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City of Madison

Madison Arts Commission awards $107,000 for arts projects

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Logos for the Madison Arts Commission and Wisconsin Arts Board

The Madison Arts Commission is awarding a total of $107,000 to 65 organizations and individuals for projects through its annual arts grants program.

The arts grants program provides support for projects that enrich the cultural landscape of Madison. It is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. Grants are awarded to both individual artists for fellowships and organizational applicants for projects or arts education programs.

The Madison Arts Commission received a total of 76 applications during the 2026-2027 grant cycle, with requests totaling $214,127.80. Unfortunately, due to limited funds, a number of applicants were unable to be fully funded or awarded a grant.

Funded projects include a variety of subjects and media, from poetry and literary arts to visual arts, dance, film, and more. These projects will reach nearly every corner of Madison and help leverage funds from other sources to make these programs a reality.

This year's grant recipients are:

PreK-12 Arts Education
ApplicantProjectRequestAward
Arts + Literature Laboratory2026-27 ALL Outreach Program$5,000$2,500
Children's Theater of Madison, Inc.CTM's Young Playwright Program & Festival$5,000$2,000
Overture Center Foundation, Inc.OnStage Student Field Trips$5,000$1,000
Philippine-American Association of Madison and Neighboring Areas, Inc. (PAMANA)Pinoy Sama-Summer 2026$5,000$2,500
Sandburg Elementary Parent-Teacher OrganizationSandburg Stage Estrellas After School Theater Club$4,760$3,590
Whoopensocker Performing EnsembleWhoopensocker Live! 2026-27 Season$5,000$3,800

Dance & Movement
ApplicantProjectRequestAward
Christopher HollandPARADE! A Variety Cabaret Spectacular$5,000$1,000
Elizabeth L. SexeThrough the Keyhole and the Storm$1,025$1,000
Francis C. Medrano TristanAFRO-ROOTS$5,000$3,800
Madison Contemporary DanceCreativity, Confidence, and Community$5,000$3,800

Festivals
ApplicantProjectRequestAward
Ashley MoseberryBlack on State Festival$5,000$2,000
Clean Lakes Alliance2027 Indigenous Winter Art and Cultural Displays$5,000$2,500
Disability Pride MadisonThe Disability Pride Festival$5,000$2,000
Madison Jazz Festival2026 Madison Jazz Festival$5,000$2,000
Madison Music ReviewMusique Électronique at La Fête De Marquette$5,000$1,000

Literary Arts
ApplicantProjectRequestAward
Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development, Inc. (LOUD)Latino Poetry Anthology Release$2,150$1,000
Midwest Mujeres Inc.El Sueño Americano a través de los ojos de las mujeres de las Américas / The American Dream Through the Eyes of Women of the Americas$4,000$1,600

Music
ApplicantProjectRequestAward
Archana DhakhwaLearn with Lyrics$4,500$1,000
HandphibiansThe Handphibians Youth Drumming Camp$2,500$1,250
Hawthorne Neighborhood Association (HNA)Summer Concert Series$1,842.80$1,000
Jazz at Five, Inc.Jazz at Five Performance Series 2026$2,000$1,000
Kristin Redman2026 Auricle New Music Series$5,000$2,000
Madison Area Concert Handbells, Inc.Spring 2027 Kid-Friendly Concert$3,050$1,000
Madison New Music EnsembleConcerts by the Madison New Music Ensemble for the 2026-27 Season$1,900$1,000
Madison Symphony Orchestra, Inc.HeartStrings® 2026-2027$2,500$1,000

Other
ApplicantProjectRequestAward
Madison Ice Inc.Skate with the Diamonds$2,650$1,060

Video/Film
ApplicantProjectRequestAward
James KreulMills Folly Microcinema 2026-2027$3,000$1,000
Li Chiao-Ping Dance, Inc.Portrait of Michael: A Screendance Project$2,000$1,000

