A Community Built on Creativity and Connection
Friends of Dane Arts is the premier non-profit dedicated to sustaining and amplifying the diverse artistic landscape of Dane County, Wisconsin. We firmly believe that a vibrant and equitable community is inseparable from a thriving arts and culture sector. Our work is not simply about funding, but about building bridges—connecting creators with resources, audiences with inspiration, and neighbors with shared experiences that transcend difference.
Who we are
Investing in the Soul of Dane County
Friends of Dane Arts operates from a core conviction that the arts are not a luxury, but a necessity that fuels economic vitality, educational achievement, and communal well-being. Founded by a coalition of civic leaders, artists, and educators, our mandate is clear: to ensure every resident of Dane County has access to high-quality cultural experiences and that every committed artist and arts organization has the stability and resources needed to create groundbreaking work. We manage several grant cycles annually, targeting projects that promote artistic innovation, cultural equity, and direct community engagement, prioritizing initiatives that serve underserved populations and bring art into unexpected places.
Our Story
From a Shared Vision to a Community Cornerstone
The Friends of Dane Arts was formally established in the early 1990s, born out of a realization among a small group of civic-minded individuals that while Dane County had immense creative talent, it lacked a dedicated, centralized mechanism for sustained financial and infrastructural support for the arts outside of municipal budgets. The founders, including prominent local business owners, retired teachers, and working artists, envisioned an independent non-profit entity that could act quickly, fund equitably, and advocate powerfully, ensuring the arts never became a vulnerable line item during economic downturns.
What We Do
Cultivating Creativity and Sustaining Cultural Infrastructure
Our core work is multi-faceted, designed to address the interconnected challenges facing artists and arts organizations today, from financial instability to the need for greater public visibility. We meticulously manage a diverse portfolio of grant programs, ranging from Quick Response Grants that cover immediate needs like equipment repair or small project materials to substantial annual operating grants that provide long-term stability for established institutions. Beyond financial support, we actively champion the arts in the public sphere, working with policymakers and community leaders to integrate cultural planning into broader civic initiatives, such as urban development and tourism promotion, ensuring the creative economy is a key consideration in all regional strategies.
Our mission
Championing Artistic Expression for a Stronger Community
Friends of Dane Arts is dedicated to fostering a vibrant arts community in Dane County, Wisconsin. We believe in the transformative power of the arts to enrich lives, strengthen communities, and celebrate our shared humanity. We champion artistic expression in all its forms, from visual arts to performance, and we work tirelessly to bridge the gap between creators and the public. Our mission is to be the steadfast partner and champion of every artist and organization that enriches our cultural life, ensuring they have the resources and visibility required to thrive and continue their essential work. We accomplish this through strategic grant-making, robust advocacy, and collaborative community programming, always operating under the conviction that local art is the clearest expression of a community’s unique identity, values, and soul, and therefore deserves our utmost care and support.
Our Vision
A Future Where the Arts Are Recognized as Essential Infrastructure
Our vision is for Dane County to be universally recognized as a national model for cultural vitality and equity, a place where the arts are integrated into daily life, fully accessible to all residents, and viewed as an indispensable pillar of civic health and economic resilience. We strive for a future where sustainable funding for the arts is the norm, where every K-12 student receives robust arts education, and where the diversity of our population is fully reflected in the diversity of our artists and arts organizations. This future is one where the creative economy is a major employer, where public spaces are continually animated by artistic expression, and where every neighborhood can boast its own thriving local cultural center or creative hub, cementing Dane County’s reputation as a place defined by innovation, beauty, and deep, empathetic connection through shared cultural experiences that transcend demographic lines.
Our Values
Integrity, Equity, Partnership, and Artistic Freedom
Our operations and decisions are guided by an unshakeable set of core principles that define who we are and how we serve the community. Integrity demands transparency in our grant-making and accountability in our financial stewardship, ensuring public trust remains paramount. Equity is central, driving us to actively dismantle systemic barriers and prioritize funding for artists and organizations who have historically been marginalized, ensuring resources are distributed fairly across all demographics and geographic areas of the county. Partnership underscores our belief that we achieve more by working collaboratively with local government, businesses, and other non-profits, seeing ourselves as facilitators rather than sole actors. Finally, Artistic Freedom is sacred; we champion the right of creators to explore challenging, diverse, and sometimes controversial themes, recognizing that art must be allowed to speak truth to power and reflect the complexity of the human experience without censorship or undue influence, ensuring a robust and courageous cultural dialogue.
