January 2026
- Imagine MKE
- a few seconds ago
- 4 min read
Arts & Culture Top GMC Agenda
This week I joined a panel of local arts and culture leaders for an important conversation with members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee about why the sector is vital to the growth and success of the region’s business and civic community. The meeting, held on stage at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, was one of the highest attended GMC meetings in recent years.
The panel included moderator Rob Henken CEO of Herzfeld Foundation, Kevin Giglinto of the Marcus Performing Arts Center, Ellen Censky of the Milwaukee Public Museum, and Jodi Gibson of the Zoological Society. You can watch the Meeting Video.
While Milwaukee consistently ranks as one of the nation’s most arts-vibrant cities, public investment in the sector remains among the lowest. I reinforced a thriving arts and culture sector benefits every business executive in the room and their voices will be critical to securing more public investment.
I updated members on what Imagine MKE is doing. Since last June, we’ve convened business, civic, and arts and culture leaders and funders to develop a shared vision and priorities for the sector. Subject matter experts are now at work on action plans to increase public funding, better coordinate philanthropy for greater impact, and create a framework for ongoing data collection to help inform decision making. Stay tuned!
Milwaukee County Wants Your Input
You can influence public funding decisions by making your voice heard. Milwaukee County is seeking community input to help shape decisions for how its Fund for the Arts supports the Milwaukee County arts community in the future. These funds are administered by the Cultural, Artistic & Musical Programming Advisory Council (CAMPAC).
The County has provided a brief survey to gather feedback by end of day Wednesday, January 28. Access the survey here. They want to continue supporting local arts and culture, but with declining funds and more organizations needing resources, a different approach to providing funding may be needed. We encourage you to complete the survey to help inform CAMPAC and the County Board of Supervisors as they determine future grant recommendations.
Statewide Artist Grant Program
Statewide, application and submission details are now available for a new grant opportunity from Create Wisconsin. The Create Wisconsin Statewide Artist Grant Program will award $7,500 grants to support individual artists and performers.
Applications are due by February 16, 2026. Grant recipients will be announced in mid-March, with 16 artists selected annually during the three-year program. The Statewide Artist Grant Program is made possible through the generous support of the Ruth Foundation for the Arts.
New Film Office Director
Exciting News! Travel Wisconsin (Wisconsin Department of Tourism) has hired Veronica Pope as the Director of Wisconsin’s new Film Office. An Emmy Award-winning producer from Mequon, Wisconsin, she brings a wealth of experience from nearly two decades in the film industry.
She’s worked with leading cable channels, including HGTV, Fox Business, Discovery Science, and The History Channel, as well as major networks such as Warner Brothers, Discovery, Scripps, A&E, and Fox. Her experience spans television, film, and commercial production across network, cable, local, public, and civic distribution channels. Veronica is well positioned to lead Wisconsin’s revitalized Film Office and administer the new $5 million offering of film and TV production credits.
Her appointment marks an important next chapter in growing Wisconsin’s film and television industry. Action! Wisconsin, a statewide coalition of filmmakers, producers, businesses, and film and television project supporters, led the legislative lobbying effort to reestablish a state Film Office and new incentives. Imagine MKE is the umbrella organization for Action! Wisconsin.
Read more about Veronica in this Milwaukee Business Journal story and stay up to date on film office developments.
You're Making News
Exposing the region’s arts and culture sector to wider audiences is at the heart of Imagine MKE’s partnership with TMJ4 News. Through our TMJ4 Contact Form on our website, organizations, venues, and creatives have a direct line to the newsroom to share stories about their work, upcoming events, and creative impact.
Recent coverage includes a Milwaukee Tonight live visit to the Kim Storage Gallery where a new exhibition, “Balance” by Midwest artist Susan Hall, is on view through February 14. Her work is informed by meditations on coexistence, vulnerability, and the powerful harmonies that sustain the natural world. Other local arts and culture organizations featured since our last update include Vanguard Milwaukee and Milwaukee Chamber Theater. Share your news through the simple form on our website.
A Final Quick Note
Starting next week from January 22 to February 1, Museum Days invites locals and visitors to unlock the city’s cultural treasures, all at special admission prices. It’s an all-access pass to curiosity, creativity, and connection. More than two dozen local arts and culture gems are participating. Find the details here.
What an exciting start to 2026! Meaningful momentum is underway for Milwaukee’s arts and culture sector. I’m energized and grateful for the partnerships that make this work possible. Thank you for being part of the collective effort.
Christine Hojnacki
Executive Director, Imagine MKE
