The Milwaukee Ballet’s new two-story, 52,000-square-foot facility in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward neighborhood will bear the name of campaign’s lead donors and longtime Milwaukee Ballet supporters Donna and Donald Baumgartner, the company unveiled Tuesday.
Donna and Donald Baumgartner, the founder of Milwaukee-based Paper Machinery Corp., are serving as honorary co-chairs of the campaign for the new Baumgartner Center for Dance, which has raised $22 million of its $26 million goal.
Milwaukee Ballet officials made the announcement at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new center at 132 N. Jackson St., located at the southern end of the Italian Community Center parking lot in the Third Ward.
“This center has been the company’s dream for many years and it is an absolute pleasure to help convert it to a reality,” Donna Baumgartner said. “Donald and I share not just a love of dance, but we value the transformative power this organization adds to the life of our community. The new Center will provide a place for dancers, teachers and students from across the Americas, Europe and Asia to learn, study and perform their craft.”
The building will replace the Ballet’s training studio and offices at 504 W. National Ave. in Walker’s Point. It will include two large rehearsal halls for the ballet’s main dance company, multiple classrooms for children and adults, and five other rehearsal studios for children.
HGA Architects and Engineers is leading the design team for the project. The construction will be managed by Catalyst Construction.
The campaign will also benefit the Ballet’s Artistic Fund, will “enhance the Ballet’s trajectory of recognized choreographic excellence and spur development of new works,” the Ballet said.
“Our dedication to developing classical ballet for a modern world underpins our efforts to attract new ballet patrons of all ages and backgrounds,” said Michael Pink, artistic director for the Ballet. “This fund will also support the creation of new work for our School & Academy students who benefit from unique opportunities to develop their technique and share the stage with our Company dancers.”
The third component of the capital campaign is the “Give Back to Milwaukee Fund,” which will support an expansion of the Ballet’s community engagement programs, including Tour de Force.
