Wisconsin Arts Board Member Marcela "Xela" Garcia spoke earlier this week, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at Create Wisconsin Day on the importance of the arts, and the power the arts has in supporting communities through social and economic impact. You may find her abridged speech below.
Marcela O. Garcia
Xicana artist, innovator and cultural warrior.
I am deeply honored to have spoken at Create Wisconsin Day representing the Wisconsin Arts Board as Chair of the External Relations Committee. My deepest thanks to Create Wisconsin for organizing this inspiring gathering of advocates, artists, and leaders united by a shared belief in the transformative power of the arts.
As Executive Director of Walker's Point Center for the Arts, Board Member of the Wisconsin Arts Board, and Director on the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Board, I am fortunate to witness the extraordinary ways in which the arts uplift our communities, spark economic growth, and foster a deep sense of belonging.
Today, I reflected on a simple but profound truth: the arts are not a luxury — they are essential. They weave the social, cultural, and economic fabric of Wisconsin. From small rural towns to bustling cities, creativity is at the heart of what makes our state vibrant and dynamic.
This year, we unite to champion the 2025-2027 legislative agenda, an agenda that underscores the arts as an indispensable force in Wisconsin’s economy, education, and cultural identity.
We are all looking to elevate Wisconsin from 48th to 35th in the nation, moving us from 18 cents to 68 cents per capita. This is not just a number; it is an investment in the vitality of our communities. These dollars flow directly into the field — fueling local programs, organizations, and initiatives that make the arts accessible and impactful statewide. This is about people, about places, about possibility.
We also support two other items proposed by the Governor which already have bipartisan support: the Rural Creative Economy Development Program, sponsored by Senator Romaine Quinn and Represenative Todd Novak, as well as Film and Television Production Incentives and a State Film Office, championed by Senator Julian Bradley.
This past year, as the Wisconsin Arts Board celebrated 50 years, we traveled across the state, listening deeply to stories of success and calls for progress. The message we heard was clear and compelling: communities need stable, sustained funding. Funding that directly translates into jobs, keeps venues open to the public, and provides the resources to bring art projects and programs to life. Funding that fuels creativity, connection, and opportunity in every region of our state.
To everyone who shares this vision, I encourage you to continue advocating. Visit https://artsboard.wisconsin.gov/Pages/FY24-Grants-Reports.aspx to find your community’s economic impact one-pager and use it to start meaningful conversations.
Let us champion a future where creativity is not just valued but celebrated as essential to our identity and prosperity.
The Wisconsin Arts Board is the state agency which nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts, supports the arts in education, stimulates community and economic development, and serves as a resource for people of every culture and heritage. Since 1973, the Arts Board has supported artists and art organizations with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information on the Wisconsin Arts Board, please visit
https://artsboard.wisconsin.gov.
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