Wisconsin Union Theater Accepting Sign-Ups for First-Ever Open Piano Day

Contact Information: Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Office: (608) 262-8862
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu

WISCONSIN UNION THEATER ACCEPTING SIGN-UPS FOR FIRST-EVER OPEN PIANO DAY

MADISON – Pianists may now sign-up to play the Wisconsin Union Theater’s historic Steinway Concert Grand Piano during the Theater’s Open Piano Day on Sept. 22 from 1-4 p.m. in Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall.

Purchased in 1991, each pianist in the Wisconsin Union Theater’s Concert Series has been offered the opportunity to sign the Steinway. The tradition of signing the Theater’s Steinway Concert Grand Pianos began in 1950 at the suggestion of Richard P. Leach, the then-director of the Metropolitan Opera Guild.

The Concert Series’s 100^th season will begin Oct. 6  and continue through May 2, 2020, with performances by some of the world’s most renowned classical musicians and ensembles, such as Emanuel Ax, who will play the Theater’s Concert Grand Piano on Nov. 2.

The Steinway that pianists will play Sept. 22 is the fourth Concert Grand Piano featured in the Wisconsin Union Theater’s programming history. The piano has been played by dozens of musicians, including Lise de la Salle, Richard Goode and Joyce Yang, all of whom were invited to sign the piano.

“We are allowing the public to connect up close with our Steinway Concert Grand Piano for the first time on Open Piano Day,” Concert Series Coordinator Amanda Venske said. “Guests will have ability to play the piano on the Shannon Hall stage and view the collection of pianists’ signatures up close. Open Piano Day puts a twist on our more than 50-year tradition.”

The event will also include a cardboard cut-out image of the piano, which Open Piano Day attendees can sign.

Open Piano Day is presented by the Wisconsin Union Theater in collaboration with the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee.

For more information about this event, including how to sign-up to perform, visit union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/open-piano-day.

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About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee plans and promotes events for the historic Wisconsin Union Theater stages. The student-led committee programs a variety of events to provide a diverse and cultural experience for students, faculty, alumni, community members and visitors. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/get-involved/wud/performing-arts.

About the Wisconsin Union Theater

For more than 75 years, the Wisconsin Union Theater has served as a center for cultural activity in the heart of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The Theater hosts performances in multiple locations, including Memorial Union, and has an expansive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is part of the Wisconsin Union, a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Theater: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

[Note to the editor: Click here to download a photo of our Steinway Concert Grand Piano on the stage in Shannon Hall. Photo provided by the Wisconsin Union.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/open-piano-day, 

CG Schmidt Purchases Building for New Office

Madison, WI – CG Schmidt, a Milwaukee-based construction management and general contracting firm, announced today the purchase of the office building located at 433 West Washington Avenue in Madison. This building will serve as CG Schmidt’s permanent Madison office, replacing the current office space the firm occupies on the fourth floor of 10 West Mifflin Street on the Capitol Square. CG Schmidt has been building in the Madison area for more than 40 years, with a dedicated Madison office since 2006. 2020 marks the construction company’s 100-yearanniversary.

“This move has been in the works since we first established a Madison office thirteen years ago. We want to make the statement to our clients, partners and the community as a whole that we are committed to being a Madison construction firm, being a Madison taxpayer, and that we are putting down permanent roots in Wisconsin’s Capitol City,” said CG Schmidt, Senior Vice President and Owner, Eric Schmidt. “It has taken our family a while to find the right location that meets our needs as a growing office and to define collaborative spaces that help us to serve our clients more efficiently. We now have that with this new building.”

The five-story, 34,255 square-foot commercial office building was purchased from Keller Real Estate Group and will be completely remodeled with a modern design and features, and updated for efficiency and sustainability. The design for the building was created by Kahler Slater Architects. Construction has begun and it is slated for completion in July of 2020. CG Schmidt will occupy three floors, with two floors available for commercial and retail lease.

CG Schmidt is a family-owned and operated construction management and general contracting firm, headquartered in Milwaukee, specializing in community, commercial, industrial, healthcare and educational facility construction throughout Wisconsin. 2020 marks the firm’s 100^th year in business. Several of the firm’s notable Madison projects include UW-Madison Union South, St. Paul University Catholic Center, Hovde Properties 316 West Washington Avenue Building, and the new Madison Youth Arts Center, which is currently under construction.

For more information, please contact Sarah Dunn, Vice President, at (608) 960-4102 or sarah.dunn@cgschmidt.com.

Attachment: Exterior Building Rendering (View from the North on West Washington Avenue)

Broker-Led Investor Group Launches BrokerTech Ventures

Contact: Kacie Conroy, Director of Information Technology, M3 Insurance
kacie.conroy@m3ins.com, 608-288-2795

M3 Insurance, along with Holmes Murphy, PayneWest Insurance, ABD Insurance & Financial Services, and Conner Strong & Buckelew, are pleased to announce the launch of BrokerTech Ventures, the first program specifically for investors and innovators building the next generation of tech solutions for insurance agencies and brokerages.

