Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission awards $107,300
November 23, 2015
Stephanie Miller, 608-267-8823
Mark Fraire, 608-266-5915
Forty-six grants supporting arts and cultural
activities countywide with public-private funds
(revised)
Today the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission announces the award of 46 project grants totaling $107,300 for community arts, cultural, and local history programs, one capital grant in the amount of $3,000 and one short order grant in the amount of $700. This year, Dane Arts will award almost $240,000 in public-private funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, individuals, and municipalities for arts, cultural, and local history projects and programs offered countywide. The next project grant deadline is Monday, February 1, 2016.
“Arts have a tremendous impact on our community and I am thrilled the County is able to partner to help such deserving projects,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi.
In the Commission’s second grant cycle of the year, county dollars were combined with funds from the Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, the Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. Grant recipients can be found below.
2015 Cycle 2 Project Grants Funded
Music:
Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, amount funded: $1077
for Evelyn Steenbock Fall Concerts. The Evelyn Steenbock Fall Concerts are the first performances of the WYSO season, showcasing the talents of our diverse group of young musicians. The Steenbock Concert series is dedicated to private and school music teachers, who will be honored once again this year for their great efforts in advancing music education.
Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, amount funded: $2470
for Diane Endres Ballweg Winterfest Concerts. The Diane Endres Ballweg Winterfest Concert Series, performed by WYSO’s nearly 400 young musicians in four orchestras, feature the most challenging repertoire of the year. These performances inspire WYSO members to increase their instrumental skills, listen closely to their fellow musicians, and give a stunning display of their talents to an appreciative audience.
John Duggleby, amount funded: $1,200
for Affordable Musical Enrichment for Seniors/Disabled people. This project provides enjoyable theme-related musical entertainment in fully accessible environments for senior/disabled adults who might be physically or financially challenged in finding similar opportunities elsewhere. It helps extend the resources for enrichment programs from cash-strapped senior centers and healthcare organizations.
Middleton Community Orchestra, amount funded: $2888
for Winter and Spring 2016 Concerts Celebrating MCO's Fifth Anniversary Season. To celebrate the Middleton Community Orchestra's fifth anniversary season, the orchestra will present two concerts in collaboration with guest artists from Dane County: Crossing Borders including cellist Andrew Briggs, and A Brass Extravaganza featuring young, local horn and tuba soloists.
Madison Youth Choirs, amount funded: $1875
for 6th Annual Madison Boychoir Festival. The Madison Boychoir Festival welcomes a diverse group of over 400 young men in grades 2-12 for a daylong celebration of choral music, culminating in a free concert for the community. The performance will feature a vibrant selection of multicultural choral literature stemming from a variety of languages and musical traditions.
Grace Presents, amount funded: $1275
for Grace Presents Concert Series. Grace Presents monthly concert series offers a broad range of musical styles including jazz, classical, folk, world and more. Hour-long lunchtime concerts, held on Saturdays at noon, are free for all to enjoy and feature exceptionally talented musicians from the local area.
Music con Brio, Inc., amount funded: $2142
for Music con Brio's Fourth Annual Community Concert. In 2015-16, Music con Brio students will perform two community concerts in Madison, working in partnership with diverse local professional artists and exploring new styles of music: blues and jazz. These concerts will provide motivating performance opportunities for the students, outreach to the wider community, and exciting collaborations across arts organizations.
City of Madison, amount funded: $3640
for Concerts on the Rooftop at Monona Terrace. For more than a decade, Concerts on the Rooftop at Monona Terrace has provided an opportunity for thousands of music fans to enjoy the spirit of Dane County in a world class venue at no charge. The six concerts showcase a variety of music, opportunities for dance, great food and spectacular views.
Madison Bach Musicians, Inc., amount funded: $2714
for Handel: "Messiah". On April 8 & 10 in the magnificent sanctuary of the First Congregational Church, Madison Bach Musicians will perform George Friderick Handel's 1741 masterpiece Messiah. The concerts feature an all-baroque orchestra, two-per-part professional choir including four outstanding vocal soloists. Madison Bach Musicians will be joined by the Madison Boychoir--part of Madison Youth Choirs--for the Hallelujah and Amen choruses.
Madison Youth Choirs, amount funded: $3750
for Madison Youth Choirs' 2016 Spring Concert Series. Over 500 young singers in Madison Youth Choirs' performing ensembles will spend a semester exploring the musical creations of several cultural groups who have left their homelands throughout history, culminating in the spring concert series Diaspora: Songs of Exile and Struggle, on May 7 & 8, 2016 in Madison's Capitol Theater.