Our Impact
Transforming Individual Lives and Strengthening the Social Fabric
The most profound impact of Friends of Dane Arts is the quiet transformation that occurs at the individual and community level, fostering greater empathy, critical thinking, and social cohesion across Dane County. We measure our success not just by the number of grants distributed, but by the number of young people whose trajectory was changed by an inspiring arts mentor, the number of isolated seniors who found community in an adult workshop, and the reduction in community-wide stress and anxiety that comes from living in a beautiful, culturally rich environment. By supporting public art and accessible programming, we create common ground for diverse communities to interact and appreciate their shared humanity, effectively strengthening the social fabric against division. We are building a legacy of creativity and cultural literacy that will endure, ensuring that the next generation inherits a county where the pursuit of beauty, meaning, and shared cultural experience is not just possible, but actively celebrated and strongly supported as a cornerstone of civic life and human flourishing.
Our Team
Dedicated Leaders Passionate About Dane County’s Creative Future
Meet the individuals whose deep experience, professional expertise, and heartfelt commitment drive our mission to support local arts every day.
Amelia Chen – Executive Director
Amelia has dedicated her entire professional life to non-profit leadership and arts administration, bringing over fifteen years of experience leading cultural organizations in the Midwest. She holds a Master’s degree in Arts Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has a strong background in strategic planning, fundraising, and public policy advocacy. Amelia believes passionately in the power of localized funding, arguing that direct, non-bureaucratic support is the most effective way to foster genuine artistic growth and community engagement. Her leadership philosophy centers on transparency and collaboration, working tirelessly to ensure the Friends of Dane Arts is responsive to the evolving needs of artists, patrons, and partner organizations alike. She is known for her insightful approach to equitable resource distribution and her unwavering commitment to making the arts accessible to every demographic group within Dane County, driving every initiative toward measurable, positive community impact.
Robert ‘Bob’ Jensen – Director of Grant Programs
Bob is the vital link between our funds and the artists who need them, overseeing the meticulous process of grant review, distribution, and reporting across all our funding cycles. A former professional musician and music educator for over twenty years, he understands the unique financial challenges faced by creators and small arts organizations firsthand, bringing a deep level of empathy and practical knowledge to his role. He holds a Ph.D. in Musicology and has published widely on the economic sustainability of community arts. Bob’s analytical approach ensures that every grant application is evaluated fairly, not just on artistic merit, but on its potential for community impact and fiscal responsibility. He leads workshops for prospective grantees, offering invaluable advice on proposal writing and budget development, cementing his reputation as an essential mentor and resource for the entire Dane County arts community seeking financial stability.
Clara Rodriguez – Community Engagement Manager
Clara is the energetic force behind all our public-facing initiatives, responsible for building strong relationships with neighborhoods, community centers, schools, and local businesses across the county. She has a background in social work and community organizing, which informs her powerful belief that art is the ultimate tool for social bridge-building and healing. Clara’s work involves organizing public art talks, facilitating collaborative neighborhood mural projects, and managing our volunteer initiatives, ensuring our outreach efforts are culturally sensitive and reflective of the county’s vibrant diversity. She is constantly seeking new and unconventional venues for artistic display, aiming to remove the perceived intimidation factor of formal arts institutions and bring creative experiences directly to where people live, work, and gather, creating countless, accessible entry points for cultural participation and shared appreciative moments.
Dr. Helen Liu – Advocacy and Education Coordinator
Dr. Liu spearheads our efforts to integrate arts policy into municipal and educational planning, advocating at the state and local levels for sustained public investment in creativity. With a doctorate in Educational Policy and a history as a high school drama teacher, Helen has an expert perspective on the critical role the arts play in cognitive and emotional development from childhood through adulthood. Her focus is ensuring that every Dane County student receives a complete and enriching arts education, working closely with school boards and district administrators to protect and expand arts programming. Helen also runs our professional development series for arts educators and emerging leaders, helping them navigate bureaucracy and articulate the measurable value of their work to stakeholders, making her an indispensable resource for proving the quantitative benefits of cultural investment beyond the anecdotal.
