Racine Art Museum Awarded COVID-19 Cultural Organization Grant

Governor Tony Evers announced that $15 million in COVID-19 Cultural Organization Grants has been awarded to 385 cultural organizations across Wisconsin. The Racine Art Museum (RAM) was awarded $137,270.14 to address a portion of revenue shortfalls and increased expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency.

“Just like small businesses, cultural organizations have taken a major financial hit,” said Joel Brennan, Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary. “We’re all in this together. We hope that these funds will make it possible for us to be able to enjoy the museums, theaters, and music from these organizations once it is safe to do so again.”

Administered by the DOA, the COVID-19 Cultural Organization Grant program provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose primary missions are to produce, present, or exhibit cultural disciplines such as music, dance, theater, literature, and the visual arts, or items of environmental or scientific interest. Grant awards can be used to cover pandemic-related impacts such as lost revenue, increased workers’ compensation costs, cleaning and sanitization, and purchases of services or equipment to facilitate virtual programming.

“We are extremely grateful to Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Administration for this generous investment in the Racine Art Museum and other outstanding organizations throughout Wisconsin,” said Laura D’Amato, RAM Director of Operations and Development. “This grant will help us recoup revenue losses and support the continued presentation of mission-critical exhibition and programming—virtually, in-person, or both. Board and staff leadership strongly believe that this is the best way we can help our community regain a level of comfort and normalcy that was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Further information regarding the COVID-19 Cultural Organization Grant Program, as well as a full list of grant winners, is available on the DOA website, doa.wi.gov.

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.