gubernatorial candidates Share their Visions for Wisconsin’s Creative Economy

In partnership with Create Wisconsin, Imagine MKE invited all Wisconsin gubernatorial candidates to complete the following survey on their vision for Wisconsin's arts, culture, and creative economy.

1. Economic Impact: Wisconsin’s arts and culture sector contributes $12.4 billion to the state’s economy and supports more than 95,000 jobs. What impact do you see arts and culture playing in Wisconsin’s economy, tourism and growth, and what policies and strategies will you pursue as governor to grow that impact?

   
   

2. Funding & Investment: Through the Wisconsin Arts Board, Wisconsin ranks 48th in per capita arts and culture funding at $0.20, which is far behind the Midwestern and National averages at ~$2. How will you prioritize increasing the state’s investment?

   
   

3. Arts Education Access: Research shows that students who participate in arts education have higher academic achievement, better attendance, and increased graduation rates—yet access and resources remain inequitable across Wisconsin schools. How will you ensure all Wisconsin students, especially those in underserved communities, have access to high-quality arts education?

   
   

4. Personal Perspective: What role do you believe arts and culture play in strengthening Wisconsin’s communities, and how will your administration support local cultural activities and ensure access to the arts for families across the state?

We received responses from Mandela Barnes, Joel Brennan, David Crowley, Francesca Hong and Kelda Roys. Explore their responses below.

MANDELA BARNES

Economic Impact: As Governor, I’ll do everything I can to prioritize the growth of Wisconsin’s arts industry. I applaud recent efforts by Governor Evers to create a state Film Office and provide tax credits for the creation of new films in Wisconsin. We need to do even more to ensure that Wisconsin leads the country in the arts and provide the resources for that to be possible while also keeping the focus on lowering costs for Wisconsin families and growing our economy.

Funding & Investment: To grow Wisconsin’s economy, I support creating tax credit programs that spur investment in our state’s arts and culture industries, including expanding on Governor Evers Film Office tax credits and offer support for other industries in this sector to create good-paying jobs and provide more opportunities for the people of this state.

Arts Education Access: Our schools have long been starved of the funding they need for our students to succeed due to Republicans in the state legislature. Our state has a constitutional commitment to provide 2/3 funding for our school districts, yet we have failed at that commitment for decades. When there are cuts to our schools, funding for our arts programs are often first to go. When I am Governor, I will fully fund our schools which will create more opportunities for schools to invest in the arts and provide opportunities for their students.

Personal Perspective: We have to do everything we can to make sure young families want to start their lives in Wisconsin, and that includes ensuring our state has a flourishing arts and cultural industry. Investing in the arts can create a shared cultural identity and highlight what makes life in Wisconsin special. As Governor, investing in the arts will be a core piece of my plan to increase tourism and grow Wisconsin’s economy as we work to end the paycheck-to-paycheck economy and create a new era of opportunity for working families.

JOEL BRENNAN

Economic Impact: I ran Discovery World for eleven years. I know firsthand that museums, theaters, and cultural institutions are economic engines and vitally important to education and quality of life in our state, and our state government should approach the relationship to the sector with those thoughts front and center. The arts and culture provide communities with economic boosts on their own, and they also provide a magnet to attract and retain talent at all levels; museums, music venues, galleries and other places where entrepreneurial talent flourishes help bring new residents to Wisconsin communities and keep businesses growing. As Secretary of Administration, I helped get $15 million in live music and entertainment venue grants out the door during COVID, helping save more than 200 venues across the state, along with a dedicated grant program for Wisconsin cultural organizations. I know what it looks like when government actually shows up for this sector instead of treating it as an afterthought. As governor I’d build on that: more state tourism dollars behind our cultural assets, and making sure WEDC treats creative economy jobs as part of our broader economic strategy. Other states - including most of our neighbors in the Upper Midwest - have figured this out. Wisconsin should too.

Funding & Investment: 48th out of 50 states tells you everything about where arts funding has sat on the priority list in Madison. That’s backwards. Arts and culture aren’t a luxury — they drive tourism dollars, they’re good for local economies, they’re good for kids; education and they help us to create the problem solvers we need for so many challenges we face. I know how state budgets get built because I helped build them as Secretary of Administration, and I’d push to move our Arts Board funding above the Midwestern average instead of trailing nearly every other state in the country. The huge funding cuts that happened during the Walker Administration have never been restored, and we need to make up for all that lost time to honor the sector and to get the economic boost that is waiting for us with smart investment.

