weekends, which I highly suggest you do, you can even coax Ari into spontaneously DJing while Michael raps.

On Saturday mornings, Michael guides his own form of “Alignment Yoga” that adapts Ancient Eastern yoga techniques to the contemporary Western body, originally envisioned by a man from Wisconsin. Games and discussions provide a safe and productive atmosphere for individuals to break out of their shell and become awakened to one’s inherent creative capacity.

These weekends are the core, main experience that Create Madison provides now, and the founders are hoping individuals who attend will want to host their own artistic communal experiences. The non-profit will help facilitate these innovative meetings on their website in the future to further spread the expanse of local creative communities. Eisenstat notes that the weekend experience “is something individuals have never experienced. It’s such a novel program and people want to be a part of it and help it grow. They’re taking ownership.” This involvement is what Create Madison hopes to inspire.

The 7cees’ bus inspires during a Create Madisoncreative weekend

The organization is bigger than the bus they used to travel around the nation for 5 months this year. While the farm is the center of Create Madison, Fenchel and Eisenstat will be expanding their organization to a permanent address downtown Madison in August 2012. They will also continue to plan trips on the 7cees bus, providing a mobile outlet for artistic innovation.

Create Madison is all about the creative economy, emerging arts leaders and a true local arts network. This organization offers a unique way to inspire creativity through community by offering a group setting that cultivates collaboration, inspiration and discussions that prompt people to hold accountability for the things they create in sessions. Fenchel notes that it is hard for individuals to forge their own creative path in society by following one’s passions and strives to “provide a community where creativity and going your own way is encouraged and supported.” This is an

Students and professors from UW-Plattetville at the 7cees bus

organization that is taking small steps in the local social environment to sustain a creative society. It only takes one organization and one inspired step to create a movement to forge and sustain an arts based society to eventually influence society on a larger scale.

It’s hard to miss the gigantic, sleekly painted 7cees bus. Look out for the bus around Madison this summer and enjoy the many creative experiences this organization has to offer!

Art Start

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:33:00 -0400

ArtStart: A New Center for Cultural Growth in Rhinelander

by Breanne Sommer, Arts Wisconsin Communications Intern

What does one do with an old abandoned Federal building in the center of town? Turn it into an art gallery of course! This is just what Ken Juon, President of ArtStart and the other leaders behind the non-profit accomplished in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. ArtStart’s webpage illuminates how this restoration process began when “The City of Rhinelander voted to purchase the building from the Federal Government for $1 and lease it to our non-profit organization.” Here, ArtStart begins its journey to provide an ideal downtown community arts center.

The first phase of this renovation was completed for the July 19th opening of the gallery, which will remain open for the rest of 2012. However, Juon has plans for a second phase of building renovations in 2013 as well “a full exhibition schedule and youth arts.” During this second phase, the organization will transform the entire first floor into a complete art gallery and will expand their education classes and activities to specific classrooms in the building.

Volunteers greet community members at the Pink Flamingo Party opening

The gallery was inaugurated on July 19th with the opening exhibition featuring six artists who participated and were awarded for their art at the Wisconsin Triennial Exhibition at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. While the gallery technically opened with the Contemporary Artists exhibit, ArtStart held an official opening fundraiser, called the Pink Flamingo party, on Friday, July 27th. This party served as the main opening of the gallery for the community, with artists from the Contemporary Art exhibit in attendance, as well as leaders of ArtStart and prominent community organizers.

The next exhibit features artists from the School of the Art Staff in Rhinelander, opening on July 23-27. However, the ArtStart gallery does not simply feature local creativity, but will expand to inclue artists from all areas of the state and nation, such as in an upcoming exhibition that will display Veteran art from across the country, entitled Impact: Experience of Service. Check out this exciting exhibit in early October!

ArtStart is currently an all-volunteer effort, signifying the community’s strong dedication to the organization’s mission: “to be a community crossroads, bringing people together by engaging and inspiring them through high-quality curated visual arts exhibitions, cultural activities and arts education.” Within the next year, Juon and other organization leaders have hopes of hiring an executive director to help advanceArtStart’s plans and programs.

The organization has much more to offer than just a beautiful space to display art. ArtStart also offers several “cultural activities,” such as art education. The first education session, the Art Fusion Project: An Artist and Student Exploration, will be offered October 12, 2012 - December 23, 2012. This program places students with already established artists, providing an interactive teaching atmosphere for each individual to grow in their artistic abilities. The art created by the teams will be displayed in the ArtStart gallery. The organization states that “the purpose of this program is to provide students with a unique opportunity to interact directly with working artists representing a variety of visual arts media and participate in an exchange of knowledge, inspiration, and hands-on learning experiences.” These organized activities are growing to offer more cultural involvement for the Rhinelander community. Juon illuminated that the staff is looking for instructors in the future based on the “need in the community for youth oriented art instruction.”

Juon states that ArtStart is “primarily interested in the community development aspect” of what the organization offers. With high hopes and stan dards for the organization, one will surely see this non-profit grow to be a prominent outlet for cultural expression as well as a strong contributor to the creative economy in the near future.

