The head of the Wisconsin Arts Board thinks Wisconsin has a thriving arts community, but the funding for it trails a neighboring state by a wide margin.
The Wisconsin Arts Board toured Rhinelander, Three Lakes, Eagle River and Land O' Lakes last Friday. Executive Director George Tzougros gave a comparison of Wisconsin's funding for the arts compared to neighboring Minnesota....
"....the per-capita funding in Wisconsin is 14 cents per person, in Minnesota, $6.36 per person. The difference is in Minnesota they tax themselves. They created the Legacy Amendment and that amendment has thrown off a good deal of money in support of the arts...."
Tzougros says private donors in Wisconsin have helped close the gap.
The Minnesota Legacy Amendment was passed in 2008. It increased the state sales tax by three-eighths of one percent until 2034. The additional sales tax revenue is distributed into four funds, 33 percent to the clean water and 33 percent to the outdoor heritage fund 20 percent to the arts and cultural heritage fund and 14 percent to the parks and trails fund. Meanwhile, Tzougros says while not like traditional brick- and- mortar businesses, the work artisans do contributes to the economy of a community...
".....it's about making things individual. So you're thinking about processes, your creating, and then you're making things tailored to people. So it could be anything from a really beautiful little object somebody makes to an interactive film. In the end, that's what our 21st Century economy is....."
Tzougros says you have to start in the schools learning about creativity. He says later in life the community will need a talented work force which artists do with creative thinking and problem solving. He says the people who become entrepreneurs are people who can think creatively.
