Marcus Center Will Receive Grant From the National Endowment for the Arts

The Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC)  has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to receive a $15,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support its MPAC Presents programming. Specific funding from the NEA will help support MPAC’s arts & cultural series of Dance, Jazz, and special performances this season. MPAC’s project is one of 958 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling more than $27.1 million that were announced as part of NEA’s first round of fiscal year 2024 grants.
 
“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to the Marcus Performing Arts Center, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an enhttps://www.marcuscenter.org/vironment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.” 

“At the Marcus Performing Arts Center, we are dedicated to bringing the best of arts and cultural programming to our community, while ensuring that our work reflects the many diverse voices that make up our culture. We will continue our strong emphasis on advancing racial equity, diversity, and inclusion through transformative artistic experiences,” said MPAC President & CEO Kevin Giglinto. “Support from the NEA promotes and strengthens the creative capacity of our Milwaukee region by providing more artistic experiences for all to enjoy.”
 
The 2023/24 MPAC Presents season (Dance, Jazz, and additional special performances) continues to incorporate diverse artists with a goal to improve the variety and cultural relevance of our offerings as well as introduce new artists and genres to the community. This season features NEA Jazz Masters, world-renowned dance companies, and acclaimed music ensembles from around the nation.
 
The grant also helps to advance the MPAC REDI Action Plan. Through this commitment, MPAC has pledged to invest in BIPOC artists by ensuring a minimum of 30% of its annual performing arts programming are presented by BIPOC artists telling BIPOC stories. MPAC is pleased to announce it has exceeded this goal, and 50% of artists featured on the 2023/24 MPAC Presents season are artists of color.
 
Additionally, several of the artists supported in part by this funding are featured as part of MPAC’s newly announced Culture Collective, which is designed to celebrate and elevate the contributions of artists of color across a spectrum of artistic disciplines.