The Arts Board did a lot in April! We celebrated Jazz Month, Poetry Month, and Hmong Heritage Month, held many meetings with our friends and partners to discuss social prescription, external relations, film, and more, held our FY26 Creative Communities - Arts Education Grant Review Panel, conducted site visits in Milwaukee, and our Executive Director George Tzougros spoke at Dane Arts' Business of Arts Conference.
Jazz Month, Poetry Month, and Hmong Heritage Month
Throughout April, we spotlighted amazing jazz and poetry made in Wisconsin, by Wisconsinites, or about Wisconsin. We recieved so much enthusiasm and amazing work from poets all across the state, and gathered their work in a Wisconsin Poetry Anthology. We also paired each poem with a jazz song, and compiled a Jazz Month 2025 playlist. To honor Hmong Heritage Month, which celebrates the culture and contributions of the largest Asian ethnic group in our state, we featured poetry written by Hmong artists for our final week of Poetry Month 2025.
Meetings, meetings, meetings!
In addition to our responsibilities and services related to grants, the Arts Board also focuses on providing technical support to artists and arts organizations within Wisconsin. A lot of the meetings we held in April focused on fulfilling that very responsibility. George and Karen visited Milwaukee, and met with arts organizations to listen and learn, and share impactful resources and help. Throughout April's meetings, we also discussed how we can further provide technical support across the state during our External Relations Committee meeting, spearheaded by our board members, and for this month, included special guest André Zhang Sonera with the Indiana Arts Commission. We are so grateful to André for his time, and for sharing valuable knowledge and resources!
FY26 Creative Communities - Arts Education Grant Review Panel
We kicked off our FY Creative Communities Program Grant Review Panels with our Arts Education applications. We are thankful for an amazing group of panelists and such a strong group of applicants this year! Each year, we rely on the services and expertise of many volunteer panelists, who review grant applications and make recommendations the Board. Panels bring together artists, arts professionals, educators, community members, and others actively involved in the arts. Their participation is solicited by Arts Board staff on a panel-by-panel basis. We are always welcoming new panelist applications! Learn and become more involved in the arts in Wisconsin here.
Dane Arts: Business of Arts Conference
Dane Arts invited our Executive Director George to speak at their Business of Arts Conference. Dane Arts, a primary arts funding arm for Dane County, Wisconsin, hosted artists and budding entrepreneurs alike at the annual Business of Art Conference. This year’s theme was, “Artists at Work- minding your own business” celebrating all of the incredible artists who work so hard to make Dane County a thriving economic community. The conference took place on April 24-26, 2025.
Photography credit: Ken Lax