Engage. Connect. Inspire.
Every great society leaves a meaningful cultural legacy. The people of Dane County, Wisconsin have remarkable gifts to share with the world. Arts, culture, and local history express our common humanity. The Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission within Dane County Government supports these beliefs through its Dane Arts projects and programs.
Call for Art: Dane Arts 2024 Calendar and Poster
The application for the 2024 Dane Arts Calendar and Poster is open now through Friday, June 30th at 4 pm! All visual artists residing in Dane County encouraged to apply!
Read below to learn more about the annual calendar, and click here to learn more about the poster.
Dane Arts 2023 Cycle 1 Grant Awards
52 project, five Short Order, and two Capital requests totaling $121,557 were recently awarded in Cycle 1 for “Dane Arts” grants in 2023.
The “Dane Arts” grants are funded by county dollars in conjunction with private donations from the Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. County Executive Joe Parisi and the County Board of Supervisors have allocated an additional $40,000 to fund project grant requests that provide equitable opportunities for youth to participate in the arts.
Read the full press release here.
Five panels met in late March/Early April to review all grant applications. Recordings of the review sessions are available to view below.
Panel 1: Arts in Education | Monday, March 20
VIEW AGENDA | WATCH
Panel 2: Theater / Visual Arts | Wednesday, March 22
VIEW AGENDA | WATCH
Panel 3: Multi Disc / Music | Friday, March 24
VIEW AGENDA | WATCH
Panel 4: Multi Disc / Dance | Monday, April 3
VIEW AGENDA | WATCH
Panel 5: Music | Wednesday, April 5
VIEW AGENDA | WATCH
The next grant application deadline is August 1, 2023.
Learn more about applying for a grant here.
Dane Arts Buy Local Presents the Business of Art Conference II
Thank you to all of the attendees, volunteers, presenters and sponsors who brought incredible energy, insights, and a remarkable sense of collaboration to the Second Annual Business of Art Conference!
We were honored by an address from Dane County Executive, Joe Parisi, and revitalized to hear from Director of Wisconsin Arts Board, George Tzougros, President & CEO of Arts Midwest, Torrie Allen, and Director of the Chazen Museum of Art, Dr. Amy Gilman, in addition to 27 presenters and over 100 registrants.
Check out our Instagram and Facebook to see highlights from this year's conference!
Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming events.
Dane Arts 2023 Calendar
Enjoy the beauty of Dane County all year long with the Dane Arts 2023 Calendar!
This year's artists express the eclectic beauty of Dane County through printmaking, sculpture, photography, painting, pressed plant material, hadmade paper, and mixed media. Each of our featured artists reside in Dane County and include: S.V. Medaris, Babette Wainwright, Mark Weller, Mary Treleven, Pamela Grabber, Nancy Hagen, Janis Senungetuk, Alex Haunty, Maron Massey, Jennifer Peters, Simona Aizicovici and Maria Wood. Learn more about this year's featured artists here.
Dane Arts 2023 Poster: Richie Morales
Dane Arts is thrilled to announce the 2023 poster, Pangea, from The Effects of Time on Memory Series, “Human Animals,” by Madison-based artist, Richie Morales.
A vibrant and prolific artist, Morales' work is deeply personal and speaks to the joys and challenges of the human experience. Click here to read Mr. Morales' statement. Also listed are outlets near you to pick up your very own print of this beautiful artwork!
DABL 2022 Art Market & Conference
Thank you to the Dane County community for another successful year of DABL Art Market and for the support of Dane County’s first conference on the business of art.
The conference morning grant workshop on Wednesday had 36 participants and it was well received. The following day long conference had 46 registrants. And with generous support financial support from funders listed in the program. 10 artists were awarded scholarships.
DABL participants included 30% artists of color with over $10,000 in art sold. The market had many attendees with 110 visitors purchasing at least $25 of art (and therefore were entered into a drawing for an E-bike from our sponsor, Crazy Lenny's, and from many other donors.)
Learn more at Dane Arts Buy Local (dablmarket.com)
Photo credit: Martin Jenich
Arts & Economic Prosperity VI
AEP VI is an economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry. Dane Arts, in partnership with the Wisconsin Arts Board and Americans for the Arts, is conducting the sixth Arts and Economic Prosperity Survey now through April, 2023.
