by Kevin Zimmermann
(WHBL) – Cultural organizations in Wisconsin that have been strangled by restrictions imposed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are being offered a lifeline through a $5 million grant announced Thursday by Governor Tony Evers. The program provides eligible organizations grant awards of up to $250,000 to cover pandemic-related impacts such as lost revenue and increased costs related to workers comp, cleaning and sanitization, and purchases of services or equipment needed for remote workers. The money is available through federal CARES act dollars.
Sheboygan’s Weill Center Foundation which oversees the operation of the Stefanie Weill Center for the Performing Arts, joined other such entities in Wisconsin in a change.org petition drive last month in hopes of prompting such state support, without which it’s estimated that 90% of similar venues could be forced to permanently close. That’s according to the National Independent Venue Association.
In making the announcement, Governor Evers said that such arts organizations play a pivotal role in both local and statewide economies, and that they will be critical to our state’s financial recovery.
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