Milwaukee County and Imagine MKE announced the recipients of $700,000 in CARES Act funding for arts and culture organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Imagine MKE, an advocacy organization for the region’s arts sector, received applications for 82 organizations, receiving documentation of over $30 million in losses or expenses incurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic and over $4.4 million in aid requests.
“The need from the culture and arts sector far out paces both the present and projected resources available to support them,” said county executive David Crowley. “The millions in documented losses underscore how the downsizing of this sector of our economy could have far-reaching, long-term effects if not addressed immediately.”
The Milwaukee County Board in November authorized the allocation of $700,000 in CARES Act funding for arts and culture organizations in the county. To distribute a share of the grant to all eligible organizations, the county approved applicants for 13.4% of their eligible grant amount. Six organizations were deemed ineligible for funding.
Organizations could receive a maximum grant of $125,000. Total relief received from all COVID-19 CARES Act programs could not exceed total losses due to COVID-19.
Groups that are located in or primarily serve minority communities had funding priority.
Grant recipients included:
- 53212 Presents Inc.: $2,308
- 88Nine Radio Milwaukee: $19,100
- America’s Black Holocaust Museum: $11,050
- Aperi Animam: $710
- Artists Working in Education (AWE): $1,726
- Arts @ Large: $10,690
- Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee, Inc.: $16,750
- Bembé Drum & Dance: $5,030
- Betty Brinn Children’s Museum: $16,750
- Black Arts MKE, Inc.: $16,750
- Capita Productions Inc.: $5,871
- Civic Music MKE: $3,482
- Concord Chamber Orchestra Inc.: $642
- DanceCircus, Ltd: $1,529
- Danceworks: $11,584
- Discovery World: $16,750
- Ex Fabula: $4,084
- Festival City Symphony: $3,355
- First Stage: $17,750
- Florentine Opera Company, Inc.: $17,750
- Frankly Music, Inc.: $9,598
- H2O Community Development Corp.: $12,767
- Jacarrie Kicks For Kids: $3,556
- Jazales Art Studio: $11,888
- Jazz in the Park: $16,750
- Kids From Wisconsin Ltd.: $16,750
- Latino Arts, Inc.: $3,346
- LocoMotion Dance Company: $4,662
- Lynden Sculpture Garden: $16,750
- Mad Rogues Corp.: $903
- Marcus Performing Arts Center: $16,750
- Master Singers of Milwaukee: $4,076
- Milwaukee Art Museum: $16,750
- Milwaukee Artist Resource Network: $7,504
- Milwaukee Ballet Company, Inc.: $16,750
- Milwaukee Chamber Theatre: $17,750
- Milwaukee County Historical Society: $4,965
- Milwaukee Film: $19,100
- Milwaukee Irish Arts Ltd: $1,005
- Milwaukee Opera Theatre: $435
- Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc.: $16,750
- Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Inc.: $16,750
- Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Inc.: $16,750
- Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO): $17,750
- Neu-Life Community Development: $5,700
- Next Act Theatre: $17,384
- North Point Lighthouse Museum: $8,040
- Optimist Theatre: $1,826
- Organic Arts: $299
- Pabst Mansion: $16,750
- Polish Women’s Cultural Club of Milwaukee: $8,538
- Quasimondo Physical Theatre: $3,532
- Renaissance Theaterworks, Inc: $3,263
- Riverwest Artists Association/Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts: $3,600
- Riverworks Development Corp.: $2,074
- Signature Dance Company: $11,949
- Skylight Music Theatre: $16,750
- Still Waters Collective: $7,700
- Summit Players Theatre: $1,544
- TBEY Arts Center, Inc.: $2,945
- The Boulevard Theatre: $2,112
- The Constructivists, Inc.: $687
- The Milwaukee Choristers, Inc.: $1,117
- The New State: $6,499
- Theatre Gigante: $3,059
- Tosa Tonight, Inc: $2,144
- TRUE Skool: $12,326
- Unity in Motion Inc.: $3,966
- Village Playhouse: $2,117
- Walkers Point Center for the Arts: $12,097
- Wild Space Dance Company: $2,975
- Wisconsin Conservatory of Music: $16,750
- Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation: $21,750
- Woodland Pattern Book Center: $6,053
- Xalaat Africa Drum and Dance for Life Inc.: $3,115
- Zoological Society of Milwaukee County: $16,750