Americans for the Arts and the Wisconsin Arts Board have recently announced the fourth study of ...

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:26:51 -0400

Americans for the Arts and the Wisconsin Arts Board have recently announced the fourth study of the economic impact of the national and state nonprofit arts sector: Arts and Economic Prosperity IV.

The study uses “findings from 182 regions representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, an input-output economic model is able to deliver national estimates.”

The data you need to know:

Nationally: $135.2 billion of economic activity-$61.1 billion by the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations and $74.1 billion in event-related expenditures by their audiences
Wisconsin: nonprofit arts organizations generate $535 million in economic activity annually, resulting in nearly $65 million in local and state tax revenues, 22,872 in full-time equivalent jobs and $479 million in resident income.

Robert Lynch at the Huffington Post writes “‘Arts & Economic Prosperity IV’ demonstrates that America’s arts industry is not only resilient in times of economic uncertainty, but is also a key component to our nation’s economic recovery and future prosperity.”

Small Town Forums coming up in August. Be there.

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:19:15 -0400

Wisconsin Rural Partners (www.wirural.org) is pleased to be hosting the 2012 Small Town Downtown Forums in conjunction with UW-Extension, Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, Wisconsin Economic Development Council, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority and USDA Rural Development.

Arts Wisconsin is a partner in these sessions as well, facilitating discussions about the importance of the arts, creativity, imagination, innovation and entrepreneurship in Wisconsin’s small towns. If you live and work in a small town or rural area, you should attend one of these meetings to learn from others and show off what’s happening in your community.

Three forums are being held around the state in August:

August 14 - Greenwood, WI
August 15 - Juneau, WI
August 16 - Three Lakes, WI

For more information, download the forum brochure.

You can register online here.

What’s happening arts-wise in YOUR small town?

Revitalizing the Creative Sphere: Emerging Young Arts Leadership in Milwaukee

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:55:25 -0400

By Ryan Hurley, Arts @ Large Program Manager

I’ve been lucky to stumble into a career in the arts. More importantly, I’ve been lucky to work with people and organizations that allow for the consistent redefinition and expansion of what the arts can encompass.

As Program Manager for Arts @ Large, which provides comprehensive, curriculum-based arts and creative experiences for Milwaukee Public School district students, I and others involved with our organization worked with a local high school to develop a program around Milwaukee’s African American Civil Rights history. A recent study by the Southern Poverty Law Center (2011) gave Wisconsin (and 34 other states) an “F” for its teaching of civil rights history. The students, teachers and community partners were determined to change that ranking, and to bring history home and make it relevant to the school and the larger community.

Students became investigative researchers, oral historians, photographers and cartographers through an in-depth research process of Milwaukee’s Civil Rights history starting in the 1960s. The process included a close interaction with civil rights activists, tours of local sites and creative responses to the material. The result was an exhibition in the Arts @ Large Gallery in which the students led community tours through the struggles and triumphs of Milwaukee’s civil rights history.

These fresh ways of looking at creative opportunities are important, and changing existing ideas and pathways of how the arts engage and integrate with schools, communities and policy is key. Challenging others is one of the most difficult obstacles I’ve encountered as an arts administrator. As a young professional it can be easy to be passive and stick to proven methods, but I think each of us brings a new set of skills and experiences to every situation and we have to practice not being afraid to use them. I am not a confrontational person, so I’ve had to try and find ways to use my collaborative spirit to balance partnership building while simultaneously challenging those partners to take new angles at familiar programming (while they challenge me right back).

Arts @ Large recently received Americans for the Arts’ 2012 Arts Education Award, presented in San Antonio at AFTA’s annual convention. It’s an honor to represent Wisconsin and bring national attention to our beautiful arts community. It was our close collaboration with Milwaukee Public Schools that helped us stand out among the nominees. “Particularly at a time when school districts face increasingly dire fiscal circumstances, Arts @ Large’s steady commitment and support has kept arts education at the forefront of school and community leaders’ consciousness in Milwaukee,” said Robert Lynch, president and chief executive officer of Americans for the Arts.

I learn new lessons every day working at this job and in the arts. The ones that stick are the ones that prove I need to consistently challenge myself to challenge others (and to accept the challenge of others) to refresh the way we advocate, and engage communities around our tremendous creative capacities.

Ryan Hurley is an educator, writer, community organizer and currently the Program Manager for Arts @ Large, a Milwaukee-based arts education organization and winner of the Americans for the Arts 2012 Arts Education Award. Ryan has been a member of five National Poetry Slam teams and has been featured in multiple national publications including The Progressive, Burning Word, Dream of a Nation and Positive Impact Magazine. Ryan is an elected member of the Emerging Leaders Council with Americans for the Arts, the national arts advocacy organization. He is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in the Cultural Foundations of Education Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he is studying strategies for community organizing, community empowerment and finding creative solutions for educational injustice.