Dane County Awards $97,500 in Grants to Local Arts Organizations
November 01, 2024
Mark Fraire, 608-266-5916
County Executive
Dane Arts Awards Grants Supporting Arts and Cultural Activities Countywide with Public-Private Funds
Dozens of local organizations that promote community arts, history, and culture are receiving “Dane Arts” grants, Interim County Executive Jamie Kuhn and the Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission announced today. Forty-two project and four short-order grants totaling $97,500 were recently awarded in cycle 2 for “Dane Arts” grants in 2024. Organizations requested over $183,800 in support.
“The vibrancy of local art in Dane County is a gift for our community,” said County Executive Jamie Kuhn. “Local artists are the heartbeat of our community’s creativity, they express our rich history through their mediums, and they share with us the spirit of our people. We are grateful to play a small part in them being able to share their talents with the community.”
Dane Arts Director Mark Fraire notes, “We are fortunate to live in a county where there is an office dedicated to the arts, history, and culture of our community and where we are able to partner to support local arts organizations and artists.”
The “Dane Arts” grants are funded by county dollars in conjunction with private donations from Diane Ballweg, and the Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, and the Frautschi and Rowland Foundations.
In 2024 Dane County’s Dane Arts will award over $210,000 in public-private funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, individuals, and municipalities for community arts programs offered countywide.
The next grant deadline is February 1, 2025, 4pm.
Grant recipients are listed below this announcement.
Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs:
2024 Cycle 2 Grants
Arts in Education
American Players Theatre - 2024 In-Classroom Residencies for Dane County Schools
Award: $2,670
Two in-classroom residency programs, Potency of Poetry and The Words Between Us, utilize the language and theatrical skills and experiences of APT teaching artists to infuse students with enthusiasm and appreciation for classical texts and important contemporary literary works. These week-long programs equip students with tools to approach challenging literature, such as poetry and Shakespeare, and instill in them the confidence to express themselves with language.
Little Picassos - Little Picassos: a free art enrichment program for underserved families
Award: $2,601
Little Picassos is a free after school art enrichment program for underserved, low-income children in Madison, WI.
Madison Symphony Orchestra Inc. - 2025 Spring Young People's Concert
Award: $2,745
The MSO’s Spring Young People’s Concert brings area high school students into a world-class concert hall to experience live classical music performed by a professional symphony orchestra. The concert is performed by the MSO in Overture Hall and features the winner of the MSO’s Bolz Young Artist Competition.
Madison Symphony Orchestra Inc. - Fall Youth Concerts 2024
Award: $2,831
The MSO’s Fall Youth Concerts bring area elementary and middle school students into a world-class concert hall to experience live classical music performed by a professional symphony orchestra. The concerts are performed by the MSO in Overture Hall and feature the winner from the MSO’s Fall Youth Concerto Competition.
Monroe Street Arts Center - Aspiring Artists & Musicians
Award: $2,544
A free, inclusive program focused on supporting children of all abilities, encouraging exploration of music, movement, and art together in a socially enriching environment. In collaboration with Aspire Therapy, Speech-Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists work with Monroe Street Arts Center instructors to make these classes a safe place for neurodivergent children to thrive.
Music con Brio, Inc. - Music con Brio's 13th Annual Community Concert Series
Award: $2,713
In 2024-25, Music con Brio will present our 13th Annual Community Concert Series, integrating our Music by Black Composers initiative. Partnering with MYArts and Emerson Elementary, we’ll present two Community Concerts, professionally recording both to showcase online, providing motivation, outreach, and enriching collaborations between students, professional musicians, and the community.
Prairie Music & Arts Inc - Sun Prairie Creates
Award: $1,662
Sun Prairie Creates is a collaboration between Prairie Music & Arts and Sun Prairie Community Schools built on a hip-hop framework. It promotes accessibility to the arts, creates awareness of diverse art forms, and supports the socio-emotional growth of youth through poetry, dance, music, and visual art experiences.
Dance
Dance Wisconsin - The Nutcracker Ballet, continuing to create new ways to include all in this holiday tradition.