Our Work
Artistic Education & Skill Building
We invest heavily in structured educational programs that emphasize the development of both technical artistic skills and critical creative thinking, recognizing that these two elements are mutually reinforcing and essential for a thriving cultural future. Our grants support high-quality instruction in visual arts, music theory, dance, and theater, ensuring that programs are accessible regardless of a student’s ability to pay or their geographic location within the county. This includes funding for instrument purchases for low-income students, tuition scholarships for intensive arts camps, and residencies for professional artists to work directly with students in classrooms, providing mentorship and real-world exposure. The long-term goal is to instill the discipline required for artistic mastery while fostering a sense of curiosity and intellectual rigor that transforms learners into lifelong cultural participants and critical thinkers, prepared to apply creative solutions to complex challenges in any field they choose to pursue.
Creative Exploration & Innovation
Supporting the Edge of Artistic Expression and Discovery
Innovation is the lifeblood of culture, and Friends of Dane Arts actively supports projects that take artistic risks, push boundaries, and experiment with new forms and technologies, ensuring the local arts scene remains dynamic and relevant. We fund initiatives that move beyond traditional mediums, including digital art, experimental performance, multimedia installations, and community-engaged, site-specific work that transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary stages for creative dialogue. Our funding is designed to be nimble, enabling artists to pursue spontaneous, innovative ideas that might fall outside the scope of more rigid funding sources. This commitment to exploration not only excites and challenges audiences but also provides essential intellectual freedom for creators to develop new artistic languages and perspectives that ultimately define the cultural narrative of our time, ensuring Dane County’s artistic output is forward-looking and deeply impactful on a national level.
Community Connection & Well-being
Bridging Divides Through Shared Cultural Experiences
We strategically utilize the arts to enhance community well-being, foster social cohesion, and promote mental health across diverse populations in Dane County, recognizing the intrinsic human need for connection and expressive outlet. Our supported programs include arts-based therapy in healthcare settings, collaborative public art projects in underserved neighborhoods, and free community festivals that celebrate cultural diversity through music, dance, and visual arts, eliminating barriers to access and participation. The core belief here is that co-creating art or sharing a powerful cultural experience builds essential empathy, fosters understanding across differences, and provides healthy avenues for processing collective trauma and stress. By using the arts as a tool for dialogue and inclusion, we contribute directly to a more empathetic, resilient, and connected Dane County, where every resident feels a sense of belonging and has an avenue for meaningful self-expression.
Programs/Services
Catering to Creatives from Childhood to Retirement
Friends of Dane Arts takes a lifespan approach to cultural engagement, offering support and programming that caters to every age group, from early childhood to seasoned seniors, ensuring that cultural participation is a lifelong opportunity. For children and youth, we fund grants that support in-school residencies, summer arts camps, and after-school programs that provide foundational skills and exposure, often targeting low-income areas to ensure equity of access. For emerging and mid-career artists, our services include professional development workshops on topics like grant writing, marketing, and legal issues, alongside project grants to support new work. For older adults, we support programs that use art as a means of social connection and cognitive engagement, such as senior choir groups and therapeutic art classes in retirement homes, recognizing the value of continued creative output and cultural appreciation throughout every stage of life’s journey.
Community & Engagement
Fostering a Culture of Creativity in Every Home
Friends of Dane Arts strongly advocates for and directly funds programs that encourage family involvement in the arts, understanding that a child’s artistic development is significantly enhanced by the participation and enthusiasm of their caregivers. We support community arts centers that offer family-focused workshops, where parents and children can co-create and learn together, reinforcing creative play as a valuable form of communication and bonding. Furthermore, we provide resources to organizations that offer subsidized or free family passes to museums, performances, and cultural events, dismantling economic barriers to shared cultural appreciation. Our initiatives also include distributing resource guides to parents, offering practical advice and ideas for integrating art appreciation and creative activities into daily home life, ensuring that the love of culture becomes a deeply rooted, shared value within the family unit and is passed down effortlessly from one generation to the next.
