The Mission of the Greater Kenosha Area Foundation Arts Fund is to encourage and enhance cultural life and public art in the Kenosha area through facilitation, recognition, and financial support.
The Arts Fund was created in 1996 with gifts by donors interested in supporting the broad range of arts in the community. By 2001, contributions had increased the Fund to more than $20,000. That year, leaders of the Foundation formed the Greater Kenosha Arts Committee, led by a nine-person Arts Fund Executive Committee. These individuals of diverse backgrounds, all sharing a keen interest in the cultural resources of Kenosha County, set the agenda for the Arts Fund.
The Arts Fund conducted its first public event on September 28, 2002 with a community awareness and fund raising reception at the Niemi Sculpture Gallery and Garden. Some 150 people attended the event, which featured works by sculptor Bruce Niemi and thirty other local and national artists, as well as music and refreshments. The reception was sponsored by Petretti Properties and raised more than $6,000 for the Arts Fund. By mid-2003 the Arts Fund had grown to exceed $30,000.
The Arts Committee has established the following objectives to carry out its mission:
- Development and publication of a comprehensive inventory of artists, arts organizations, and cultural resources in Kenosha County.
- Creation of a Website (in conjunction with the Greater Kenosha Area Foundation Website) to promote communication among people engaged or interested in the arts.
- Financial resource development to increase the principal of the Arts Fund and enhance the Foundation’s capacity to provide financial support to the arts.
- Development of a process for annual grant-making from the Arts Fund.
- Facilitation of the Arts Forum, a local group of artists and arts organizations.
Arts Fund Executive Committee – 2004
Patricia Petretti, Chair
Patte Heller Bleil, Secretary/Treasurer
Connie Ferwerda, Community Liaison
Ray Forgianni
Marialyce Kornkven
Diane Levesque
Giancarlo Potente
Michael Serpe
John Weiss
