2004 Statewide Meetings on the Arts

The Wisconsin Arts Board announces its winter 2004 series of town meetings! From January through May, the Arts Board and the Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts will meet with communities throughout Wisconsin to share news from the state and national level, and gather news from the local level.

The Wisconsin Arts Board (WAB), the state agency responsible for the support and development of the arts throughout Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts (WALA), the statewide membership organization dedicated to arts advocacy and service, work in partnership to build and sustain Wisconsin’s communities through the arts, and ensure access to the arts for everyone in the state. However, the two agencies obviously do not work alone. 

Wisconsin community leaders throughout the state are creatively using arts and culture to strengthen their communities—to help resolve budget problems, incubate, attract and retain business, develop a healthier economy, and encourage their young people to remain and find employment close to home. They recognize that investment in arts and cultural endeavors is vital to the health of their citizens and communities.

This annual series of town meetings traditionally brings arts groups, artists, educators, business people, funders, elected officials, and other arts supporters together. The connections that they make with each other—often for the first time—are even more significant than the connections that they make with the representatives from WAB and WALA.  

You are enthusiastically invited to participate in the town meeting closest to you! (See schedule below.)

In addition, this year the Arts Board will be holding a focus group in conjunction with the town meeting. This focus group is part of the Arts Board’s current strategic planning process, and will help determine where the agency should focus its efforts and resources over the next three years. Participants will consider the following questions: 

1. What are the biggest challenges facing the Wisconsin arts community today?
2. What role do you believe a state agency devoted to supporting the arts should play in addressing these issues?
3. With what aspects of the Wisconsin Arts Board's programs and services are you most pleased?
4. What aspects of the Wisconsin Arts Board and its programs and services would you like to see enhanced, changed, eliminated or created? 
5. Anything else we need to talk and/or hear about? 

Please seriously consider attending this session as well!

TOWN MEETING/Focus Group SCHEDULE

February 4—Stevens Point
7:00 pm
Riverfront Arts Center, Crosby Avenue
Local host: Stevens Point Arts Council

February 26—Marinette
7:00 pm
Stevenson Public Library
Local host:  River City Art Project

March 11—Rhinelander
7:00 pm
Nicolet College Northwoods Center
Local host: Nicolet College

March 22—Racine
8:00 am
Racine Art Museum, 441 Main Street
Local hosts: Racine Arts Council and Racine Art Museum

April 13—Hudson
11:30 am
Phipps Center for the Arts, 106 Locust Street
Local host: Phipps Center for the Arts and Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce

April 14—Fond du Lac
10:00 am
Windhover Center for the Arts, 51 Sheboygan Street
Local host: Arts Council of Fond du Lac

April 16—Monroe
3:30 pm
Monroe Arts Center, 1315 11th Street
Local host: Monroe Arts Center

April 26—Door County
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Old Ephraim Village Hall
Local host: Peninsula Arts Association

Town Meeting: May 18—LaCrosse
Noon - 2:00 pm
Viterbo University Fine Arts Center, 815 9th Street South
Local host: Viterbo University School of Fine Arts

Focus Group: June 2—LaCrosse
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
La Crosse Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, 2613 George St
Local host: La Crosse Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association

VIRTUAL TOWN MEETING / FOCUS GROUP

To provide access to people who will not be able to attend the town meeting in their area, the Arts board is also partnering with Portal Wisconsin to present a continuous “virtual town meeting” hosted on Portal’s website from January through April. The format for this meeting is an online discussion forum and you can participate by going to www.portalwisconsin.org and clicking on the “forums” button at the top.

Contact: George Tzougros, Wisconsin Arts Board, 608/266-0190
or Anne Katz, Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts, 608/255-8316
Date Posted: 1/12/04

Updated: 09/19/2007