Arts Education Access: Kids need more than test scores — they need to be well-rounded, and arts education is a big part of that. Music, theater, visual art — these aren’t extras, they’re part of how kids learn to think, create, and express themselves. My approach to school funding is built around what kids actually need, and that includes arts instruction, not just the subjects that show up on a standardized test. I’d push dedicated funding for arts staff and programming in under served schools so this isn’t only available to kids whose districts can already afford it. Overall, I will scrap the existing school funding formula that doesn’t meet the needs of kids across the state and replace it with one that starts with every kid having value and builds around other needs, including special education, language proficiency, poverty and access to every learning tool and outlet available (including the arts).

Personal Perspective: Many small towns and neighborhoods struggle because they are known only for what they lack. The arts shift the focus to what is possible. A mural, a theater, a music festival, a public sculpture, or a local gallery can become a point of pride that brings residents together and attracts visitors from elsewhere. The arts create experiences that cannot be replicated online or imported from another place. Lots of Wisconsin communities provide authentic and “homegrown” talent and experiences, and I will both celebrate them and shine a light on them for visitors from outside Wisconsin and our own residents. I ran a museum on Milwaukee’s lakefront for eleven years and later led the Greater Milwaukee Committee, so I’ve seen up close how much arts and culture matter to a community — not just central business districts, but everywhere. As governor I’d back that up with increased Arts Board funding and a statewide tourism strategy that treats our cultural assets - both rural and urban - like the draw they are. Families across Wisconsin should have access to the arts where they live, because Wisconsin is rich with talent, creativity and beauty that can inspire and elevate all of us.

DAVID CROWLEY

Economic Impact: Wisconsin’s arts and culture are not merely “extras” to be considered disposable to our state’s economy, they are clearly economic drivers through tourism, community building and increasing Wisconsin’s appeal for relocation in a global marketplace. From our amazing museums, to local theaters, cultural institutions and live music entertainment, arts support more job creation and growth. They also support small businesses, revitalize downtowns and make our communities more diverse and vibrant, which keep young people and families in our state long-term.

As Governor, I will treat arts and culture as part of the broader economic development and tourism agenda for Wisconsin. This includes increasing support for the Wisconsin Arts Board and local cultural organizations, working to expand grant opportunities for artists and creative nonprofits, supporting the music and event production industries with an eye toward independent venues and producers, not mega-monopolies, and invest in districts and spaces that drive local economic activity. We also must strengthen and invest in arts in our schools to expand access and create stronger pipelines for arts education and creative careers in Wisconsin.

I will also focus on supporting the live events, hospitality, and festival economy that plays such an important role across Wisconsin- we are the home to the largest music festival in the world with Summerfest. Festivals, concerts, fairs, and cultural celebrations generate tourism revenue, support restaurants and hotels, and create opportunities for local artists, vendors, and small businesses. Wisconsin can and is working toward positioning itself as a national destination for arts, music, and cultural tourism.

With this, we need to make sure artists and creative workers can afford to live and work in Wisconsin. That means supporting affordable housing, small business development, workforce grants, and public-private partnerships that help creative communities grow and thrive. Investing in arts and culture is not just about entertainment, it is about economic growth, talent attraction, quality of life, and building stronger, more connected communities across Wisconsin.

Funding & Investment: As Governor, I would support increasing funding for the Wisconsin Arts Board and building along-term plan to move Wisconsin closer to national and regional funding averages. That includes restoring stability to arts grant programs, expanding support for local arts organizations and cultural institutions, and ensuring smaller and rural communities have equitable access to funding opportunities—not just major metropolitan areas.

I also believe we should better integrate arts and culture into broader state priorities like tourism, downtown revitalization, education, and small business development. Investments in live music, festivals, theaters, museums, public art, and creative spaces generate real economic returns by attracting visitors, supporting hospitality and local businesses, and helping communities retain and attract talent. When an industry supports more than 95,000 jobs and generates billions in economic activity, we should be treating it as a serious part of our economic development, tourism, and workforce strategy.

My approach would focus on public-private partnerships, leveraging tourism revenue, expanding access to philanthropic and federal matching dollars, while working to create dedicated funding streams that allow arts organizations to plan sustainably instead of surviving year to year. Strong arts and culture investment strengthens communities, supports jobs, improves quality of life, and helps Wisconsin compete economically.

Arts Education Access: Every Wisconsin student deserves access to high-quality arts education, no matter their ZIP code, family income, or school district budget. Arts education strengthens our schools and our kids, which is why it should be treated as part of a strong public education system, not an optional add-on.

As Governor, I would increase state investment in and fully fund public schools so districts are not forced to cut music, theater, visual arts, and creative programs when budgets are tight, or go to referendum to provide these programs. I would also support dedicated arts education grants, stronger partnerships with local arts organizations and cultural institutions, and targeted resources for underserved urban, rural, and high-poverty districts.

We should also build arts education into workforce and career pathways by connecting students with creative industries, apprenticeships, technical colleges, and community-based programs. The goal is simple: every student should have the chance to learn, create, perform, and explore their talents as part of a well-rounded education.

