Three Milwaukee Arts Groups Get $5 Million Challenge Grants
Milwaukee Symphony, Rep and Art Museum must each match $5 million gift.
Paul Ducat and his daughter, Norah, walk to the galleries Friday, March 5, 2021, at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Angela Major/WPR
Three Milwaukee arts institutions may each have $10 million more in the bank by the end of 2026.
The Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Repertory Theater each received a gift of $5 million from philanthropists Ellen and Joe Checota, the institutions announced Monday.
“It is my understanding that it’s matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5 million,” Milwaukee Rep executive director Chad Bauman told WPR.
“It’s an incredibly visionary gift,” he said.
Ellen Checota is an artist. Joe Checota founded Landmark Healthcare Facilities, a Milwaukee-based real estate developer of outpatient clinics.
Growing endowments the goal of gifts
The gifts are meant to grow each institution’s endowments — investment funds that provide an income stream.
Currently, the art museum’s endowment is about $68 million, the theater’s is about $18 million and the orchestra’s is $40 million, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.
Ticket sales have accounted for less of Milwaukee arts organizations’ revenue since 2012.
That’s according to a May 2024 report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The report didn’t include the Milwaukee Art Museum.
It also said Wisconsin ranks 50th in the country for per capita arts funding from state government.
Meanwhile, philanthropy that stepped in during the COVID-19 pandemic has remained an important revenue source for Milwaukee arts institutions, the report said.
Rendering of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s planned new building, set to open in fall of 2025. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Having an endowment “helps weather fluctuations in other revenue streams,” Bauman said.
For the theater, he said the gift “will help offset some of that public support and allow us to continue to produce world-class art for our community.”
Gifts matched to the $5 million are limited to $350,000 per household to “grow the base of donors who will support the arts in Milwaukee,” the institutions’ statement said. That matching campaign’s deadline is the end of 2026.
Milwaukee arts institutions get ‘visionary’ $5M gifts was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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