Dane Arts is asking for your help in proving how valuable the arts are to Dane County.
AEP VI collects critical information about event‐related audience spending on categories such as food and beverages, gifts and souvenirs, local transportation, and lodging. The survey is completely anonymous and can be taken via QR code or paper hard copy.
Data collected from arts and culture events over the year will be compiled into a customized report available to the public in September, 2023. The arts are a business and economic driver here in Dane County, and the compelling data we are collecting can be used by everyone for arts advocacy initiatives, grant writing, and more! Check out the AEP V one page summary and full report released in 2015.
Artists, Arts Advocates, and Audience Members, help us help you:
- Take the survey! Please take the survey once each time you see it displayed at a nonprofit arts and culture event. The survey must be completed during the event.
- Host the survey! Consider providing copies of AEP surveys at your event (contact fraire@countyofdane.com for printed copies).
- Distribute surveys! We welcome any volunteers who are interested in helping us collect surveys from now until April, 2023. Contact us at fraire@countyofdane.com
- Spread the word! Encourage friends and family to take the AEP VI survey
Contact us to get involved!
Behind Creative: A Dane Arts Series
Dane Arts with Coney Island Studios started a series we hope you will enjoy. It's called, BEHIND CREATIVE. The series will spotlight local artists and technicians building community and the arts...BEHIND CREATIVE.
Behind Creative (pictured): Babette Wainwright - WATCH NOW
Behind Creative: Natalia Armacanqui - WATCH NOW
Want to learn more? Click here for an in-depth written interview on Armacanqui's artistic journey.
Behind Creative: DJ Pain 1 - WATCH NOW
Behind Creative: Sasha Debevec-McKenney - WATCH NOW
Behind Creative: Monica Cliff - WATCH NOW
Behind Creative: Rob Dz - WATCH NOW
We'd love to hear what you think.
Dane Arts Newsletter
Sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with opportunities in the arts community!
Click here to subscribe.
2023
2022
DANG! 2020 Grant Recipients
Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission– aka Dane Arts– produced two videos this year. The first video recognizes, supports, and honors the many different Individual working artists impacted by COVID-19. Over 250 artists were each supported with $500 through a grant called DANG!– the Dane Arts Need Grant.
Now, we are sharing our second short video, "The Dane Arts 2020 Grant Recipients." This video highlights all the amazing Dane County arts organizations funded through our 2020 grant cycles. Their art is a true testament to the innovative and creative thinking from many talented artists and managers here in Dane County.
We are all to be thankful we have such a diverse arena of artists, arts programs, and projects. As with the DANG! recipients awarded this summer, these arts organizations have also given us all so much joy– especially at a time when we continue to be locked down due to COVID-19.
Community Resource
Dane Arts staff, along with Commission members, offer technical assistance, support, and advocacy countywide. Community service includes: initiating artistic projects, serving as an arts & culture resource hub, and inspiring meaningful connections between artists, presenters, and the community.
Impact
- Honoring and celebrating the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission's community service spanning over four decades.
- Brilliant artwork created by over 100 local individual artists showcased in annual art posters and calendars, of which, hundreds of thousands are distributed near and far.
- Over 60 community murals and 35 storm drain designs created by Dane Arts Mural Arts (DAMA), a community arts effort which was started in 2014 out of this office and is now its own non- profit in partnership with Dane Arts.
- Since 2015, Dane Arts Buy Local Art Market (DABL) has been exhibiting and selling the work of local visual artists in a festive atmosphere with over $150,000 in art sold to date.
- Dane Arts Dance Arts (DADA) supporting and working with local movement artists and choreographers to create more opportunities to share creative work throughout Dane County.
- Over 100 local citizens provided service as Commission members and Grant Advisory Panel Members.
- Arts, Culture & Local History Grants (2007-2021): over 1800 awards totaling over $9.2 million (public & private sources) leveraging nearly $57.2 million from other community sources.
Support Our Community
Use the Dane Arts Buy Local logo and learn more about our mission.