Award: $2,705
Dance Wisconsin’s production of the Nutcracker Ballet has continued to evolve over the last 46 years and will continue to develop with the growing Madison community. The removal of inappropriate cultural messages in choreography and costuming has allowed Dance Wisconsin to be on the forefront of dance progression.
Freedom Inc. - Viv Ncaus Dance Troupe: Stitching and Dancing through Hmong Herstory
Award: $2,591
Viv Ncaus Dance Troop is a year round program where Southeast Asian Hmong girls and LGBTQI+ youth cultivate a sense of sisterhood/siblinghood and belonging. Through traditional dance, preservation of Hmong textiles, and storytelling, youth members engage with the complex critical histories of Hmong American refugees.
Isthmus Dance Collective Inc - (Be)Longing: The Space we Make - An Isthmus Dance Collective Showcase
Award: $2,384
(Be)Longing: The Space we Make – An Isthmus Dance Collective Showcase is an invitation to belong with us and within yourself as you observe the connections that we make through the art of dance. Our member’s wide array of dance forms will present something for everyone to explore.
Kanopy Dance Theatre Inc - Kanopy Dance presents Winter Fantasia Reimagined
Award: $1,825
Winter Fantasia: Reimagined is a multicultural holiday celebration of dance. The centerpiece is Chalo Ramiye, featuring South Asian artist Udbhav Desai performing in a ritual community garba dance, traditionally performed during the largest dance festival in the world, Navratri. Also highlighting the program are mystical dances inspired by Nordic folklore.
Li Chiao-Ping Dance - Li Chiao-Ping Dance Presents: DIRTY LAUNDRY: A multimedia dance theater work
Award: $2,862
"DIRTY LAUNDRY: A multimedia dance theater work” explores the history of Chinese labor in the U.S., the Asian immigrant experience, the treatment of Asians as perpetual foreigners, and the Stop Asian Hate movement. This collaborative work embraces highly athletic contemporary dance, theater, original musical score, video, and visual art. DIRTY LAUNDRY will premiere Feb 6-8, 2025 in Madison, WI.
Madison Contemporary Dance - Youth Program Voices Project
Award: $2,813
Weekly classes and performance opportunities are offered for underserved youth in the Dane County area. Children will train with professional dancers Sara Rohs, Papa Kobina Brewoo, Sontee Duncan, and Kristin Hamner. They will study ballet, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, breakdancing, and tumbling, focusing on confidence and finding their creative voice.
Multidisciplinary Arts/Culture
Africasong Communications, Inc. - 2025 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute
Award: $1,104
The 44th Annual State of Wisconsin Tribute & Ceremony honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a multi-disciplinary and multi-ethnic arts and cultural showcase that celebrates Dr. King’s legacy and inspires hope using music, dance and spoken word.
LATINOS ORGANIZING FOR UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPMENT INC - Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development (LOUD) 2025 season
Award: $2,763
Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development (LOUD), founded by former Poet Laureate of Madison (2016-2020), Oscar Mireles, is excited to announce our 2024-25 season. Oscar Mireles currently serves on the Board of Directors of Madison Symphony Orchestra, Overture Center for the Arts, and Friends of Wisconsin PBS.
Here is the new season lineup of events and activities:
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- LOUD Gallery at Omega School will host four exhibitions:
- Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibition (featuring high school and college Latino artists)
- Native American Heritage Month
- Black History Month
- Asian Pacific Islander Month
- Women’s History Month
- Cinco De Mayo Exhibition
- Day of the Dead Exhibition at Common Wealth Gallery as part of Fall 2024 Gallery Night
- Latino Art Fair Art Exhibition at Common Wealth Gallery as part of Spring 2025 Gallery Night
- Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Children Celebration as part of the Madison Symphony Orchestra performance of the movie “Coco” at Overture Center for the Arts
- Gina Chavez Concert (Singer/Songwriter from Austin, Texas)
- Mariachi Paredes De Tejastitlan (from Austin, Texas)
- LOUD Gallery at Omega School will host four exhibitions:
Madison Children's Museum - MMSD Family Fun Nights
Award: $2,723
Madison Children’s Museum seeks funding to support free family night events at MCM for Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) schools in the 24-25 and 25-26 school years. This initiative aims to enhance arts access for MMSD students and families through our museum’s exhibits and programs facilitated by MCM’s education team.