Visual Art
ApplicantProjectRequestAward
Charlotte EasterlingSolo exhibition$2,000$1,000
Dakota Mace2026 Native Art Market$5,000$2,000
Eastmorland Community CenterEastmorland Community Center Murals$5,000$2,500
IP MinistriesThe Memory Collectors Storytelling Project: Fighting Alzheimer's with Art$5,000$2,500
Meghan Allynn JohnsonArt, Grief, and Community: Death Work Teach-Ins$2,000$1,000
Neighborhood House Community CenterCommunity Art Workshop Series$5,000$2,000
OutReach, Inc.Gay Art Group$5,000$2,500
Textile Arts Center of Madison, Inc.Textile Art Market$4,000$1,600

Legacy Grants

Legacy Grants support organizations that have received MAC funding for 3 out of the last 6 years.

ApplicantProjectRequestAward
African Association of Madison, Inc.Africa Fest$1,500$1,500
Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society of WI, Inc.35th Summer Chamber Music Festival: Never Say Never$1,500$1,500
Capitol City Band AssociationCapitol City Band Concert Series$1,500$1,500
Cycropia Aerial Dance, Inc.Cycropia Aerial Dance at Orton Park Festival$1,500$1,500
Fermat's Last Theater CompanyTwo theater works$1,500$1,500
Four Lakes Traditional Music CollectiveFff Youth Music Workshop$1,500$1,500
Fresco Opera TheatreOpera on the Point$1,500$1,500
Friends of Allen Centennial Garden, Inc.Summer Sundays: Jazz in the Garden 2026$1,500$1,500
Girls Rock Camp MadisonGirls Rock Camp Tuition Assistance Program$1,500$1,500
Grace Episcopal ChurchGrace Presents 2026-2027 Concert Series$1,500$1,500
Handel Aria Competition13th Annual Competition$1,500$1,500
Isthmus Dance CollectiveSupporting Regional Dance - Safe, Modular, Portable, Shareable Stage$1,500$1,500
Just Bach Concerts, Inc.Just Bach Concerts Season 9$1,500$1,500
Kanopy Dance Theatre, Inc.Without Boarders: Celebrating the Legacy of José Limón$1,500$1,500
LunART, Inc.LunART Festival 2026: RESONANCE$1,500$1,500
Madison Bach Musicians, Inc.Holiday Concert: Latin American Baroque$1,500$1,500
Madison Children's Museum, Inc.Free Cultural Heritage Celebrations$1,500$1,500
Madison Choral Project, Inc.Madison Choral Project 2026-27: The Sea Came Up and Drowned$1,500$1,500
Madison Flute Club, Inc.2027 Wisconsin Flute Festival$1,500$1,500
Madison Savoyards, Ltd.The McAdo, a new adaptation of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado, set in Scotland$1,500$1,500
Madison Youth Choirs, Inc.Madison's Big Sing$1,500$1,500
NewBridge Madison, Inc.NewBridge Summer Concert Series$1,500$1,500
Opera for the Young, Inc.Operating Support / Rusalka: A Mermaid's Tale School Tour$1,500$1,500
PEBOGA Productions LLCFall Gospel Fest$1,500$1,500
Simpson Street Free Press, Inc.Youth Publishing in Madison: Writing About the Arts and Local History$1,500$1,500
TNW Ensemble TheaterThe Caffeinated Book Club of Chestnut Street Performs the U.S. Constitution$1,500$1,500
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & LettersGrounded Materials exhibition$1,500$1,500
Wisconsin Chamber OrchestraConcerts on the Square$1,500$1,500
Wisconsin Youth Symphony OrchestraWYSO Percussion Extravaganza 2027$1,500$1,500

About the Madison Arts Commission

The Madison Arts Commission works to encourage artistic activities and performances throughout the city, supporting both emerging and established artists while enhancing the cultural landscape of Madison through public art initiatives.  

Learn More About Madison Arts

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