September may have begun with a holiday (Labor Day), but the rest of the month was hardly relaxed. The Arts Board got busy this September, with back to back to back site visits, technical support, the Midwest Arts Xpo, National Arts in Education Week, our continuing collaborations with arts partners, and our Quarterly Board Meeting.
Quarterly Board Meeting and Site Visits in Kenosha and Racine
This September, we held our Quarterly Board Meeting in Kenosha and Racine. We hold Board meetings a minimum of four times per year, and all meetings are open to the public. The Arts Board is governed by a fifteen-member board appointed by the Governor to serve three-year terms. Board members are Wisconsin citizens recognized for their accomplishments in the arts, humanities, business, education or public service. The board includes members from urban and rural areas across the state and from diverse racial, economic and cultural backgrounds. Board members set policy for the agency and approve funding recommendations made by the peer review panels.
We also were fortunate to visit many arts organizations in Kenosha and Racine prior to our meeting. A huge thanks and deep gratitute, again, to;
Kenosha Creative Space for showing us beautiful murals and their community impact in Kenosha;
The City of Kenosha's staff for showing us the murals created in their Summer Youth Employment Program;
Artists and staff at Spectrum School of the Arts and Community Gallery for delicious breakfast snacks and (arguably) even more delicious conversations on the impact of the arts and the importance of arts education;
The Racine Arts Council and the Racine Art Museum for hosting our "bring your own brown bag" luncheon and information session;
Over Our Heads Players for an incredible tour of their space at 6th Street Theatre;
The Racine Theatre Guild for another incredible tour of a storied cultural institution;
Create Wisconsin and the Kenosha Community Foundation for a great evening event with lots of conversation on the arts, and the impact of the arts in Kenosha at Olafson & Porter Vintage Goods
Lemon Street Gallery for an amazing tour, and for hosting our Quarterly Board Meeting
Milwaukee Time (Site Visits and the Midwest Arts Xpo)
We were also in Milwaukee quite a bit, with our Executive Director, George, and our Assistant Director, Karen representing the Wisconsin Arts Board at the Midwest Arts Xpo, and Public Relations and Logistics Specialist, Vivienne conducting site visits in Milwaukee with Willow Newell, Miss Wisconsin.
Vivienne and Willow met with more artists and arts organizations than the hours may have allowed, and while the day was packed, it was a great cross-informational exchange. A massive thanks to all listed below for meeting us, showing us around, asking questions, and answering our questions;
Woodland Pattern
Bembé Drum and Dance
Latino Arts, Inc.
Walker's Point Center for the Arts
Portrait Society Gallery
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
The Catacombs of Neto / Las Catacumbas de Neto