Noah Bloedorn - From Isolation to Community: The Mosaic Dinner Movement
Award: $2,675
Drawing collectively from the wealth of our ancestors, The Mosaic Dinner Movement brings humanity into the future by gathering people over shared meals to cultivate human potential and unearth beauty from perceived community brokenness. Emphasizing storytelling, participants share personal stories, cultural artifacts, and global visions to connect and foster unity.
Oakwood Chamber Players - Oakwood Chamber Players 40th Anniversary
Award: $2,477
The Oakwood Chamber Players will cap off their 40th anniversary season with a special family-welcoming performance at the Madison Youth Arts Center (MYArts) in downtown Madison. The event will include a new composition by a Dane County composer and will feature local circus artists interpreting the music.
Opera for the Young - Family Opera Day featuring The Magic Flute
Award: $2,611
Opera for the Young presents its 15th annual Family Opera Day at the Overture Center for the Arts in May 2025. A free performance of The Magic Flute will be complemented by area partners with workshops in theater and design (Madison Children’s Museum) and movement and music (OFTY Cast and Madison Youth Choirs).
The Layered Onion - Nourishing Expression The Shallot: Journal of Mental Health, Art, and Literature
Award: $2,423
The Dane County Food Collective (DCFC) and The Layered Onion have joined forces to continue an innovative project: The Shallot, a journal dedicated to creatives highlighting topics such as mental health, food systems, and wellness through the lens of art. Art is healing and the journal provides a platform for creatives to express their ideas, experiences, and emotions while showcasing their creative works.
TNW Ensemble Theater, Inc.- Scammed! New play development, performance, and public outreach
Award: $1,314
Scammed! is a new two-act comedy about the trials and tribulations of modern life and the prevalence of scamming schemes and fraud throughout society.
A comedy that is funny and sad, and totally current for these times, the project includes outreach sessions and post performance discussions led by professionals in finance and scam prevention.
Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets - 2025 Winter Festival of Poetry
Award: $879
The annual Winter Festival of Poetry is an eight-week series of poetry readings held on Sunday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Each Sunday six poets share their words and experiences in 10-12 minute sessions. With two locations for 2025, The Winter Festival of Poetry hopes to reach more community members interested in poetry.
Music
Bach Around The Clock - BATC2025
Award: $598
Bach Around The Clock presents a free festival celebrating the musical legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach through performances by musicians of all ages and skill levels. Our focus is on collaboration, education, inclusivity, accessibility, and excellence at every level. A diversity of musical styles, instruments, and performers are welcome.
con vivo!...music with life - con vivo! presents “Lucky Seven!"
Award: $1,136
con vivo!...music with life presents “Lucky Seven!” a performance of live chamber music on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7:30 pm at First Congregational Church in Madison.
Dimensions In Sound & The Studio Orchestra Inc. - Improving the Lives of Seniors With Music
Award: $1,211
Dimensions In Sound & The Studio Orchestra (DISSO) is a non-profit organization based in Madison, Wisconsin bringing cultural engagement and joy to Dane County’s senior population through music. The organization’s two separate music ensembles perform orchestral and big band music for their audiences, fulfilling a vital need for residents in senior living communities who are unable to seek out cultural entertainment in their community because of their advanced age or disabilities.
Festival Choir of Madison - Navidad Nuestra/Our Christmas
Award: $2,509
On December 15, 2024 (Asbury Church, 3 pm), Festival Choir of Madison presents “Navidad Nuestra” (Our Christmas), performing celebrated Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez’s Navidad Nuestra and Misa Criolla. The performance features local soprano Yanzel Rivera and acclaimed Puerto Rican duo Enrique Ríos-Cortes and Enrique Bayoán-Ríos Escribano on indigenous Andean instruments."
