Things have slowed a bit in December at the Arts Board, giving us time to round out the year, and reflect on all of the amazing connections made, tasks accomplished, and constituents served. We had our last 2025 board meeting this month in the lovely city of Milwaukee, and we are energized and ready to meet 2026.
December Quarterly Board Meeting
This December, we held our Quarterly Board Meeting in Milwaukee on December 11 and 12, 2025. 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 grant awards after considering the funding recommendations made by the grant peer review panels.
Board and staff thank the many arts organization leaders who gave us tours and took time to talk with us about their organizations, how 2025 shaped their programming and exhibitions, and what they’re looking forward to in 2026. Our deep gratitude goes to:
MIAD faculty and students, for helping to arrange a listening session, and for sharing insightful thoughts, feedback, and questions with us
Latino Arts Strings Program for a joyful concert full of talent, energy, and beautiful music
Julia Bradfish, the Artist in Residence at Saint Kate for welcoming our board members into her studio space, practice, and time
and to Saint Kate Arts Hotel for their hospitality!
Milwaukee Repertory Theatre for tour of their exciting, expanded space
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for another incredible tour with a side of local history
IPAMA – Institute for the Preservation of African American Music and Arts for the tour of their East location and a deeper sense of their mission and programming
Haggerty Museum of Art for hosting our board meeting, and of course, for a wonderful tour (with immense time and dedication from their staff, as well as a beautiful dive into the exhibited works from featured artist, Raoul Deal)
Representative Priscilla Prado (representing Wisconsin's 9th Assembly District)
for joining us for Friday’s working lunch to discuss the state of the arts in her district and in Wisconsin.
We deeply value the time, information, and energy that everyone shared with us during those two days, and what we learned will inform the planning for our own work in the coming year.