Madison Choral Project, amount funded: $1879
for Madison Choral Project's 2015 Winter Concert. The Madison Choral Project, a fully professional choir, will explore the musical expression of color in nature through their December 2015 Concert Series, enlightening the often-bleak days of a Midwestern winter with the warm tones and hopeful imagery of several uplifting classical and modern compositions.
Madison Choral Project, amount funded: $3150
for "Images, Shadows and Dreams": Madison Choral Project's 2016 Spring Concert. Madison Choral Project's 2016 Spring Concert will celebrate the power of community creativity, combining the moving first-person poetry of the UW Odyssey Project students with the Madison premiere of African American composer David Baker's Image, Shadows and Dreams. The concert will also highlight the talent of our local musicians, featuring the first collaboration between Madison Chamber Choir and Madison Choral Project.
Clocks in Motion Percussion, amount funded: $1194
for Clocks in Motion meets Transient Canvas. Clocks in Motion, Madison's premiere percussion quartet teams up with the Boston-based new music duo Transient Canvas in this special event. Transient Canvas' unique instrumentation of marimba and bass clarinet has led them to commission an entire repertoire of new music that they have cultivated in the past four years.
con vivo!...music with life, amount funded: $1058
for con vivo! Presents "German Romance". con vivo!...music with life presents a performance of live chamber music on Saturday May 21, 2016 at 7:30 pm at First Congregational Church in Madison.
Dimensions in Sound & The Studio Orchestra Inc., amount funded: $1050
for Senior Living Establishments Concerts. DISSO is made up of two non-profit musical groups (50 musicians) dedicated to preserving and presenting classical works of the Big Band era and symphonic orchestral music. We bring professional quality music to senior living establishment residents, no longer able to seek out this music due to advanced age or disabilities.
con vivo!...music with life, amount funded: $1058
for con vivo! Presents "Noah's Ark". con vivo!...music with life presents a performance of live chamber music on Friday January 15, 2016 at 7:30 pm at First Congregational Church in Madison.
PEBOGA, amount funded: $2700
for 2015 Fall Gospel Fest. 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.
Madison Symphony Orchestra Inc., amount funded: $2625
for 2015 Fall Youth Concerts. 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 Madison Symphony Orchestra in Overture Hall and feature performances by the MSO’s Fall Youth Concerto Competition winners.
Madison Symphony Orchestra Inc., amount funded: $2625
for 2016 Spring Young People's Concert. The MSO's Spring Young People's Concert brings middle and 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 Madison Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director John DeMain, in Overture Hall and features the MSO's Bolz Young Artist Competition winners.
Theater:
PlayTime Productions, amount funded: $2200
for The Emperor's New Clothes. The emperor needs a new parade suit and two unusual weavers have come to town to manufacture a very interesting material. PlayTime Productions brings Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved tale The Emperor's New Clothes to life at 17 Dane County venues at low cost for the entire family.
PlayTime Productions, amount funded: $2200
for Sleeping Beauty. Imagine being asleep for a hundred years. That’s how long Sleeping Beauty sleeps before waking. What would it be like to get up after all that time? Find out in PlayTime Productions’ take on the Brothers Grimm tale at 17 Dane County venues at low cost for the entire family.
Forward Theater, amount funded: $2888
for "Mr. Burns, a post-electric play" production and art exhibit. Forward Theater Company will present the "downright brilliant" (NY Times) Mr. Burns, a post-electric play at Overture Center for three weeks in April 2016. Anne Washburn’s imaginative dark comedy propels us forward nearly a century, following a new civilization stumbling into its future and an accompanying art exhibit.
Mercury Players Theatre, amount funded: $1377
for Holiday Panto: "Gadzooks, Cinderella!". A "panto" is a family-friendly British holiday theatre tradition that employs a simple, recognizable plot (Cinderella) to entertain the children, and elements including topical political and local jokes, farce and even slapstick, to amuse the adults, along with cheering the heroes, booing the baddies, and singing along.
Madison Children's Museum, amount funded: $3250
for Play and a Play. Madison Children’s Museum’s Play and a Play project brings diverse families downtown to engage in Madison cultural institutions, creating single experiences and long-standing inclusiveness in the area’s arts offerings. Staff from partnering organizations will continue to collaborate in order to better serve diverse audiences and create more equitable organizations.
Theatre LILA, amount funded: $3806
for The Mojo and The Sayso. "How do they add up what a 10 year-old boy’s life is worth to his parents?" The Mojo and The Sayso by Aishah Rahman is the lyrical story of one African-American family’s search for meaning after the senseless death of their young son.
Children's Theater of Madison, amount funded: $1511
for To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning coming-of-age story, To Kill a Mockingbird, will close CTM’s 50th Anniversary Season in May 2016. Set in the American South of the 1930s, this compelling adaptation relates the events that shook a "tired old town" to its core from the perspective of a young girl who witnessed it all, Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. It’s a topical yet timeless tale of compassion, courage, and justice.
