Overture Center for the Arts: Local arts get boost as Overture, ten resident groups join Dane Buy Local

Contact: Robert Chappell, 608.258.4438 or 608.334.7829

Coalition Becomes First Major Arts Presence in Local Commerce Support Organization

Eleven local arts organizations today took the unprecedented step of formally committing to support local businesses and local arts by together joining Dane Buy Local, the non-profit member organization that seeks to create a sustainable, vital local economy through education, collaboration, and promotion.

Overture Center for the Arts and its ten resident companies — Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Madison Ballet, Madison Opera, Kanopy Dance, Li Chiao Ping Dance, Forward Theater Company, Children’s Theater of Madison and the Wisconsin Academy of Arts Sciences and Letters — made the joint announcement at Overture Center this afternoon.

“Arts jobs are local jobs. There’s just no way around that,” said Overture Center CEO Ted DeDee. “Every one of our ten resident companies is a local business, a local non-profit. More local artists, by far, perform on our stages than artists from out of town. And our patrons spend money and support jobs at businesses all over downtown Madison. It just makes perfect sense for us to be part of the buy local movement.”

DeDee noted that in the 2012/13 season, Overture was host to 155 performances by touring artists, and 283 performances by local artists. In addition, Overture Galleries exhibited the work of 186 local visual artists.

“Local professional theater, music and dance make any community richer,” said Jennifer Uphoff Gray, Forward Theater artistic director. “There’s the benefit to the audience, of course, who get top quality arts experiences, but also to local artists. They don’t have to leave town to practice their art at the highest level. When you patronize local arts organizations, you help keep local artists here.”

“Buying local helps create and retain jobs in our community – which is more important than ever as we dig our way out of the recession,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “Small, local business is critical to the long-term success of our economy because 86% of Dane County businesses employ 10 or fewer people.”

“Any day you get eleven new members is a great day, but today is even more than that,” said Dane Buy Local Executive Director Colin Muray. “Today we make an emphatic statement that the arts are important to our community and to our local economy, and we commit to encouraging members of this community to support their local artists and arts organizations.”

Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, nine resident companies, and hundreds of local artists engage nearly half a million people in educational and artistic experiences each year.