Testimonials
Voices of Our Community
“Before receiving the project grant from Friends of Dane Arts, our small community theater company was struggling to cover the rental costs for our main stage production, which was a newly commissioned work by a local playwright. The funding we received was not just monetary; it was a profound vote of confidence that allowed us to hire a professional set designer and ensure fair wages for our actors, elevating the production quality and making it a genuine hit. This support was the catalyst that allowed us to move from surviving to thriving, cementing our role as a stable cornerstone of cultural life in the south county area, and we are now planning a full season for the first time in five years thanks to their invaluable partnership and early-stage faith in our potential.” – Sarah T., Artistic Director, Small Community Theater
“Our non-profit school needed to purchase over thirty new violins and cellos to meet the growing demand for our subsidized youth orchestra program, a cost that was simply impossible for our operating budget to bear. Friends of Dane Arts provided a major capital grant that covered the full expense, directly impacting the lives of over 150 young musicians, including my own daughter, who is now learning the cello at age ten. Their support ensured that a lack of financial resources would never be a barrier to a child’s opportunity to experience the joy and discipline of musical training. I can’t express how meaningful it is to know there is an organization fighting to make sure every child, regardless of background, has a quality instrument and a dream to pursue through the power of music.” – David M., Parent of a 10-year-old musician
“As an individual artist who works primarily in large-scale sculpture, I often struggle to find safe, affordable studio space that can accommodate my work. The financial grant I received from Friends of Dane Arts was crucial; it not only helped cover six months of rent on a dedicated warehouse space but also provided me with the necessary funds to purchase specialized welding equipment that was essential for my current commission. This support validated my artistic practice as a viable, important contribution to the community, allowing me the financial freedom to focus entirely on the creation of art without the constant anxiety of operational costs, directly resulting in a beautiful new public art piece that will be enjoyed by residents for decades.” – Elena R., Professional Sculptor, Dane County Artist Grant Recipient
“The most impactful thing about Friends of Dane Arts is their consistent focus on equity and access. Our arts organization primarily serves adults with physical disabilities, and we often find ourselves overlooked by broader cultural funding. Their specialized grant for organizations serving marginalized groups allowed us to hire an American Sign Language interpreter for all our performance workshops and to install a ramp for improved access to our clay studio, making our programs truly inclusive for the first time. They didn’t just ask about the art; they asked about the people we serve and how to serve them better, demonstrating a deep commitment to the principle that art is for absolutely everyone, and that is a value we cherish and admire greatly.” – Jason L., Program Director, Adult Arts Organization
Our Volunteer
Invest Your Time and Passion in Dane County’s Cultural Future
Why Volunteer
Experience the Direct Impact of Your Dedication
Volunteering with Friends of Dane Arts offers a deeply rewarding opportunity to move beyond passive appreciation and become an active, essential participant in shaping the cultural life of Dane County. When you lend your time and expertise, you are directly contributing to the sustainability of local theaters, galleries, educational programs, and individual artists, making a tangible difference that resonates throughout our neighborhoods. Our volunteers report gaining a profound sense of purpose, connecting with a passionate network of fellow art enthusiasts, and acquiring valuable experience in non-profit management, event planning, and arts advocacy that can enhance their professional skills. More importantly, you get a unique, behind-the-scenes view of the vibrant creative process, seeing firsthand how a community’s soul is expressed and supported, and sharing in the joy of bringing powerful, transformative cultural experiences to thousands of residents who might otherwise lack access. Your time is an invaluable gift, multiplying the reach and impact of every dollar we raise.
Ways to Help
Matching Your Skills to Our Needs
We offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities designed to fit various schedules, skill sets, and levels of commitment, ensuring that everyone who wishes to contribute can find a meaningful role within our organization. We need dedicated individuals to assist with our annual grant review process, providing analytical and administrative support to our funding committees, ensuring a fair and efficient process. We also heavily rely on volunteers for our numerous public events, including staffing information tables, assisting with setup and breakdown, and acting as enthusiastic ambassadors for local arts at festivals and community gatherings throughout the year. For those with specialized skills, we welcome assistance with marketing and communications, including social media management, drafting press releases, or helping with database organization and professional skills like bookkeeping, allowing us to leverage professional expertise while minimizing operational expenses.
Impact of Volunteering
Your Time is the Engine of Our Cultural Mission
The hours you dedicate as a volunteer are the crucial engine that allows Friends of Dane Arts to maintain a lean administrative structure, ensuring that the maximum percentage of donated funds goes directly to artists and cultural programming across Dane County. By handling essential administrative tasks, managing event logistics, and assisting with public outreach, volunteers free up our professional staff to focus on high-level strategic planning, major fundraising initiatives, and core advocacy work that secures the long-term future of the arts in our region. Without your commitment, our capacity to review grants, execute our major annual festival, and connect with diverse community groups would be severely limited, meaning your effort translates directly into a broader, more equitable distribution of cultural resources. Your dedication is not just helpful; it is fundamentally necessary for the sustained health and vibrancy of Dane County’s entire creative ecosystem, making you an indispensable partner in every success we achieve.