Four Seasons Theatre, amount funded: $2712
for "The Light in the Piazza". Four Seasons Theatre opens our 11th season of professional musical theatre with the regional premiere of "The Light in the Piazza," featuring Madison theatre talent onstage and backstage with performances at The Playhouse at Overture.
Music Theatre of Madison, amount funded: $1304
for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. Music Theater of Madison will present LA CAGE AUX FOLLES in the immersive Five Nightclub near downtown Madison. The production will utilize a cast of 10-12 and orchestra of 6.
Madison Theatre Guild, amount funded: $689
for The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl. Matilde, the Brazilian housekeeper, hates housework. She really wants to be a stand-up comedian. Lane, the lady of the house, has a sister who loves housecleaning, and she takes over the cleaning so Matilde can work on creating jokes, which she sometimes delivers in Portuguese. Trouble comes when Lane’s husband reveals that he has found his soul mate in a cancer patient he has treated. This wildly funny play is a whimsical and poignant look at class, comedy, and the true nature of love.
First Act Children’s Theatre, amount funded: $600
for Class Act: Bringing Live Performance to School. First Act launched Class Act, a Theater for Young Audiences touring program, in 2014 and further developed the program with an original production, A Friend in Need, in 2015. In post performance surveys for our first production, principals and teachers indicated that a major school concern continues to be empathy and discussions of friendship. A Friend in Need explores what it means to be a friend and the challenges of developing meaningful and supportive relationships at school and in our neighborhoods. The piece, inspired by Oscar Wilde's classic tale, The Happy Prince, integrates students from each school in the cast and as sound support. First Act’s Class Act company employs original songs, colorful costumes and props and puppets to engage the imagination of our young audiences. They continue to explore ways to further engage the audience with interactive elements. The goal is to be able to bring the production to a school that may not have a facility that accommodates traditional theatre productions.
Opera:
Opera for the Young, Inc., amount funded: $1650
for Family Opera Day featuring "The Magic Flute". Opera for the Young presents its sixth annual Family Opera Day at the Overture Center for the Arts on June 4, 2016. A free performance of "The Magic Flute" will be complemented with workshops in theater, music, and design with assistance from the Madison Youth Choirs and Madison Children's Museum.
Madison Opera, Inc., amount funded: $3750
for The Student Matinee Arts Education Program. Madison Opera's Student Matinee program features Puccini's "La Bohème" on November 11, 2015 in Overture Hall and Adamo's "Little Women" on February 3, 2016 in the Capitol Theater. Madison Opera is now in its fourth decade of introducing Dane County students to the classical performing arts through these fully-staged opera performances.
Arts in Education:
Simpson Street Free Press, amount funded: $2250
for Where in Dane County is the Simpson Street Free Press? Series. SSFP brings local history, music, and the arts alive for young readers. Producing this coverage is a rigorous, core curriculum, writing-for-publication process. It's how we teach local history and the arts. These stories lead young readers to fascinating content that celebrates history and the arts in Dane County.
American Players Theatre, amount funded: $2750
for Potency of Poetry (PoP). Potency of Poetry is a week-long, in-school residency program utilizing the unique performance skills of APT's teaching artists to infuse students with an enthusiasm and enhanced appreciation of words, language and storytelling, laying the groundwork for a student population better equipped to understand and appreciate complex text such as Shakespeare's, and ultimately to become ready audience members.
Dance:
Kanopy Dance Theatre Inc., amount funded: $1925
for Kanopy Dance Company presents "Rioult: Hearts Entwined". Headlined by guest artist, former Martha Graham Principal Dancer Pascal Rioult and his eponymous New York Company, Kanopy Dancers will dance his dark masterwork Wien - a whirlpool of bodies - moral decay of Vienna society danced to a Viennese waltz by Ravel. It shares the evening with romantic duets from Views of the Fleeting World and On Distant Shores danced by Rioult dancers, Kanopy Directors Lisa Thurrell's Prelude & Fugue and Robert Cleary's Luminous.
Kanopy Dance Theatre Inc., amount funded: $1925
for Kanopy Dance Company presents "Bloom!". Variety, joy and life blossom: modern dance, contemporary ballet, performance art… Guest Artist, Stanley Love, Director, NYC's Stanley Love Performance Group, presents “Love Number”—60s glam & Barry White…NYC choreo/performer Ede Thurrell’s “Living End I and Living End II”-Isadora Duncan meets Bowie... Mad-town’s own Kiro Kopulos creates a butoh inspired work…“Paradiso” a premier from Kanopy’s Anna Betz... Kanopy Director Robert E. Cleary’s “Primavera”…An uplifting romp.
