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