Our testifiers at the hearings included arts organization directors and board members, arts entrepreneurs, mayors, businesspeople, and economic development directors – all working in and for the arts on the local level. We advised these leaders on talking points and the finer points of speaking before elected officials. The testimony was powerful and the legislators paid attention.
Our testimony included a musical performance by students from the Northern Lakes School of the Arts in Amery. A musical performance is a very rare occurrence at this kind of legislative hearing.
These are the people who testified on behalf of Wisconsin’s creative economy:
- Maggie Christenson, Issac Gorres, and Amy Johnson, students, Northern Lakes School of the Arts, Amery
- Lisa England, writer, Flipeleven Creative, Milwaukee
- Alan Erickson, Mayor, City of Menomonie
- Amy Hanson, Director, Downtown Fond du Lac
- Dan Keegan, Director, Milwaukee Art Museum
- LaMoine MacLaughlin, Director, Northern Lakes Center for the Arts, Amery
- Dave Meier, Director, American Folklore Theatre, Fish Creek
- Kevin Miller, Director, Windhover Center for the Arts, Fond du Lac
- Joe Moore, City Manager, Fond du Lac
- Alan Nugent, President, Widespot Performing Arts Center, Stockholm
- Danette Olsen, Director, Festival Theatre, St. Croix Falls
- Joel Peck, City Administrator, City of St. Croix Falls
- Tina Quigley, Director, Mosaic Arts, Green Bay
- Jay Salinas, Co-Director, Wormfarm Institute, Reedsburg
- Brian Schupper, Director of Public Policy, Greater Milwaukee Committee
- Mary Anne Collins Swoboda, Board member, Widespot Performing Arts Center, Stockholm
- Laurie Winters, Director, Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend
Here’s a run-down of testimony and newspaper articles/blog posts/testimony and messages at the JFC hearings and beyond:
- For Jobs, Some Suggest Funding Arts
Wisconsin Public Radio News, 4-5-2013 - Fond du Lac officials testify before Joint Committee on Finance
Fond du Lac Reporter, 4-8-13 - 30 Seconds at the Mic: Arts Advocacy Turns Passion to Action
Lisa Walker England, 4-6-13
http://flipeleven.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/30-seconds-at-the-mic-arts-advocacy-turns-passion-to-action/ - Legislative committee hears about arts, school funding, many other issues
Reedsburg Times-Press, 4-13-13 - Hearing testimony – Tina Quigley, Executive Director, Mosaic Arts, Green Bay | 4-8-13, Green Bay
- Hearing testimony – Todd Schmidt, Village Administrator and Economic Development Director | 4-10-13, Wisconsin Dells
- Hearing testimony – Alan Erickson, Mayor of Mosinee, WI | 4-10-13, Wisconsin Dells
- Sauk County Supervisor Judy Ashford’s message to Wisconsin State legislators re increased investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy
What’s next? We are aiming for legislation establishing a fund for creative economy investment throughout Wisconsin. Stay tuned.
- Kevin Miller of the Windhover Center for the Arts at the Green Bay hearing
- Lisa England, Brian Schupper, and Dan Keegan at the Greendale hearing
- Laurie Winters