BrokerTech Ventures will deploy a highly intentional accelerator curriculum, as well as a veteran mentoring network, seed funding for a portion of the chosen startups’ research and testing, and a distribution platform to deploy the technologies. Startup companies can apply for a spot in the first BrokerTech Ventures cohort starting in late October 2019, with program launch planned for February 2020.

“The idea behind the alignment of BrokerTech Ventures as both an accelerator and an investment vehicle is that we have an opportunity to shape a product or solution alongside the startup,” said Mike Victorson, president and CEO of M3 Insurance and co-founder of BrokerTech Ventures alongside Holmes Murphy. “We intend on being active participants in the insurance technology space and offering a testing ground to benefit our clients.”

Dan Keough, chairman and CEO of Holmes Murphy added, “BrokerTech Ventures will alleviate some technology-related pain points by creating an ‘innovation hub’ for startups to test broker-centric ideas and products while bringing new and innovative ideas and solutions to our customers.”

In further building the resources available through BrokerTech Ventures, the owner agencies plan to partner with additional privately held, like-minded, and geographically-diverse insurance agencies and brokerages. A targeted, executive search is in progress for the organization’s first managing director, and Brian Hemesath, former managing director of the Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA) and a noted InsurTech leader, will provide guidance and counseling on the initiative as the architecture and curriculum for BrokerTech Ventures are built.

About M3
M3 is the largest insurance broker and risk management firm in the state of Wisconsin. As a top 50 broker in America, we’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work. For more information on M3, visit www.m3ins.com.

About BrokerTech Ventures
Based in the insurance nucleus of Des Moines, Iowa, BrokerTech Ventures is the first broker-led investor group and accelerator program focused on delivering innovation to the insurance agent-broker industry. Founded in 2019, BrokerTech Ventures provides a venue for the best minds in insurance and technology to collaborate and bring to market leading-edge ideas and solutions. BrokerTech Ventures invests in the research and testing for each of the chosen startups, provides access to veteran industry mentors, and helps scale the technology to market through broker distribution channels.

Common Council Rejects Resolution Opposing F-35A Basing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Sept. 17, 2019)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – Tonight the Madison Common Council rejected a resolution that opposed the basing of the next-generation F-35A jet at Madison’s Truax Field. In response to tonight’s vote, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon released the following statement:

“We are pleased that the council sent a message of support to the 115^th Fighter Wing by voting to oppose this resolution. The long-term health of the 115^th is vital to our economy and our community, and basing the F-35A at Truax Field will protect the livelihoods of the 1,200 Airmen – our friends, neighbors and guardians – who currently work there.

“We appreciate the mayor and council’s focus on ensuring a high quality of life for our residents, and those concerns can be balanced with maintaining Greater Madison’s economic momentum. This community has resolved similar challenges many times before, whether it is the interstate, major thoroughfare reconstruction like Verona Road or our railroad crossings.

“We will continue to support this new mission to ensure the benefits of the base – including supporting 1,264 permanent jobs and 400 construction jobs, generating $100 million in annual economic impact, providing emergency services for the airport and giving tuition support to area students who serve in the Guard – remain in Greater Madison for decades to come.”

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at madisonbiz.com.

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Jerry, Rachelle & Vanessa Butler’s Living Sculptures brings multi-media, multi-generational collaboration to Madison Ballet’s studios for Gallery Night

CONTACT: Gretchen Bourg, (608) 278-7990, gretchen@madisonballet.org

MADISON, WI – Madison Ballet is proud to present the original choreography of Rachelle Butler, inspired by the visual art of her father and sister. Part of Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)’s Gallery Night, Living Sculptures will see the student dancers of School of Madison Ballet perform surrounded by paintings and collages of prolific local artists, Jerry Butler and Vanessa Butler.
 
The home of Madison Ballet will be transformed to a performance space and art gallery in the first public performance offered there since moving to their new studios at 6734 Odana Road. All ages are encouraged to visit Madison Ballet for these series of free performances on Friday, October 4th, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.. Performances will be every 30 minutes. Refreshments will be provided through the generous sponsorship of Willy Street Co-op.

Rachelle Butler is the Director of the School of Madison Ballet. Ms. Butler’s professional training began with Madison Ballet, then Wisconsin Dance Ensemble, in 1999. She was accepted on full scholarship to The Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, where she trained under dancers from American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. Ms. Butler began her teaching career as a student with Ballet Chicago and honed her teaching style while performing with Sacramento Ballet and Madison Ballet.

Her choreographic works include a commercial with MG&E’s genre3060, Capital City Theatre’s Find Your Light program and with the students of the School of Madison Ballet. Ms. Butler’s passion for bringing ballet to underprivileged youth sparked her to work in the Chicago, Sacramento, and Madison communities in outreach and education throughout her career.

Jerry Butler is a visual artist, writer, and educator from southern Mississippi whose path has gone from teaching elementary school to college to college student and back again many times — each iteration lead him to grow more as an artist. He holds a PhD in Arts Education, an MFA in 2D art, and has done post graduate work with Harvard University. He currently resides in the Madison area developing programs to embrace art as a form of expression and utility in times of struggle.

The School of Madison Ballet is designed to take students through a comprehensive curriculum of classical ballet and related studies. SMB provides quality training for students of all levels who will gain the poise, confidence, discipline, and fundamental life skills inherent in the study of classical ballet.