February 2026
- Imagine MKE
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Upcoming Funding & Artist Opportunities
Arts and culture thrive when creativity is matched with the resources needed to turn vision into reality. A new year offers the start of many grant cycles and new opportunities. The Herzfeld Foundation has announced its latest round of grants to support small arts organizations, arts education, and arts awareness. Applications are due in early April.
Meanwhile, application deadlines are coming up for several opportunities including Create Wisconsin’s Create Wisconsin Statewide Artist Grant to support individual artists and performers. This new program, in partnership with Ruth Foundation for the Arts, will award grants of $7,500 each to 16 individuals annually during the three-year program. The deadline for applying is next Monday, February 16.
Then, March 1 is the deadline to enter Discover Wauwatosa’s ART 64® one-of-a-kind live painting competition where 64 artists will go head-to-head in a bracket-style tournament this summer. The public votes in real time to determine who advances through three rounds of fierce competition for a shot at the $20,000 grand prize!
Celebrating Black Creatives
We’re celebrating Black History Month by spotlighting the deeply significant contributions of the Black community to Milwaukee’s arts, culture, and creative scene. Experience the excellence of Black creatives through local arts organizations, businesses, and cultural spaces that shape Milwaukee’s identity year-round.
From museums like America’s Black Holocaust Museum and the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum to arts organizations like the Bronzeville Center for the Arts, Black Arts MKE, HYFIN and The CR8TV House, Milwaukee’s Black-led institutions preserve history, elevate artistic expression, and foster community connection.
With Valentine’s Day this weekend, shop local at creative Black-owned businesses like 414loral, HoneyBee Sage, Niche Book Bar and from the entrepreneurs at Sherman Phoenix. Find more info on local black history events and businesses here.
Vote for Milwaukee: Best City for Street Art
Once again, Milwaukee is on the map for the incredible artistry that makes our city shine. Vote now for Milwaukee as a USA Today 10 Best City for Street Art!
“Anchored by a strong public art movement,” USA Today notes, “the street art scene in Milwaukee brings color and creativity to former industrial corridors. Works are cataloged on the Milwaukee Mural Map, making it easy for visitors to discover art while the exploring surrounding neighborhoods.”
We share Visit Milwaukee’s take on the nomination, “We couldn't be more proud of the artists who make our city a living canvas. This nomination celebrates not just our city, but the artists who bring our streets to life.”
Click here to vote and be sure to share the link with others. NOTE: The Best Beer City vote comes up first so be sure to scroll down to also vote for Best Street Art.
Meet Milwaukee's New Arts & Culture Reporter
This week I got to sit down with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s new arts and culture reporter, Anya Sesay, to learn more about her passion and love for the arts and why she chose to move to Milwaukee for this exciting role.
"I believe art is so much more than just a hobby,” she says. “It's a record of our history. It can be a symbol of protest and a call for change. It represents our collective values, and as cheesy as it sounds, it's part of what makes life worth living. We're more thoughtful, more adventurous, and more compassionate because of art, more creative and more truthful and more loving because of it. Art brings us together because it allows us to see each other through someone else's eyes.”
Read more about Anya in this profile, which includes a wonderful video introduction. Send her story ideas, things to see, and people to meet at asesay@usatodayco.com.
Milwaukee Tonight Story Submissions
Also remember to share your ideas with TMJ4 News as part of our partnership to increase the station’s arts and culture news coverage. Recently, Milwaukee Tonight featured Aquae Nguvu Gallery. Now is a great time to submit ideas for late February and beyond as Milwaukee Tonight is on hiatus during the Olympic Games.
We’ve updated our easy to use submission form to allow for uploading of images and video. If you have an exhibit, event, project or artist you’d like to see featured, use our form which goes directly to newsroom leaders.
Thank you for being part of Milwaukee’s vibrant arts and culture community. This Valentine’s Day weekend show some love for the artists, creative spaces and people who bring Milwaukee to life. ❤️
Christine Hojnacki
Executive Director, Imagine MKE
