Arts Business Competition Seeks Proposals from UW–Madison Student Arts Entrepreneurs, Announces 2024 Judge Panel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 26, 2023

Media contact: Kayla McGhee, Arts Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, kmcghee@wisc.edu 

URL: go.wisc.edu/ArtsBusinessCompetition 

Media kit: https://uwmadison.box.com/s/8jauedcton64mf7oq0erlwzdte2stokj

News article: https://artsdivision.wisc.edu/2023/10/26/abc-2024-call/ 

Arts Business Competition Seeks Proposals from UW–Madison Student Arts Entrepreneurs, Announces 2024 Judge Panel

Madison, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Arts Business Competition is currently accepting proposals through Thursday, December 21, 2023 until 11:59 p.m. CST. The competition was created in 2009 to encourage UW–Madison students to develop and present a thorough proposal for an arts event, exhibition, performance, series, commercial venture or other artistic project.

The Competition is open to students from any major, as well as projects featuring any arts disciplines. “This competition is for every student. This isn’t just for students that are committing their lives to the arts. This isn’t just for students who were raised in entrepreneurial households. This isn’t just for students that have had access and proximity to resources and encouragement. This is for any student with a cool artistic idea. We want students to feel empowered to submit a proposal, no matter what!” says Kayla McGhee, Arts Outreach and Engagement Coordinator. Entries may be from individuals or from teams of up to three. Only the team lead must be a full-time UW–Madison student; other members can be part-time students, students from other colleges or community members.

The top scored finalists advance to compete for the first-place prize of $2,000. Second place is $1,000 and third place is $500. Emerging Artist Awards for a proposal led by an undergraduate student (up to $500) is also available. Each year, a panel of judges reviews proposals for creativity, innovation, potential success and added value to the arts. Judges this year include Dr. Roxie Hentz, Founding Executive Director of CEOs of Tomorrow, Inc., booking agent and founder of Revel Talent Alliance Brandon Hughes and Associate Professor Helen Lee, Head of the Art Department Glass Lab, Faculty Director of The Studio and Impact 2030 Helen Burish Faculty Fellow.

Experts from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration offer a virtual mentorship meeting with finalists ahead of the finals event on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.Finalists will present their proposals on campus in front of the judges and an audience, and have until May 2025 to implement their ideas.

The Arts Business Competition is presented by the UW–Madison Division of the Arts in partnership with the Wisconsin School of Business Bolz Center for Arts Administration.

More details including the proposal requirements, timelines and sample proposals can be found by visiting go.wisc.edu/ArtsBusinessCompetition.

Judge Biographies

Dr. Roxie Hentz (she/her)  has over 30 years of experience in the education field, including service as a state education consultant, culturally responsive teacher leader, district-wide teacher mentor, university teacher-in-residence, adjunct professor and classroom teacher. Currently she is the Founding Executive Director of CEOs of Tomorrow, a non-profit organization offering interdisciplinary and experiential social entrepreneurship education to youth. CEOs of Tomorrow was recently awarded the 2021 Force for Positive Change Award, which recognizes leading businesses in social entrepreneurship as a model for solving social or environmental challenges in a way that is sustainable, just and generates impactful change in Wisconsin. 

She is the author of “It’s My Business: Inspiring Students’ Ideas for a Better Community” and “Youth Financial Wellness: A Resource Guide for Youth Organizations.” Among her many awards and recognitions for her dedication to urban education and community leadership are the Fulbright Distinguished Teacher Award, MOST (Madison Out-Of-School Time) Outstanding Youth Worker Award, Jammin’ 98.3 Black History Maker Award, V100 Radio’s Positively People, Wisconsin’s Economic Teacher of the Year, YWCA Madison’s Women of Distinction Award and was named one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Black Leaders. She has been featured in “BRAVA Magazine,” “Wisconsin State Journal,” “Madison Magazine,” Madison365, “The Cap Times,” “Capital City Hues,” WisBusiness.com, WMTV– Channel 15 News and The Morning Show on Botswana Television.

Dr. Hentz earned her bachelor’s degree in education, her master’s degree in business administration and her doctorate degree in education and leadership for the advancement of learning and service.

Brandon Hughes (he/him) is a booking agent from Indianapolis and the founder of the booking agency Revel Talent Alliance. Brandon got his start in the music business as a student at Purdue University where he booked and promoted shows with Panic! at the Disco, Brad Paisley, Walk The Moon and more. After school he moved to Chicago where he spent a few years learning the agency business at Monterey International and Paradigm Talent Agencies before launching Revel Talent Alliance in 2019. With a focus on artist development, Brandon has helped musicians build sustainable and fulfilling careers in touring while booking artists on some of the biggest stages and festivals in the country including Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. His current roster of 24 acts features an eclectic mix of artists including Nico Segal, Motherfolk, Siena Liggins and Ax and the Hatchetmen.