Grace Presents - Grace Presents Concert Series and Midwinter Series
Award: $1,914
The Grace Presents concert series provides free monthly concerts, connecting Madison’s diverse communities to local musical performances in the acoustically resonant historic Grace Church. Offering a range of musical styles reflective of Dane County’s cultural diversity, these concerts feature exceptionally talented, locally-based musicians.
LunART, Inc. - LunART 2024/25 Concert Series
Award: $2,480
LunART, a vibrant Madison-based nonprofit with the mission to celebrate women in the arts, is pleased to announce their 2024/25 chamber music concert season, with performances at Arts and Literature Laboratory, in addition to the Mineral Point Opera House, Taliesin, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
Madison Bach Musicians, Inc. - 14th Annual Baroque Holiday Concert Dec. 14--A 17th-century German Christmas. Outreach events November 22 & 24 for Emerson Elementary School and Music con Brio.
Award: $2,591
Madison Bach Musicians' fourteenth annual Baroque Holiday Concert—A 17th-century German Christmas--will be presented on Saturday afternoon December 14 in the sanctuary of Madison's First Congregational Church. On November 22, MBM will play an outreach concert for students at Emerson Elementary school and will coach students in the Music con Brio program. On November 24, MBM will be the featured guest ensemble at the Music con Brio concert held in the MyArts auditorium.
Madison Bach Musicians, Inc.- St. Matthew Passion, by J. S. Bach" March 22-23, 2025 performances; April 7, 2025 outreach event at Vel Phillips Memorial High School
Award: $2,579
Madison Bach Musicians will complete its 21st season on March 22 & 23, 2025 with performances of "St. Matthew Passion by J. S. Bach" featuring double choir and double orchestra. On April 7, 2025, MBM will give a 50-minute outreach presentation on Baroque Music for orchestra and choir students at Vel Phillips Memorial High School.
Madison Flute Club - 2025 Wisconsin Flute Festival
Award: $2,802
Wisconsin Flute Festival is an engaging and educational day celebrating flute. The Festival includes workshops, lectures, performances, competitions, masterclasses, and an exhibit hall.
Fourth Wall Ensemble will be our featured guest artist with other being confirmed.
Madison Music Collective - DIG JAZZ Series Spring 2025: Original Music Sponsorship
Award: $950
The DIG JAZZ Series presents new music composed by local musicians in a wide variety of jazz styles. The DIG JAZZ Series also seeks to attract new audiences to the realm of jazz and improvised music, while making the music accessible by presenting it in a variety of spaces.
Madison Opera, Inc. - Maria de Buenos Aires
Award: $2,562
Madison Opera will present María de Buenos Aires on January 31 and February 2, 2025 in the Capitol Theater at the Overture Center for the Arts. The only opera by legendary Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, this “tango opera’” is a surreal story told in song and dance.
Madison Youth Choirs - Madison Youth Choirs' December 2024 Concert Series, “The Hero's Journey”
Award: $2,827
On December 14 and 15, 2024 at the Middleton Performing Arts Center, over 400 young singers in Madison Youth Choirs will present “The Hero’s Journey,” a concert series exploring the way composers throughout history have reflected struggle and transformation through intentional musical choices, finding ways to make personal stories universal.
Make Music Madison - 2025 Neighborhood Main Stages
Award: $2,329
Make Music Madison’s Neighborhood Main Stages project addresses equity issues in the local music scene by incubating new music hosts in areas that lack traditional venues, and recruiting and compensating a diverse network of musicians.
Middleton Community Orchestra - 2024-2025: MCO's 15th season. Two concerts in April and May 2025
Award: $2,684
Performed by outstanding amateur musicians from Dane County in collaboration with some of classical music’s brightest local stars, MCO’s Fifteenth Anniversary concerts are affordable, accessible community events perfect for audiences of ALL ages. General Admission is $20, and all students (including college age) are admitted FREE of charge. This project expands the MCO’s reach by performing one concert at the new, downtown Hamel Music Center.
