For immediate release
Contact: Anne Katz, Arts Wisconsin
608 255 8316 | akatz@artswisconsin.org
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, Monona Terrace and State Capitol, Madison
Pre-Arts Day workshops on Tuesday, March 2
Information and registration at http://www.artswisconsin.org
Wisconsin’s arts supporters from the worlds of the arts, business, education, civic issues, politics, and government will rally at Arts Day 2010, on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, at the Monona Terrace Convention Center and the State Capitol in downtown Madison. On Arts Day, people who care about Wisconsin’s future will come together to support investment in the state’s artistic, creative and human resources, to enhance and strengthen arts opportunities for everyone, everywhere in the state.
The evidence is clear: participation and involvement in the arts and arts education are important to the people of Wisconsin, and critical to the long-term economic, educational and civic health and well-being of Wisconsin’s communities. The arts are essential to Wisconsin’s cultural and spiritual quality of life, to our economic development, and to the education of our children. Investment in Wisconsin’s arts sector is all about investment in good jobs, good education, and livable communities, and is directly tied to helping the state and all of its communities achieve and thrive.
On Arts Day, hundreds of representatives of Wisconsin’s extraordinary arts community will come together to:
* Encourage expanded state investment in the arts, culture, creativity and education through the Wisconsin Arts Board’s New Economy Funding Initiative and investment in other state agencies
* Support arts and creative involvement and opportunities to provide 21st century education for all Wisconsin students
* Encourage regional development, civic engagement, and creative economy programs and policies to benefit Wisconsin and all of its communities.
Each year, representatives of the arts from around Wisconsin — small rural choirs and suburban community theaters, presenters and big organizations, museums and art centers of all sizes, painters, tenors, dancers, cellists, french horn players, arts administrators, board members, economic development professionals, educators, politicians, and many others who care about Wisconsin’s future join together for this big day.
“This is one of the only times that Wisconsin’s diverse, multi-layered, fantastic arts industry gathers together in one place, to show what a strong, vital arts community we have statewide,” says Peter Crawford, Arts Wisconsin Board President. “Events like Arts Day, combined with daily advocacy at home, lead to greater understanding by decision-makers of the power of the arts to transform Wisconsin’s communities. We’re looking for strong state investment in the arts, for economic vitality, educational advancement, and civic engagement. The unified voice of the arts community is critical to this success.”
If there ever was a time that Wisconsin needed the arts, it’s now. This is an important moment for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship – all qualities inherent to the arts – as the qualities needed to move the state’s economy, educational systems, and civic infrastructure forward.
Arts Day will feature:
* The Arts Day Legislative Breakfast, 8:30-10 am. Featured speakers include Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, and other special guests TBA. Student art projects from Milwaukee’s Arts @ Large program will be featured during the Breakfast.
* A public forum and update on the Wisconsin Task Force on Arts and Creativity in Education’s report and recommendations, 11 am – 12 noon, featuring best practices and models in arts and creativity in education from communities around Wisconsin.
* Arts Day 2010 Artist-in-Residence Tim Decker, helping Arts Day participants make art!
* A free public concert in the Capitol Rotunda, featuring the Parkview High School Symphonic Band of Orfordville, 12 noon, sponsored by the Wisconsin Music Educators Association.
* A meeting of the Wisconsin Emerging Arts Leaders Network, 2-3 pm – bringing together the next generation of arts leaders!
* Pre-Arts Day workshops on Tuesday, March 2: Surviving/Thriving in the Arts (practical, pro-active advice and ideas for arts leaders in the new economy) and Advocate training
* the presentation of the annual Rabin Youth Arts Awards by the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras
* Constituent visits with state legislators and elected officials
* the latest information on the issues facing the arts in Wisconsin
* networking and friend-making for Wisconsin’s creative sector
Arts Day is presented by a strong statewide coalition of arts, business, educational, government and civic partner organizations and others. Partners to date include:
Sponsoring Partners
Supporter: Wisconsin Counties Association
Donors:
* Arts @ Large, Milwaukee
* Arts Wisconsin
* Broadjam, Inc.
* PortalWisconsin.org
* The Widget Source, Middleton
* Wisconsin Presenters Network
Sponsors:
* AIA Wisconsin: A Society of The American Institute of Architects
* Association of Wisconsin Symphony Orchestras
* Big Shoes Network, Milwaukee
* Ward-Brodt Music Company, Madison
* Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
* Wisconsin Federation of Museums
* Wisconsin Regional Writers Association
* Wisconsin School Music Association
Endorsing Partners
* AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Artists) Wisconsin
* Leadership Wisconsin
* Robert E. Gard Wisconsin Idea Foundation
* Theatre Wisconsin
* Tourism Federation of Wisconsin
* Wisconsin Advocates for Music Education
* Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education
* Wisconsin Alliance of Artists and Craftspeople
* Wisconsin Alliance of Cities
* Wisconsin Art Education Association
* Wisconsin Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus
* Wisconsin Downtown Action Council
* Wisconsin Economic Development Association
* Wisconsin Foundation for the Arts
* Wisconsin Main Street Program
* Wisconsin Screenwriters Forum
* Wisconsin Visual Artists
* Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement Awards
The cost of Arts Day 2010 is only $20 per participant, with additional discounts available. For more information and to register for Arts Day, contact Arts Wisconsin, 608 255 8316 | akatz@artswisconsin.org | http://www.artswisconsin.org.
