MKE Small Arts and Culture Organizations (SMAC) Reach First Milestone

February 7, 2024 – MILWAUKEE. Milwaukee’s Small Arts and Culture Cohort (SMAC), a group of twelve diverse arts organizations, is excited and grateful to report that, with support of Create Wisconsin, they have received their first of six distributions in an amount of $6,391.00. SMAC is dedicated to overcoming funding barriers and united in a belief that current funding models in the city of Milwaukee and state of Wisconsin are not working.

The group started meeting regularly in 2020, launched a public fundraising campaign in July 2023, and have now reached their first distribution milestone. Disbursements are made in equal parts to each of the twelve organizations on a bi-annual schedule. They are currently 20% of their three year goal of raising $945,000. SMAC is committed to this collaborative effort for the next three years.

Two of the oldest organizations in the group have this to say about our work to date:

“Ko-Thi Dance Company is thrilled to be a member of SMAC. During our 54 years we have been a part of a few attempts to collaborate with other smaller groups to create a combined platform from which to strengthen our arts sector and organizations. SMAC is the FIRST group that I can truly state has the workings of success. Why? Within the group is leadership, expertise, respect for each group’s mission and vision, listening, and willingness to handle assigned tasks with a sense of commitment to a combined vision. Walking the walk, not just talking, gets it done. Mostly, our community recognizes our groups as vital to maintaining a ‘healthy’ city. I am convinced that SMAC’s format is proving that small arts groups CAN work together. That our existence depends on funds to sustain our missions. A dollar to SMAC has the capacity to multiply one hundred fold. We are NOT going anywhere … SMAC is allowing us to breathe … funds to create space to dream and support our visions … to plan ahead … to implement.” – FERNE YANGYEITIE CAULKER, Founder and Interim Executive Director/Ko-Thi Dance Company

BETTY SALAMUN, founder of DanceCircus shares her thoughts on our success to date, “DanceCircus has learned, over 48 years and hundreds of collaborative dances, programs, community projects and educational programs, that collaborations are challenging. It takes many meetings (ugh), a shared commitment to the process and work (I’ll bring coffee next time), and the ability to keep showing up (this is my 5th zoom meeting this week…). Yet collaborations are an exciting journey. During the last 3 years (and many – many-many meetings), the 12 groups in the Small Arts and Culture Cohort looked at how we are alike – our commitment to and engagement with the Milwaukee community, and our continued resourcefulness as innovative creatives and artists in Milwaukee. And, how we are different in our needs for staff (office, technical, artistic), or space (studio/office), or performance site (park/large theatre), or project (in neighborhood/school /agency).”

This collective-model fundraising goal is intended to provide each of SMAC’s twelve arts organizations with $25,000 in sustaining funding annually for the next three years. Members intend to utilize this funding to better plan long term, establish permanent spaces to host classes and performances, expand staffing to build capacity, equitably compensate artists, and serve more people than ever before in every zip code of Milwaukee. Together, we are making a difference.

Upcoming Presentations

If you are interested in learning more, SMAC will gladly host presentations for groups and individuals. Please contact us for more information.

Small Arts and Culture Cohort: Background

Challenge Identified: A lack of reliable funding limits small arts organizations by restricting our ability to plan for the long term, blunting our community impact.

Idea Proposed: By uniting 12 small arts organizations in one proposal, we generate a new, collaborative funding model, increasing our reach across the city and deepening our impact.

Opportunity Created: A $75,000 investment for each of the 12 cohort organizations distributed over three years ($25,000 per year), for a total investment of $945,000 in Milwaukee’s richly diverse small arts sector.

About the Small Arts and Culture Cohort

The grassroots organizations of SMAC improve and enhance Milwaukee’s arts ecosystem citywide by creating intimate, approachable, and accessible experiences that change lives. Meeting monthly, SMAC member groups foster a culture of collaboration that strengthens Milwaukee-based artists and the organizations that employ and support them. Together, we engage thousands of community members in every County of Milwaukee zip code with artistic programs across the arts spectrum to create community, enhance education, and improve mental health. Together, we believe the arts are good for everyone.

Collectively, the organizations that make up SMAC are diverse, reflecting the demographic diversity of all 46 zip codes within Milwaukee County.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.