PEBOGA - 2024 Fall Gospel Fest
Award: $2,075
Fall Gospel Fest is a one-day inspirational music event that serves as a platform for both contemporary and traditional gospel music and features national recording artists who share the stage with local artists.
Token Creek Festival, Inc. - Token Creek Chamber Music: Spring 2025 - Three Concerts
Award: $2,503
Three events open Token Creek Chamber Music’s spring 2025 season: the internationally-acclaimed Aspen String Trio (March), artist-impresario Iva Ugrcic’s program of flute chamber music by John Harbison (April), and a Madison outreach concert by Milwaukee’s premiere new music ensemble, Present Music (May).
Visual Arts
Bikes for Kids Wisconsin - Pedals & Pixels--an arts integrated approach to developing thought leaders
Award: $2,195
Bikes for Kids presents Pedals & Pixels, a photography exhibit that elevates community voices that are rarely heard. Using the arts to enhance understanding of social needs in our community, Pedals & Pixels will demonstrate the importance a bicycle has on the lives of middle schoolers through photography and storytelling.
Linda and Gene Farley Center for Peace, Justice & Sustainability - Sanctuary 2025
Award: $2,609
Using only natural materials from the land or materials that can naturally decompose back into the land, area artists create outdoor art installations in the Farley Center/Natural Path Sanctuary woods outside Verona, WI, celebrating our connection to the earth.
Textile Arts Center of Madison, Inc. - Free Community Programming at the Textile Arts Center of Madison
Award: $2,806
TAC’s free community programming meets known needs and interests through a variety of complementary offerings that engage broad audiences of artists, learners, appreciators, educators, and families through multiple access points. Programs include community outreach offerings, collaborative and hands-on activities, workshops, maker meetups, and discussion groups.
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters - Jerry Butler & Jon Horvath (paired solo exhibitions)
Award: $1,438
Jerry Butler’s colorful, powerfully composed paintings and collage works express his love and respect for the Black community and celebrate what he describes as the “bravery of everyday people.” His work is often pointedly personal, drawing on the challenges of his youth and frustration with the racism he has experienced throughout his long life. Jon Horvath’s photography is visually very different from Butler’s work, yet his focus on finding beauty in ordinary things and unexpected places harmonizes with Butler’s focus on everyday people. Horvath’s humble “wide-eyed” approach encourages us to look around us and see our homes and neighborhoods with fresh eyes.
Short Order
Kristine Gallagher - KIDS' STANDUP/KIDS, STAND UP!: Bringing Standup Comedy as an art form and empowerment tool to middle schoolers in Madison schools.
Award: $490
Learning the Craft of Standup Comedy can help you become better at standing up for yourself as well as for others. KIDS’ STANDUP/KIDS, STAND UP! a six-week lunchbunch program will give middle schoolers a chance to be brave enough to stand up and speak up and out...but in a funny way.
Oregon Straw Hat Players - Oregon Straw Hat Players production of Disney's Finding Nemo, Jr.
Award: $500
Dive into the big blue world of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo Jr. with Oregon Straw Hat Players! Performances will be held at the Prairie View Elementary School, November 1-3, 2024, and will feature performers under age 18. For more information go to www.oshponline.org.
Stoughton High School Band Boosters - Rock Musician Workshop
Award: $1,000
Rock musicians Betsy Ade from Kenosha and Megan Slankard from San Francisco lead a free workshop covering: Their Creative Process; Finding Your Creative Process and Your Voice; A Master Class Exercise with the Stoughton High School Rock Band; Selecting and Arranging Music; and Taking Care of Yourself as a Musician.
Suzuki Strings of Madison - Suzuki Strings of Madison Barn Dance
Award: $800
Suzuki Strings of Madison will host a vibrant Barn Dance on February 15, 2025, featuring student performances, bluegrass music, and square dances led by a band and caller. This barn dance offers youth a unique, hands-on experience to engage with music through dance, fostering a sense of community and cooperation.