Impact Grants Update – Community Arts 2025

About the Grants

Community Arts grants bring vibrancy to our community through support for diverse artistic expressions—from dance and polka festivals to jazz events, children’s theater, and introductory opera programs. These grants are made possible by the generosity of donors and the B.A. and Esther Greenheck Foundation.

Artistic expression enriches lives in countless ways, and these grants help sustain a thriving arts scene in Marathon County.

Grant Recipients and Allocations

• Birnamwood Polka Days Inc. – $1,000 for a three-day polka music festival, a free community event.
• Center for Visual Arts – $5,000 for their Guest Curator Program, elevating underrepresented voices by hosting Indigenous artist Josie Hoffman as this year’s guest curator.
• CenterStage Band and Show Choir – $5,000 for “Hitova s druge strane Atlantika,” an annual free concert at Wausau’s historic Grand Theatre featuring live concert band, vocals, and choreography.
• Children’s Theater of Central Wisconsin, Inc. – $5,000 for the 2025–2026 season opener, “Madagascar: The Musical,” engaging actors aged 8–18 and attracting families across Central Wisconsin.
• Central Wisconsin Educational Theatre Alliance – $5,000 for Stage & Summer, a 24/7 musical theater immersion program and two-week summer camps fostering social-emotional growth, creative skills, and community connections.
• Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra – $3,000 for two educational programs: the Dorothy Vetter Memorial Educational Concerts for fourth-grade students and the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, both designed to inspire young musicians.
• Edgar Elementary School – $2,000 to host the Missoula Children’s Theatre for a week-long residency, culminating in performances for students and the community.
• Festival of Arts, Inc. – $5,000 for their annual downtown Wausau festival, promoting and empowering artists of all kinds.
• HELLO – $3,900 for their 2nd Anniversary Cultural Celebration, Ritmo y Sabor, a Kermés-style festival featuring live Latin music, folkloric dance, interactive games, art displays, and food vendors.
• Indian Society of Central Wisconsin, Inc. – $5,000 for their annual Diwali Community Celebration, uniting diverse attendees for an evening of culture, food, and entertainment.
• Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum – $5,000 for the monumental exhibition “Tiffany or Ti-phony? A Story of Desire,” featuring 45 Tiffany lamps from the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass, debuting in January 2026.
• Marathon County Public Library – $5,000 for the 2025 Central Wisconsin Book Festival, hosting 20–25 book events in Wausau, Stevens Point, and Wisconsin Rapids.
• Penguin Project of Central Wisconsin – $5,000 for staging their 2025 production of “Bugsy Malone Jr.,” creating theater opportunities for children with a range of abilities.
• Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. – $5,000 for pianist Robin Spielberg’s April 2026 residency at the Grand Theatre, including workshops, masterclasses, and outreach events exploring music and mental health.
• River Valley Jazz Society – $5,000 for a five-week summer series of free jazz concerts in July and August 2026 at Kickbusch Plaza in downtown Wausau.
• South Beach Chamber Ensemble – $4,500 for their 19th-anniversary celebration, featuring three chamber music concerts: a family-friendly program with a high school string quartet, a concert of Arriaga and Orbón string quartets, and a concert of Haydn, Shostakovich, and Chaminade piano trios.
• Summit Players Theatre – $1,250 for their Summer in the State Parks Tour, offering free Shakespeare workshops and performances, including a stop at Rib Mountain State Park in Marathon County.
• University of Wisconsin Stevens Point – $4,350 for their opera outreach program in North Central Wisconsin, providing free public and student performances to introduce opera to a wider audience.
• UWSP at Wausau – $5,000 for the 11th annual Vocal Jazz Festival, bringing a professional vocal jazz group for a two-day residency, culminating in a public performance in Wausau.

Funding Partners

These grants are funded through a partnership with the B.A. Esther Greenheck Foundation and the generosity of hundreds of donors to the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin. Contributions support community-driven artistic visions in Marathon County.

Anyone can donate directly to the Wausau Area Community Fund or establish a named impact fund. Both options accept gifts of cash, stocks, retirement assets, or bequests.

Named Funds Supporting the Arts

• Otto S. and Esther M. Holmskug – Silver (est. 1994)
• Clarion G. and Irene B. Sternberg – Bronze (est. 2002)
• Orville and Geraldine Peterson Family – Bronze (est. 2004)
• Caroline S. Mark – Platinum (est. 2005)
• Marvin C. and Ruth (Rudie) J. Schuette – Platinum (est. 2009)
• Nils Folke Jr. & Jean B. Becker – Platinum (est. 2013)
• Edward & Lois Drott – Platinum (est. 2016)
• James and Susan Lundberg – Gold (est. 2017)
• Tom and Marilyn Kraemer – Silver (est. 2023)
• William and Juliana Franzen – Silver (est. 2024)
• Wausau Business Fair – Granite (est. 2024)
• Harvey H. Scholfield Jr. Family – Granite (est. 2024)
• Jim and Jan Kemerling Family – Silver (est. 2025)
• Sue Nelson Legacy Fund – Granite (est. 2025)
• Mark and Rita Yaeger – Granite (est. 2025)
• Mary and Bill Mahony – Granite (est. 2025)
• Dennis and Bonnie Mealy – Quartzite (est. 2025)

Giving Tiers

• Diamond – $2,000,000 or more
• Platinum – $1,000,000 to $1,999,999
• Gold – $500,000 to $999,999
• Silver – $250,000 to $499,999
• Bronze – $100,000 to $249,999
• Quartzite – $50,000 to $99,999
• Granite – $10,000 to $49,999