Personal Perspective: Adults, kids, families and visitors in Wisconsin should be able to participate in arts and cultural experiences regardless of income or where they live. This means supporting affordable public programming in arts education, community festivals, creative spaces, and local cultural organizations which serve as anchors in their communities. Investing in arts and culture is an investment in economic growth, tourism, education, and quality of life across Wisconsin.

I also want to ensure smaller communities and underserved neighborhoods have equitable access to funding and programming opportunities, not just large cities or major institutions. Arts and culture are part of what make communities feel connected, vibrant, and alive. They bring people together across backgrounds and generations, ideologies and upbringing. They help shape the character of communities across Wisconsin and I will always amplify their positive contributions to the fabric of our multicultural communities across the state.

FRANCESCA HONG

Economic Impact: “The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.” A healthy society is one that cultivates art and culture. Despite the clear economic and cultural yield of arts investment, Wisconsin is near-last in state arts funding; our artists have been forced to either make the most from nothing, put their work to the side, or leave the state altogether. If we don’t course correct as soon as possible, the next generation of Wisconsinites will be punished by a cultural and artistic exodus.

While I’m interested in exploring incentive structures that bring artists and art economies to Wisconsin, I’m even more interested in reinforcing existing cultural production within the state. We face a twofold problem: one, not enough art and culture support exists. Two, as a result of that sustained deprivation, many artists are unaware that what support does exist might be available to them. A healthy arts and culture sector supports its existing institutions— the scaffolding upon which regional art scenes are built and communities are nourished—but it prioritizes making room for innovative and emerging artists, too. Whether through direct WAB appropriations or local revenue options, I intend to reconstruct a Wisconsin in which an opera in Madison is supported, but so too is a Hmong woman in Marathon County who practices Paj Ntaub fiber arts and a teenager in North Milwaukee who makes beats in his bedroom for his friends; folks for whom even a little support can be lifechanging.

Funding & Investment: We see it regularly: when arts and culture investment is left to the remainders of the budget process, it is deprioritized. I believe that direct state appropriations need to be explicitly declared and and structurally protected. Minnesota's Legacy Amendment directs a portion of sales tax revenue to arts, cultural heritage, and the outdoors; this is a model we should move toward.

I also support robust use of percent-for-art policies on public construction projects (typically 1–2%of capital budgets), which helps artists across the state, not just Milwaukee and Madison. Art and culture need not be split across and urban/rural divide: we see plenty of examples in Wisconsin and across the United States where rural areas become artist enclaves that serve as economic engines — a process we can cultivate by making sure public support of the arts is distributed across the state.

Arts Education Access: Art is for everyone. Within each of us is an artist of some sort; drawing her out is a deeply rewarding lifelong process. Fostering artists and developing an appreciation for culture starts in our schools . When arts are treated as optional or underfunded electives, students never develop the relationship with creative practice that sustains a cultural ecosystem. It’s also a question of pipelines: today's students become tomorrow's artists, audiences, educators, and curators; even legislators, who understand why arts funding is worth fighting for.

I intend to shape the future alongside the people who compose the engine of artistic and cultural production in Wisconsin. As a legislator, some of my favorite folks to meet with are groups of retired arts educators — but teaching is often treated as a vocation, not a profession, and that gap, alongside a deficit of arts education funding, means staying an arts teacher is an extremely challenging process. Without arts teachers, we have no arts education; we need to make it easier and more stable to become a teacher of any stripe, especially arts educators. I wrote a bill anchoring public school teacher salaries to state legislator salaries and coauthored another that lets public school teachers enroll in the state employee health insurance plan. I also support adding teacher representatives to school boards, establishing paid preparation time for educators, and a grant program encouraging students to pursue teaching as a career.

Personal Perspective: Our communities are defined by our artists: the architects who design our buildings; the writers, photographers, and painters who document our lives; the poets and musicians who dream of something more. These are the folks by whose power we have survived as a society. In a turbulent time, when many of us look at the world around us and feel uneasy about what comes next, it is through our arts and our culture that we will find the strength to press on until tomorrow; to make better possible.

As a legislator I’ve enjoyed getting to see local culture across the state, whether that looks like a bratwurst festival or a DIY street fair; as governor, I intend to maintain the practice. It will be a sad day in Wisconsin should our traditions of copious summer festivals and winter celebrations dwindle, and through restoring the authority of municipalities to raise revenue in new ways appropriate to local needs I believe we can maintain and preserve the beautiful cultures of Wisconsin — and nurture the new ones waiting in the wings — for all of us to enjoy.

