Wisconsin's Creative Economy Coalition
Organizations and businesses from all around the state have joined forces to form Wisconsin’s Creative Economy Coalition, an organization aimed at outlining the power of the creative sector as a vehicle to fuel Wisconsin’s growth. Composed of leaders, arts, cultural, and creative organizations statewide, the WCEC will advocate the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance for historic funding for the state’s arts and creative industries.
Coalition leaders are calling on lawmakers to finish the work a bipartisan legislature and Republican governor started over 20 years ago and fund the Wisconsin Artistic Endowment Foundation with $100 million of one-time funding in the current state budget, to support powerful economic development and growth across the state.
Learn more about the Creative Economy Coalition and add tell your representatives that support for the arts is essential!
Wisconsin’s Creative Sector at a Glance:
- Wisconsin spends just $0.14 per-capita to fund state arts organizations, ranking last in the nation, while Minnesota spends $7.34, and Illinois spends $5.04.
- Since 2002, Wisconsin’s share of GDP coming from arts and culture fell 1.1%, while the national average fell just 0.2%.
- Wisconsin’s creative sector growth has not kept pace with the rest of the nation. Since 2020, economic impact has grown 8.44% in Wisconsin, compared to 14.43% nationally.
- The state’s arts and creative sector supports nearly 90,000 jobs provides $10.8 billion in economic value.
- Wisconsin is in its strongest fiscal position in at least forty years thanks to a projected $7.1 billion surplus.
- The creative industry includes, but is not limited to, film and video, music, performing arts, visual arts, museums, heritage sites, venues, festivals, and other cultural events that contribute to the state’s cultural vibrancy and identity.
Source: WCEC