Community Arts Grants Update
June 17, 2025
From dancing to polka music or meeting friends at a jazz festival to supporting kids of all abilities at their annual performance or attending an introduction to opera program, Community Arts grants breathe the vibrancy into our community that we all crave. Artistic expression enhances life in so many ways, which is why we are so thankful for the generosity of our donors and the B.A. and Esther Greenheck Foundation, which make these grants possible.
Our community’s art scene is strong – together, we are keeping it that way!
Birnamwood Polka Days Inc. | $1,000 toward the three-day polka music festival, a free event for the community.
Center for the Visual Arts | $5,000 for their guest curator program, which lifts the voices of underrepresented communities by inviting and investing in guest curators to coordinate an exhibit at the CVA; after a successful launch of the program last year, this year the CVA is hosting Indigenous artist Josie Hoffman as their Guest Curator.
CenterStage Band and Show Choir | $5,000 to help bring “Hits from Across the Atlantic” to North Central Wisconsin through its annual free show at Wausau’s historic Grand Theater, complete with a live concert band, outstanding vocals, and energetic choreography.
Central Wisconsin Children’s Theatre, Inc. | $5,000 to provide funding for “Madagascar the Musical,” which will kick off their 2025–2026 season. The show will appeal to a range of age of actors 8 to 18 and attract families and adults from throughout central Wisconsin.
Central Wisconsin Educational Theater Alliance | $5,000 toward Stage & Summer, their 24/7 Musical Theater Immersion Initiative and Summer Workshop Opportunities, which bridges a high-energy 24-hour musical with immersive two-week summer camps, offering comprehensive artistic development. Participants experience significant social-emotional growth while building lasting creative skills and meaningful community connections through artistic engagement.
Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra | $3,000 towards two education programs, the Dorothy Vetter Memorial Education Concerts for Central Wisconsin fourth graders and the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra program. Both high-level programs actively engage and inspire students in Central Wisconsin.
Edgar Elementary School | $2,000 to help bring in Missoula Children’s Theater for a one-week residency for Edgar School District students. Students will have the opportunity to perform in a full-scale musical production, with performances at the end of the residency for students and for the community.
Festival of Arts, Inc. | $5,000 towards hosting its annual festival held in the heart of downtown Wausau, aiming to promote, encourage, and empower artists of all kinds.
HOLA | $3,900 to help host their 2nd Anniversary Cultural Celebration, Ritmo y Sabor, a one-day cultural arts event celebrating Latino heritage. This Kermés-style festival will feature live Latin music, folkloric dance performances, interactive cultural games, art display, and food vendors.
Indian Society of Central Wisconsin, Inc | $5,000 towards their annual cultural event, Diwali Community Celebration, which unites a diverse group of attendees for an evening of culture, food, and entertainment.
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum | $5,000 toward their monumental exhibition, “Tiffany or Ti-phony? A Story of Desire,” created by the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in Queens, New York. Featuring forty-five Tiffany lamps, it is the largest traveling exhibition from the Neustadt to date and will debut at the Woodson Art Museum in January 2026.
Marathon County Public Library | $5,000 to help host their 2025 Central Wisconsin Book Festival, consisting of 20-25 book events in Wausau, Stevens Point, and Wisconsin Rapids, primarily in-person.
Penguin Project of Central Wisconsin | $5,000 to help purchase staging for their 2025 show, “Bugsy Malone Jr.” The Penguin Project creates theater opportunities for kids with a range of abilities; with the help of many volunteers, the “penguins” put on an annual performance.
Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. | $5,000 for welcoming pianist Robin Spielberg to the Grand Theater in April 2026. The artist will lead workshops, masterclasses, and outreach events, offering students and community members opportunities to engage with her craft and learn more about the relationship between music and mental health.
River Valley Jazz Society | $5,000 to help host their five-week summer series of free jazz concerts on Sundays in July and August of 2026 at Kickbusch Plaza (downtown Wausau just west of the Library).
South Beach Chamber Ensemble | $4,500 toward the celebration of its nineteenth anniversary, entailing three chamber music concerts: Mozart on the Move, a family-friendly program with a high school string quartet, a concert featuring Arriaga and Orbón string quartets, and a concert featuring Haydn, Shostakovich and Chaminade piano trios.
Summit Players Theatre | $1,250 toward the Summer in the State Parks Tour, hosting free, public Shakespeare workshops and performances throughout Wisconsin in June and July of 2025. The tour will include a performance at Rib Mountain State Park in Marathon County.
University of Wisconsin Stevens Point | $4,350 toward their opera outreach program in North Central Wisconsin, offering free public and student performances. The program aims to introduce opera to a wider audience, enriching cultural education and inspiring interest in the arts. Funding will help cover production costs, student fees, and educational materials.
UWSP at Wausau | $5,000 toward its 11th annual Vocal Jazz Festival, which brings a professional vocal jazz group to campus for a two-day residency. The guest artists work with students from UWSP and from across the upper Midwest as part of the Friday festival that concludes with a public performance in Wausau.
What makes these grants possible?
We team up with the B.A. Esther Greenheck Foundation to fund the Community Arts grants. Along with their contribution, these grants are fueled by the generosity of hundreds of donors to the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin! All gifts help bring to life more community-brightening visions for Marathon County.
Anyone can give directly to the Wausau Marathon County Fund or establish their own impact fund, called a Named Fund for Wausau Marathon County. Both options of gifts are invested for growth and are designed to accept gifts of cash, stock, retirement assets, or bequests.
Named Funds for Wausau Marathon County:
- Otto S. & Esther M. Holmskug | Silver | 1994
- Clarion G. & Irene B. Sternberg | Bronze | 2002
- Orville & Geraldine Peterson Family | Bronze | 2004
- Caroline S. Mark | Platinum | 2005
- Marvin C. & Ruth (Rudie) J. Schuette | Platinum | 2009
- Nils Folke Jr. & Jean B. Becker | Platinum | 2013
- Edward & Lois Drott | Platinum | 2016
- James & Susan Lundberg | Gold | 2017
- Tom & Marilyn Kraemer | Silver | 2023
- William & Juliana Franzen | Silver | 2024
- Wausau Business Show | Granite | 2024
- Harvey H. Scholfield Jr. Family | Granite | 2024
- Jim & Jan Kemerling Family | Silver | 2025
- Sue Nelson Legacy of Service Fund | Granite | 2025
- Mark & Rita Yaeger | Granite | 2025
- Mary & Bill Mahony | Granite | 2025
- Dennis & Bonnie Mealy | Quartzite | 2025
Giving Levels:
Diamond | $2,000,000 or more
Platinum | $1,000,000 to $1,999,999
Gold | $500,000 and $999,999
Silver | $250,000 and $499,999
Bronze | $100,000 to $249,999
Quartzite | $50,000 to $99,999
Granite | $10,000 to $49,999
More News
Impact Grants Update – June 2025
Another wave of grants means donor generosity is impacting our community! When donors give to the Community Foundation, [...]
Impact Grants Update – March 2025
Donor generosity is on the move in our community! From supporting GiGi's Playhouse with essential supplies to keep [...]
Impact Grants Update – January 2025
A Bright Start to the New Year in North Central Wisconsin! As we step into 2025, our community’s [...]