2006 Legislative Candidate Survey on the Arts
Respondent: Steve Hilgenberg, 51st Assembly Candidate, Democrat
Arts and arts education funding and policies
1. The programs of the Wisconsin Arts Board, the state agency dedicated to the arts, provide matching seed dollars to arts and community organizations and schools, making possible myriad opportunities for people in the state to have access and participate in the arts, and adding to Wisconsin's economic, educational and civic strength.
While Arts Board grants represent only a small proportion of arts and cultural institutions’ budgets, this state investment in the arts across Wisconsin is substantial, pervasive and overwhelmingly positive.
Wisconsin has historically been ranked at the bottom of the list in per-capita legislative funding for arts and cultural activities through the Wisconsin Arts Board. The state currently allocates only 44 cents per person to the Arts Board, a figure which is surpassed by such states as Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Tennessee and Alabama.
Question: If elected, I would support:
Increasing Wisconsin Arts Board funding to reflect the growing importance
of the arts to the people of Wisconsin, and to Wisconsin's economic, educational
and civic success.
2. State investment in cultural tourism and arts and cultural economic development projects and programs helps diversify and strengthen Wisconsin's economy for the 21st century.
Question: Do you also support identifying new and appropriate
strategies to provide public funding for the arts, to increase Wisconsin’s
competitive advantage in the global economy and contribute to a higher
quality of life for the state’s residents?
Agree
3. Copious national and international research has shown that students who are highly involved in arts instruction earn better grades, perform better on standardized tests, voluntarily perform more community service, are less likely to drop out of school, and are better prepared for their participation in the 21st century workforce.
Question: Do you agree with the majority of Wisconsinites who
say that the arts are "essential" or "important" to
the education of our children?
Strongly Agree
4. According to the Travel Industry of America, sixty-five percent of American adult travelers included a cultural event during a trip in 2001. Cultural travelers are ideal tourists—they spend more and stay longer.
Question: Do you support state investment in tourism to encourage
arts and cultural activities such as the Fall Art Tour in southwestern
Wisconsin, and the Lake Superior Big Top Chatauqua in Bayfield
(to name just two great Wisconsin arts opportunities) which annually attract
thousands of in- and out-of-state participants to those parts of the state?
Strongly Agree
Your participation in the arts
5. Arts and culture are a vibrant part of every corner of Wisconsin. From
Kenosha to Superior, residents in every part of the state are involved
in the arts like no other time in our state’s history. Question:
What arts activities have you attended, participated in or supported in
the last year? (Check all that apply)
Music
Theater
Literary Arts
6. Are you now serving or have you ever served on a board of directors
of a nonprofit arts, cultural, heritage or historical organization? If
yes, please list those organizations in the comment section at the end
of the survey.
no
7. Please feel free to share your thoughts about the arts, arts
education and the creative economy in Wisconsin, so that we may
share them with the voters in your district.
Thank you for your support of arts and arts education. The degree to which various art forms become part of communities is a measure of our maturity as a society.
I owned and operated a small printing business in Dodgeville for 27 years and had many great relationships with many creative, innovative artists. I had the opportunity to do printing for Edna Neudt, Jane Farwell of Folklore Village, and many of the SW Wisconsin artists who share their gifts with thousands in the Fall Art Tour. In addition, we have printed hundreds of poetry and prose books for writers from all over the state. We have printed the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets' calendar for many, many years, which is my favorite part of the business.
Of course American Players has enriched our area of the state. Investing in arts of all kinds stimulates the creativity in all of us.