Milwaukee Arts Board Accepting Public Nominations for Artists of the Year, Friends of the Arts Awards
Members of the public can submit nominations online through April 2, 2025
MILWAUKEE – The City of Milwaukee Arts Board (MAB) is accepting nominations from the public for the Mildred L. Harpole Artists of the Year award and the Friends of the Arts award. Recipients of these awards represent excellence and exceptional service in Milwaukee’s arts community.
Nominees for the Mildred L. Harpole Artist of the Year should have an artistic practice that aligns with the Milwaukee Arts Board purpose, as directed by the Milwaukee Code of Ordinance: 320-12. Arts Board. 2. Duties and Powers. The [arts] board shall: a. Promote the development, support, and enjoyment of the arts in this city. b. Promote cultural diversity in the artistic life of this city. c. Promote the formation and growth of artistic projects or programs that are administered by and responsive to the needs of the city’s communities that have been historically underrepresented or underserved based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, or citizenship status. Nominations must be submitted online [click here] by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
Mildred L. Harpole Artists of the Year Award: The Artists of the Year award was inaugurated in 1995 by former Alderman and MAB Chair Wayne Frank. The Artists of the Year Award was eventually renamed in 2020 to honor the late, beloved MAB member Mildred L. Harpole. Nominees must be City of Milwaukee residents who have been working as an artist in the City of Milwaukee over the last 24 months. They may be an individual artist, or a band, or a collective, and must not be a current member of the Milwaukee Arts Board or a previous recipient of this award. Self-nominations are allowed and an artist can be nominated posthumously.
This award is open to a variety of disciplines, including Arts Education, Culinary Arts, Dance, Design, Film & Media Arts, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Museums, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater and Visual Arts. Each recipient receives a $1,500 cash award. Friends of the Arts Award: Established in 2012, the Friends of the Arts Award is given to individuals who, often behind the scenes, have distinguished themselves through exceptional service to Milwaukee’s arts community.
Nominees for Friends of the Arts do not have to be City of Milwaukee residents, but must demonstrate exemplary support of Milwaukee’s arts community through at least one of the following requirements:
- Mentoring or teaching creatives and/or youth in Milwaukee
- Supporting arts locally through philanthropy and/or advocacy
- Building community around the arts in Milwaukee
Nominees can include individuals, organizations, and/or businesses. They may not be a current Milwaukee Arts Board member or a previous recipient of this award. Self-nominations are not allowed for this category, however, a nomination can be made posthumously. Award Process: The Milwaukee Arts Board will review the nominations and select the award recipients during the MAB meeting on April 8, 2025. At this meeting, all completed nominations will be presented and MAB members will rank their top three choices in each category, which will be turned into scores. The two nominees in each category with the highest scores will be awarded. More information about the Milwaukee Arts Board is available at milwaukee.gov/MAB.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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