Contact: Anne Katz, Arts Wisconsin
608 255 8316| akatz@artswisconsin.org
August 23, 2019
Presented in partnership with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities
nomination deadline 8-30-19
The eleventh annual Arts in the Community Awards, presented by Arts Wisconsin in partnership with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, honor communities and civic leaders around the state for championing the arts, culture and creativity as integral to economic, educational and community vitality. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, August 30, 2019. Visit www.artswisconsin.org for full nomination information.
The award winners will be recognized on Thursday, October 24, 2019 during the League of Wisconsin Municipalities’ 121th annual conference, at the KI Center/Hyatt Regency in Green Bay, WI.
Generous sponsors of the Awards are:
Heid Music of Appleton, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh and Stevens Point, providing musical instruments and quality music instruction throughout the state
Redevelopment Resources of Wausau and Madison, providing customized solutions for the development and redevelopment of communities.
Vierbicher Planners | Engineers | Advisors of Madison, Pewaukee, Prairie du Chien and Reedsburg, WI, providing consulting services to guide and deliver quality land and community development.
Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, advocating for strong, vibrant downtowns statewide.
“We’re pleased to work with Arts Wisconsin to honor local leaders who support the development of their community’s creative sector,” says Jerry Deschane, Director of the League of Municipalities. “These awards recognize civic champions of 21st century economic vitality, a dynamic workforce, education focused on 21st century learning, vibrant community life, and engaged residents.”
Arts Wisconsin is Wisconsin’s voice for the arts, culture and creativity and the state’s community cultural development organization. For over 25 years, Arts Wisconsin has worked to grow Wisconsin creatively through advocacy, service, development and connections. More info at www.artswisconsin.org.
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities is a voluntary nonprofit and nonpartisan association of cities and villages that acts as an information clearinghouse, lobbying organization and legal resource for Wisconsin municipalities. More info at www.lwm-info.org.
Previous Arts in the Community Award honorees are:
2018: Ken Juon, former President, ArtStart Board of Directors, Artstart, Rhinelander, one of four founders who transformed the historic Federal Building in downtown Rhinelander into a destination arts and cultural center; and Ryan Heise, Village Administrator, Village of Egg Harbor, who cultivates community through public art, sustainability programs, and community engagement.
2017: Mark Elliott, Executive Director, Northwest Passage, Webster, and its cornerstone therapeutic arts program In a New Light, which uses photography as a medium for expression and healing; and Stephanie Samarripa, City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services, Milwaukee, which is committed to ensuring that public art is created in neighborhoods with, by, and for the residents of that neighborhood.
2016: Creative Downtown Appleton, led by Josh Dukelow, community activist and radio host, and Paula Vandehey, Director of the City of Appleton Public Works; and Alan Nugent, business and cultural tourism leader and a founder of the Widespot Performing Arts Center and the Stockholm Merchants Association in Stockholm
2015: The City of West Bend, for its commitment to promote the visual and performing arts in West Bend; and the Waunakee Creative Economy Initiative, for its ongoing efforts to nurture and strengthen creativity and innovation throughout the village, and foster their growth into a formidable sector of the local economy.
2014: Circuit Court Judge Joseph Boles and Pierce County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, based in Ellsworth, WI, for a program using a variety of arts disciplines as teaching tools to improve law enforcement training in de-escalating mental health crisis calls, and Reedsburg Mayor Dave Estes, Reedsburg City Administrator Ken Witt, and Reedsburg Chamber of Commerce Director Kristine Koenecke for support of Fermentation Fest – A Live Culture Convergence and the Farm/Art DTour.
2013: Rice Lake Main Street Program, Rice Lake; and Sheboygan Performing Arts Foundation, Sheboygan
2012: State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, River Falls; State Sen. Bob Jauch, Poplar; Marlene Doerr Kreilkamp, Founder and former Director, SHARP Literacy, Milwaukee; and Anastasia Shartin, Visual Arts Director, The Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson
2011: Bill Schierl, President, Arts Alliance of Portage County (now CREATE Portage County), Stevens Point; and Jeff Scrima, former Mayor, Waukesha
2010: Lois Smith, founder of “Walls of Wittenberg,” Wittenberg; Julia Taylor, President, Greater Milwaukee Committee, Milwaukee; The Green Bay Neighborhood Leadership Council’s Beautification Committee, Green Bay; and The Hometown Gazette newspaper, Clayton
2009 : Carol Kratchowill, Vice President, Sauk County Art Association, Merrimac; and Menomonie Mayor Dennis Cropp and former Dunn County Board member B. Jane Hoyt, on behalf of the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, Menomonie.
Contact Anne Katz at Arts Wisconsin for more information, 608 255 8316 | akatz@artswisconsin.org.