FAQ’s
Answering Your Questions About Friends of Dane Arts
We are committed to transparency and providing clear answers about our funding process, community involvement, and the impact of our organization across Dane County.
What is the primary focus of Friends of Dane Arts and how do you distribute your funding?
Friends of Dane Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and strengthening the arts and culture sector throughout Dane County, Wisconsin, operating under the belief that creativity is vital for a thriving community. Our funding is primarily distributed through a competitive, application-based grant process that includes several cycles per year, with distinct programs targeting individual artists, established cultural organizations, and specific projects focused on arts equity and education, ensuring a broad and fair distribution of resources. All funding decisions are made by a diverse, rotating panel of community experts and stakeholders who evaluate applications based on artistic merit, community impact, financial need, and alignment with our strategic goals of promoting cultural equity and accessibility across the region.
How does your organization ensure the funding is reaching diverse and underserved communities within Dane County?
Ensuring equity is a core value, and we have implemented several strategic measures to guarantee that our funding reaches diverse artists and organizations, especially those historically under-resourced in marginalized communities across all areas of Dane County. We maintain an Arts Equity Initiative with dedicated grant streams specifically designed for organizations led by and serving people of color, individuals with disabilities, and low-income populations, using application language that is accessible and culturally sensitive to reduce barriers to entry. Furthermore, our Community Engagement Manager actively conducts outreach and provides personalized technical assistance to applicants from underserved groups, helping them navigate the process and strengthening their proposals to ensure the most equitable and impactful distribution of our funds.
Can individuals who are not full-time professional artists apply for grants from Friends of Dane Arts?
Yes, our grant programs are designed to support a wide spectrum of creative individuals, not exclusively those who identify as full-time professional artists, reflecting our commitment to fostering creativity at all levels of community engagement. We offer grants for emerging artists, community-based project creators, and arts educators, and we are open to applications from individuals who demonstrate a clear commitment to their craft and propose projects with significant cultural or community benefit within Dane County, regardless of their primary source of income. We encourage all individuals with a compelling and well-planned artistic project that aligns with our mission to review our guidelines and apply, as we believe deeply in nurturing all forms of local talent and creative expression across the county.
Join Us
Advance Your Career in Arts Administration and Community Service
Explore rewarding career opportunities with Friends of Dane Arts, where your professional skills directly contribute to the cultural enrichment of the entire Dane County community.
Career Opportunities
Meaningful Roles Driving Cultural Impact
Friends of Dane Arts occasionally seeks talented and dedicated professionals to join our administrative and program teams, offering career opportunities that blend operational rigor with a profound commitment to cultural enrichment. Our available roles, which are always posted on our website’s career page, span a diverse range of specialties, including grant management, community engagement, financial administration, and public advocacy, providing a stimulating work environment for experts from various professional backgrounds. We seek individuals who are passionate about the arts, possess excellent strategic thinking and communication skills, and are committed to equity and transparency in all their professional dealings, recognizing that our work requires both deep passion and high-level execution. Working with us means dedicating your professional expertise to a mission that directly strengthens the social and economic fabric of Dane County, making every day a contribution to a more vibrant and expressive community for thousands of residents.
Contact Us
Connect with the Friends of Dane Arts
We welcome your questions, partnership inquiries, and enthusiasm for the arts; reach out to us through any of the convenient methods below.
Multiple Contact Methods
Get in Touch: Phone, Email, or Online Form
We understand that communication preferences vary, which is why we offer multiple avenues for you to connect with the Friends of Dane Arts team efficiently and effectively. For general inquiries, questions about our programs, or information on how your organization can apply for funding, the quickest method is to send us an email, which our staff monitors diligently throughout the business day, allowing us to direct your query to the most appropriate team member promptly. If your matter is urgent or requires a detailed conversation, please feel free to call our main office line during standard business hours, where a member of our dedicated team will be happy to assist you with personalized attention and detailed information regarding grants, events, or volunteer opportunities. We also maintain a simple, secure contact form on our website for instant communication, ensuring your message is delivered directly to our communications department for a guaranteed and timely response, respecting your time and need for quick information.
Full Contact Details
Complete Information for Direct Communication For your convenience and accurate correspondence, here are the full, detailed contact particulars for Friends of Dane Arts, ensuring you can reach the right department for your specific inquiry.
Address: 6006 Hempstead Rd, Madison, WI 53711
Email Address: info@frsda.site
