Create Wisconsin will present the 2024 Creative Community Champions Awards to 14 Wisconsin municipal arts advisory committees. The awards will be presented to elected officials and local leaders representing these committees at the League of Wisconsin Municipalities’ Annual Conference in Middleton on October 24, 2024. Create Wisconsin has presented these awards to civic champions of the arts and creativity – individuals, organizations, businesses, and local government agencies – since 2009. The 2024 awardees are:
| Amery | City of Arts, Parks, and Recreation Committee |
| Appleton | City of Appleton Public Art Committee |
| Green Bay | City of Green Bay Public Arts Commission |
| Kenosha | City of Kenosha Arts Commission |
| Madison | City of Madison Arts Commission |
| Middleton | City of Middleton Public Art Committee |
| Milwaukee | City of Milwaukee Arts Board |
| Neenah | City of Neenah Arts Council |
| Oshkosh | City of Oshkosh Museum, Arts and Culture Board |
| Rhinelander | City of Rhinelander Public Art Commission |
| Sturgeon Bay | City of Sturgeon Bay Local Arts Board |
| Superior | City of Superior Public Art Committee |
| Waukesha | Public Art Advisory Committee – City of Waukesha |
| Wausau | City of Wausau Public Art Commission |
In addition, the City of La Crosse Arts Board and the Waunakee Creative Economy Initiative (now Create Waunakee) have previously received this award.
These municipal citizen advisory committees oversee arts programs, public art projects, creative economy development, policy, funding and fundraising, and accessibility for city and village residents in their communities. They are charged with improving a community’s visibility, engagement for all, and sense of place through arts and cultural opportunities and actions.
“These communities understand that local arts and cultural assets are more important than ever as cities and villages seek to incubate, attract and retain talent,” says Zach Vruwink, League Deputy Director and Create Wisconsin Board member. “These committees are encouraging creative economy development from the ground up, helping communities and the state show off and celebrate creative opportunities for all.”
Create Wisconsin is Wisconsin’s community cultural development organization, enabling creative opportunities for everyone, everywhere in the state and activating and strengthening Wisconsin’s creative economy, workforce and communities. www.createwisconsin.org
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities is a nonprofit and nonpartisan association of cities and villages that acts as an information clearinghouse, lobbying organization, technical assistance provider, and legal resource throughout Wisconsin. www.lwm-info.org
Previous honorees:
2024: Rep. Todd Novak, 51st Assembly District
2023: League of Wisconsin Municipalities
2022: City of La Crosse Public Arts Commission
2021: Wisconsin’s civic Poets Laureate and Writers-in-Residence, from Amery, Bayfield, Eau Claire, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Racine, Sheboygan, and Wausau.
2020: Zach Vruwink, Administrator, City of Rhinelander and former Mayor, City of Wis. Rapids
2019: the City of Waupaca and the Waupaca Arts and Culture Coalition for ongoing partnership on the city’s first-ever cultural plan, and Altoona Mayor Brendan Pratt
2018: Ken Juon, President, Board of Directors, Artstart, Rhinelander, and Ryan Heise, Village Administrator, Village of Egg Harbor
2017: Mark Elliott, Executive Director, Northwest Passage, Webster; and Stephanie Samarripa, Anti-Graffiti Program Coordinator, City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services
2016: Creative Downtown Appleton, led by Josh Dukelow, community activist, and Paula Vandehey, City of Appleton Public Works Director; and Alan Nugent, civic leader and a founder of the Widespot Performing Arts Center in Stockholm
2015: the City of West Bend, for long-term commitment to promote the visual and performing arts in West Bend; and the Waunakee Creative Economy Initiative, a village-led, ongoing effort to grow Waunakee’s creative economy.
2014: Circuit Court Judge Joseph Boles and Pierce County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for using the arts 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.
2013: Rice Lake Main Street Program, Rice Lake; and the Sheboygan Performing Arts Association
2012: State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, River Falls; State Sen. Bob Jauch, Poplar; Marlene Doerr Kreilkamp, Founder/Former Director, SHARP Literacy, Milwaukee; and Anastasia Shartin, Visual Arts Director, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson
2011: Bill Schierl, President, Arts Alliance of Portage County, Stevens Point; and former Mayor Jeff Scrima, 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 Former Menomonie Mayor Dennis Cropp and former Dunn County Board member B. Jane Hoyt, for the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, Menomonie.
For more information about the awards, Create Wisconsin’s advocacy, service, and development work, and the arts, culture, and creativity in Wisconsin, contact Anne Katz, Director, 608 255 8316 | info@createwisconsin.org.