Cycropia Aerial Dance, Inc., amount funded: $1027
for Spring show production of new and existing aerial dance works. Cycropia Aerial Dance is a 12-member collective that will present a full-length production of aerial works for 3 performances in June 2016 at the Wisconsin Union Theater. Six to eight of our advanced student flyers will also perform.
Dance Wisconsin, amount funded: $3000
for Nutcracker Ballet 2015. Dance Wisconsin's production of "Nutcracker Ballet" is a family-friendly affordable ballet. It includes Dance Wisconsin's live orchestra, Monona Grove High School Choral singers, 120 local dancers, and guest artists Gillian Murphy and James Whiteside, courtesy of American Ballet Theatre.
Madison Ballet, amount funded: $3938
for 2016 Peter Pan Ballet. Peter Pan will fill a critical void in the Madison performing arts season by providing a high-quality production that combines classic literature, live music and top-notch ballet. A collaboration between Madison Ballet and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Peter Pan is an event like none other being produced by local performing arts organizations.
Madison Ballet, amount funded: $2625
for 2015-2016 Movement In Your World Program. Madison Ballet will bring its Movement in Your World program to 40 Head Start classrooms in the 2015-2016 season. This successful series provides structured dance workshops for children in disadvantaged families, filling a void in local programming for this population. Workshops encourage self-expression and teamwork, augmenting learning in other subjects.
Visual Arts/Exhibitions:
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, amount funded: $3150
for Frank Stella Prints: A Retrospective. The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is proud to present Frank Stella Prints: A Retrospective, an exhibition that details the artist’s remarkable career as a printmaker. This travelling exhibition, organized by MMoCA, will present over 100 prints that make apparent how his highly experimental endeavors have redefined the traditional print.
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, amount funded: $2255
for Beading Culture: Raised Beadwork and the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. Beading Culture: Raised Beadwork and the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin is an exhibition celebrating the revival of Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) raised beadwork among the Wisconsin Oneida. Raised beadwork, a technique typically associated with souvenir items, is increasingly used on pieces made for personal and ceremonial use as a marker of Haudenosaunee identity; for the Wisconsin Oneida, it represents cultural resilience and a vital link to sister Nations in New York and Ontario.
The Press Connection Foundation INC, amount funded: $1000
for Young Gifted and Black & Ground Work Presents: The Peoples Gallery: Ferguson to Madison, Black Liberation, and Resistance. See the breath taking and historic pictures of movement building in Dane County.
Mount Horeb Area Arts Association, amount funded: $1100
for 10th Annual Spring Art Tour. The Spring Art Tour is a three day, free and family friendly, open-art-studios event on the first weekend of June, which showcases the art of approximately two dozen quality artists living and working within fifteen miles of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. The artists share their small town and rural studios with the public and generously demonstrate in a variety of media.
History
East Side History Club, a project of the Goodman Community Center, amount funded: $2250
for Revised, Expanded edition of local history book: An East Side Album. In Fall 2008 the Goodman Community Center published An East Side Album, 156 pages of words and images about where East Siders gathered, learned, shopped, and worked, and how we raised our families. Out of print since 2010, this project brings the original team together to create a revised and expanded edition.
Events
Overture Center Foundation, amount funded: $3000
for Overture's 2016 International Festival. Travel around the world in one day at Overture’s annual International Festival. Enjoy performances, cuisine, vibrant costumes, and crafts from cultures and people from around the world; all the performers currently call Dane County their home. Date of public performance: 1/9/2016.
Capital Grant
Friends of Historic Oregon Water Tower, amount funded: $3000
for Oregon Station. In the previous grant cycle, we asked for support to help complete a full restoration to a historic 1899 Pump House. We completed this restoration in May of 2015, and the Pump House is now the Village of Oregon Welcome Center. Our restoration work was rewarded with a historic preservation award from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation. There have been 3 Phases to the overall restoration of the Pump House and Water Tower. The first, the installation of new landscaping around the historic Pump House and Water Tower was completed in 2014. The 2nd Phase, the restoration of the Pump House was completed in May 0f 2015. The restored Pump House became the Oregon Welcome Center in May of 2015. The last remaining project is Phase 3, restoration and repainting of the historic Water Tower.
Short Order Grant
Wisconsin Regional Artists Association, amount funded: $700
for. We are the Wisconsin Regional Artists Association (WRAA), a non-profit of about 600 members that has worked for 60 years in close collaboration with the Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP), a section of UW's Division of Continuing Studies. Together, WRAA and WRAP offer exhibit opportunities for non-professional artists across the state. Artists of all skill levels are welcome to submit two artworks each in these non-juried shows for a $30 fee. We give amateur artists a chance to exhibit a sample of their art, develop confidence in their skills, expand their knowledge, and meet other artists.
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