June 2026

New Board Members

We’re thrilled to welcome two new members to Imagine MKE’s Board of Directors: Ra Joy, Executive Director of the Bronzeville Center for the Arts, and Angela Damiani, CEO and Co-Founder of NEWaukee.

Ra brings decades of experience in arts advocacy, public policy, and civic engagement. His distinguished career includes leadership roles at the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Alliance Illinois. “For our region to truly thrive, culture and the arts must become a public policy priority,” he says. “I look forward to working with the Imagine MKE board to champion culture across the city and contribute to the arts ecosystem in Milwaukee and beyond.”

Angela is a visionary community builder whose work at NEWaukee has earned national recognition for activating public spaces and strengthening communities through shared experiences. “Imagine MKE creates space for bold ideas, civic imagination, and meaningful collaboration,” she says. “A thriving creative economy is essential to the long-term vitality of our region.”

Together, Ra and Angela bring exceptional expertise, vision, and leadership to Imagine MKE as we continue advancing a more vibrant, connected, and creative future.

AFTACON

Earlier this month I joined more than 1,000 arts advocates, leaders, and changemakers from across the country at the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention. The gathering was a powerful reminder that communities nationwide face many of the same opportunities and challenges we face here, and that arts and culture remain critical drivers of economic vitality, community connection, and civic engagement.

I was energized by new ideas, strengthened relationships, and a renewed sense of possibility for what we can accomplish together in Greater Milwaukee. The conversations taking place nationally reinforce what we know locally. When arts and culture are recognized as essential community infrastructure, communities thrive.

nea gRANTS FOR aRT pROJECTS

The future of National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding was a major topic of convention discussion. While current federal budget proposals would dramatically reduce NEA funding, arts advocates nationwide are calling for increased investment, recognizing the important role the NEA plays in supporting communities across the country.

Currently, the agency has two grant opportunities that might interest local arts and culture organizations. Grants for Arts Projects provide project-based grants across 16 disciplines including arts education, dance, music, theater, visual arts, and film. Nonprofit arts organizations with a minimum of five-years of arts programming are eligible

Challenge America grants offer $10,000 grants for projects that expand access to the arts for underserved communities whose opportunities are limited because of geography, ethnicity, economic status, or disability. Organizations with operating budgets under $250,000 are eligible to apply.

Applications for both grants are open through July 9. Find a full list of NEA grant opportunities here.

mILWAUKEE'S cREATIVE cOMMUNITY mAKING nEWS

Our partnership with TMJ4 News continues to spotlight the artists and organizations enriching our region through their creative work.

Recently, Milwaukee Tonight featured the Wisconsin-made film Winter Hymns, which has been selling out at festivals and screening across the state, and a profile on artist Yessica Coria’s first solo exhibition of corn husk sculptures at Mitchell Street Arts.

Other organizations and offerings featured the past few months included the Haggerty Museum of Art, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Renaissance Theaterworks, Danceworks, and Discovery World.

We’re grateful to TMJ4 for showcasing the diversity, creativity, and impact of Milwaukee’s arts and culture experiences. If you’re a creative or organization with a story to share, submit it here.

match Challenge Extended Through July 31

Let’s double the impact for arts and culture! Thanks to the generosity of the Lacey Sadoff Foundation, your investment in Imagine MKE’s work will go twice as far! Every contribution made before July 31 will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $10,000.

Your support will strengthen our ability to serve as a catalyst and champion for Milwaukee’s arts, culture, and creative industries—advocating for increased public investment and ensuring creativity remains central to our identity, economy, and future.

Join a movement of advocates who believe a thriving arts and culture sector is essential to our region. As a donor, you’ll receive invites to exclusive arts and culture experiences, automatic entry into quarterly opportunities* to win arts and culture offerings and get early access to limited-edition merchandise designed by local artists, and more. Donate today.

Thank you for helping to meet this match and for joining us in imagining what’s possible when creativity is recognized as vital to a thriving region.

Christine Hojnacki

Executive Director, Imagine MKE

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