Countless people in Milwaukee and throughout southeastern Wisconsin benefit from the arts. As Linda Edelstein, vice president of community relations and marketing for the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), puts it, "More people are touched by our UPAF members than by the Brewers and Bucks combined."
UPAF's current campaign offers residents of southeastern Wisconsin an opportunity to show their gratitude for the arts by helping to reach the target goal of $9 million by June 23-money that will support UPAF's 16 member groups and 20 affiliates. This includes Danceworks, the Florentine Opera and First Stage Children's Theater, to name only a few. A gift to UPAF helps pave the way for more than 2,000 live performances held each year in the metro area.
An easy way to donate $100 is through the UPAF "smART card." With this card, the donor may purchase a buy-one-get-one-free ticket to each of the 16 member groups, which translates into 16 free tickets.
For the athletically minded, there's the 29th Miller Lite Ride for the Arts on Sunday, June 7. This UPAF tradition, featuring more than 7,000 cyclists traveling distances from 5 to 75 miles, contributes greatly to the performing arts.
With approximately $6 million pledged to date, UPAF hopes to exceed its goal, even amid economic uncertainty. During these stressful days, the arts "educate, entertain and enrich with economic impact to the surrounding communities," says UPAF Marketing Director Jessica Laub.
While UPAF concentrates on the performing arts, RedLine Milwaukee, inaugurated in January, focuses on creating an urban laboratory for emerging and mid-career visual artists. RedLine's renovated, 7,500-square-foot building at 1422 N. Fourth St. will house a print shop for 12 to 14 artists in residence. On Saturday, May 2, 6 to 8 p.m., RedLine hosts its first silent auction, featuring more than 50 works of art. The proceeds will support the RedLine Print Shop, which eventually hopes to offer intaglio, collagraph, relief, monoprint and silk-screening facilities for city artists. With a purchase of art or a $10 donation at the door ($5 for students), individuals can contribute to this creative community.
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Also on May 2, "Art Crawl 56-The Mother of All Crawls" takes place in Historic Downtown Waukesha from 4 to 10 p.m. In conjunction with the Art Crawl, the 2009 RiverWalk for Breast Cancer begins at 10 a.m., with several distances scheduled for walks benefiting the Center for Breast Care at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. In honor of the RiverWalk for Breast Cancer, the Art Crawl features Give-Back Businesses and Galleries that will donate 10% of any purchases made to the Center for Breast Care when a race T-shirt is shown. Participants include new galleries Artavina, Springs Gallery and the Clinton St. Gallery along the Art Crawl.