KELDA ROYS

Economic Impact: Wisconsin has a vibrant community of artists, despite our paltry bottom-of-the-nation public funding for the arts. We need to invest in arts and arts education at all levels, publicly fund a broad range of artists and creative works with state dollars, and improve funding for local governments so that municipal budgets can support the arts as well. Tourism is a top three industry for Wisconsin’s economy, and every public dollar invested in the arts returns several dollars to our local economies through tourism, hospitality, the service industry, and much more. Investment in the arts doesn’t just help urban centers — rural communities, especially, can see big benefits from investing in the creative economy.

The arts aren’t just about the economy, though – they’re what make us human. Arts enrich our lives, our culture, and our wellbeing. As someone who is a musician and went to college as a theater major, I am eager to see increased public support for the arts in every sense. I will continue to be a champion for the arts and artists as governor, and I will devote increased public funding to the arts in my budget, while championing the arts’ central role in my plans for Wisconsin’s economy, culture, and education.

All of these measures will boost Wisconsin’s economy while enhancing our quality of life and helping us thrive as human beings in community with one another. 

Funding & Investment: As governor, I will increase direct investment in the Wisconsin Arts Board. Specifically, I support a significant per capita increase in arts funding to help reduce the disparity between Wisconsin and our neighboring states. I will also propose a grant program for Wisconsin’s creative economy, funding the creation, development, and growth of small creative and cultural businesses, products, and services, with a focus on funding projects in areas of the state that have fewer cultural and artistic resources, including rural communities. I will seek to establish a one-time arts endowment that will fund creative endeavors in perpetuity, to reduce the likelihood that future legislatures will cut funding for the arts as a cost-cutting measure.

Increasing shared revenue and school funding will also enhance the resources available to the arts, as schools and local governments are key funders and facilitators of the arts. Finally, I will prioritize funding for arts initiatives within the Department of Tourism, because Wisconsin has incredible cultural and creative amenities in every corner of the state –art galleries, theaters, music and dance companies – that are true destinations, and we need to tell that story to make sure that people can experience all Wisconsin has to offer.

 Arts Education Access: Ensuring that every Wisconsin child has access to high quality arts education every day, every year, is personal for me. I was a good student and loved learning, but it was the arts that made me who I am and gave me that sense of purpose and belonging that every kid needs – orchestra, theater, choir, and band. Creating things – the arts – are where kids from all walks of life are fully integrated and welcome. That is what public schools are about, and they should be places of learning and creating for every student.

Wisconsin’s schools have been starved of resources for decades. Levy limits, a broken and antiquated school funding formula, the devastating cuts and attacks of the Walker years, and 8 Republican budgets in a row have taken a toll on every school in the state. Often, arts are first on the chopping block, as scarce resources conflict with federal and state mandates. Fully funding public education is a cornerstone of my campaign, and I have committed to put the so-called surplus back into our children’s education, from early childhood through higher ed. We know that arts education increases student engagement, improves academic performance, and boosts critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving skills – the arts are fundamental to a good education. STEM initiatives need to become STEAM initiatives for our kids to realize their full potential.

It takes a special person to spend their life listening to a dozen 9-year-olds trying to play the viola for the first time. Increasing the pipeline of arts educators – like addressing the broader teacher retention crisis – means restoring collective bargaining rights and the professional respect teachers are due, increasing teacher pay, ensuring adequate planning and professional development time, and helping future teachers afford to earn their teaching degrees with grants, paid student teaching positions, and loan forgiveness for educators working in areas of high need.

Our schools are not just about creating the next generation of workers. They’re about giving children the freedom to learn, discover, and thrive, and ultimately to become the best version of themselves, and the best citizens they can be. When I was a child in rural Taylor county and urban Dane county, Wisconsin was the public education state and I had arts education every day, every year – and as governor, I am to make our schools the best in the nation again, including for arts education.

Personal Perspective: The arts can be a catalyst for economic growth and community revitalization – just look how American Players Theater has transformed Spring Green and southwestern Wisconsin. The arts are also central to our culture and identity in Wisconsin, something that can enhance our “brand” and our understanding of ourselves, if we support institutions that support art and artists, financially and culturally. That’s why I love the idea of a Social Rx for the arts – it brings the idea of the arts into everyday life, and that supporting the arts is something healthy and pro-social that we do for ourselves and our society. Every community deserves creative businesses and institutions, for our economy, and for our quality of life.

Arts are an invitation – to use our imaginations, to take a risk, to make an unexpected connection. Isn’t it what our state needs, as we see an aging population and demographic challenges? People come here to enjoy a show or a festival or a gallery. They spend some time shopping, dining, or taking a bike ride. They imagine themselves raising their families or retiring in Wisconsin because we have so much to offer. And isn’t that what our democracy needs right now? A way to see beyond our own perspective and find community across divisions, to be hopeful and build something new together? I believe we can, and the arts will help us do it.