Wisconsin ranks 49th in its art spending, according to 2024 numbers from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. The only state that’s below us is Georgia.
As the marketing director of a young art gallery, I think that’s a huge problem. Even the word “huge” is an understatement.
Why is this? I brought into Carnelian Art Gallery representatives from the Madison Arts Commission and Dane Arts, the arts and cultural arm of Dane County government, this last week to gain some insight.
Those representatives included Nicholas Pjevach, Madison Arts Commission Chair, and Augusta Brulla and Mark Fraire, Dane Arts cultural affairs specialist and director, respectively.
What did I find out? The answer to this question is complex. One one hand, state government officials might perceive that Wisconsin communities, urban or rural, aren’t in need of government assistance because their respective art scenes are seemingly thriving, said Nicholas Pjevach, Madison Arts Commission chair.
This isn’t entirely true. Take the City of Milwaukee as an example.
“Milwaukee’s art sector reveals key challenges prior to the pandemic still have not been addressed and have now intensified,” according to a May 2024 report by statewide nonpartisan policy research organization the Wisconsin Policy Forum. “They include increasing reliance on philanthropy, intense competition among sector members, and insufficient support for small and medium-sized organizations that is magnified when large groups are conducting major capital campaigns.
“On the positive side, we observe that leaders of large performing arts organizations have translated vision and business plans for new or configured buildings into major community investments through successful capital campaigns, We also see some encouraging examples of collaboration and innovation among medium-sized and smaller organizations in both artistic and operational areas.”
On the other hand, there’s a general lack of awareness around what art is and means. People are surrounded by art all the time, and therefore, they take it for granted, Brulla said. Artists also need to be more proactive in making sure their voices are heard, Fraire said, even if that means running for office. If artists don’t have a seat at the table, he said, their valuable perspectives are highly likely to be overlooked.
“I think the other thing is that many folks in leadership positions are not art savvy enough to understand the return on (investments made in the arts),” he said.
In Dane County alone, according a to 2023 study conducted by Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit that seeks to advance arts and arts education in the country, with assistance from Dane Arts, the nonprofit arts and culture industry yearly generates $346.7 million in direct economic activity. That supports 4,677 jobs and generates $25 million in local and state revenues, according to the study. That’s not counting for-profit activity.
I also asked Pjevach, Brulla and Fraire about how the Madison Arts Commission and Dane Arts, respectively, are working to move the needle on this issue, at least locally. To summarize, their answers ranged from the City of Madison working with local businesses and organizations to create an “arts corridor,” to hosting a business conference to help artists springboard their careers. Dane Arts is also in the process of putting together an artists’ directory to help organizations and businesses reach out to artists directly,
Watch the above video for more information on this front. Trust me, the eight minutes are worth your time.
Pjevach also pointed to state arts advocacy group, Create Wisconsin, which according to its website is moving to increase funding for the Wisconsin Arts Board, encourage investment in the state’s rural creative sector and create film and television incentives and a state film office.
“The arts connect us,” Fraire said. “People need to experience art to feel like themselves.”
I, for one, wholeheartedly agree.