Helen Lee (she/they) is an artist, designer and educator. She holds an MFA in Glass from RISD and a BSAD in Architecture from MIT. Her work uses glass to explore language and identity. Recent exhibitions include: “Through a Glass Darkly” at Delaware Contemporary, “Translucency: the Tallinn Applied Art Triennial” at the Kai Art Center in Estonia and “Momentum | Intersection” at Toledo Museum of Art. Lee is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and serves as the Director of GEEX, the Glass Education Exchange.

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Ken Thompson, CEO of Capitol Bank named to Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago Board

FMI
Tracy Brooks
Marketing Director
Capitol Bank
710 N. High Point Road
Madison, Wisconsin 53717
(608) 836-1616

Ken Thompson, CEO of Capitol Bank named to Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago Board

Madison, WI (October 2023): Justin Hart, President of Capitol Bank, is pleased to announce that Capitol Bank CEO and Chairman, Ken Thompson, has been elected to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) Board of Directors.

The FHLBank Chicago provides reliable liquidity to member banks and other financial institutions in Illinois and Wisconsin. They offer products, solutions, and services to help members achieve asset liability management goals.

“Ken’s professional career has positioned him to be a strong asset to the FHLBank Chicago Board and we are delighted at the news of his appointment,” said Justin Hart.

In addition to his continued responsibilities at Capitol Bank, Ken will serve his 4-year term as director starting January 1, 2024.

“I am deeply honored to have been elected to this role which represents Wisconsin’s member organizations and look forward to serving among such highly esteemed and dedicated individuals,” stated Ken Thompson.

About Capitol Bank: Capitol Bank, locally owned and operated since 1995, is committed to serving the communities in which we live, work and do business. We are proud of the partnerships we have established with organizations, businesses and individuals in the Dane County area. Our philosophy of community support is demonstrated at the corporate level, as well as in the time and energy our employees devote to our community each year. Capitol Bank is a Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

Per Mar Security Services Celebrates 70 years of Excellence

Jordin Wilson, Per Mar Security Services
563-344-7313

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | October 26th, 2023

Per Mar Security Services Celebrates 70 years of Excellence

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Per Mar Security, the largest family-owned, full-service security company in the
Midwest, celebrates its 70th anniversary on October 31st, 2023.

On Halloween in 1953, John and Eleanor Duffy started Per Mar in their home on Iowa Street. Per Mar has a long history of providing its customers with the greatest security technologies, service, and physical
security solutions. While the company has grown and evolved its commitment to providing reliable security solutions to customers has never wavered.

Now led by the third generation of the Duffy Family, Per Mar has acquired many businesses and invested in cutting-edge technology to better serve the wants and needs of its customers. Security officer services,
intelligent video monitoring, advanced access control systems, and burglar alarm systems, are just a few
of their many products and services.

Over the years, the innovation has allowed Per Mar to help customers stay one step ahead of potential
security threats, by remaining proactive instead of reactive. Adopting this method has led to great success and steady growth for Per Mar.

The company’s commitment to its people and protecting what matters most is clear and is a testament to
its many years of business. A quote the leadership team refers to frequently is; Take care of your employees, they’ll take care of the customers, and the rest will take care of itself.

“My brother Brad and I feel fortunate to be a part of the third generation of our family to lead Per Mar. Per Mar’s success is a credit to many people here who have cared for the company like owners, and we try our best to lead through listening to the people serving our customers every day.” – Brian Duffy, CEO

To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Per Mar donated $70 in early September to each of the 25 branch’s
organization of choice for National Charity Day. The team will also be honoring each branch’s longest-standing employee to show their appreciation for their dedication and loyalty.

About Per Mar Security Services

Established in 1953, Per Mar Security Services is the largest, family-owned, full-service security company
in the Midwest with more than 2,800 team members, operating in 25 branch locations. The company
provides full-service security solutions for homes and businesses including live video monitoring, security
officer services, smart home automation, burglar and fire alarms, access control, security cameras, alarm
monitoring, investigative services, and background checks. For more information about Per Mar Security
Services, please visit permarsecurity.com.

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Wisconsin Union Theater: A Performance Fit for a Prince and Princess: 2018 Royal Wedding Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason to Perform in Madison Nov. 3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 24, 2023 

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

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READ RELEASE ONLINE: union.wisc.edu/about/news/sheku-kanneh-mason

A PERFORMANCE FIT FOR A PRINCE AND PRINCESS: 2018 ROYAL WEDDING CELLIST SHEKU KANNEH-MASON TO PERFORM IN MADISON NOV. 3

MADISON – Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason performed at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and, on Nov. 3 at Memorial Union in Madison, Wisconsin, audience members can experience the artistry that led to a personal phone invitation from the Duchess of Sussex to perform at her nuptials.

Playing an 18th-century cello crafted in Venice, Italy, Sheku will perform Suite for Solo Cello No. 2 in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Prayer for the Senses” by Gwilym Simcock, Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 by Benjamin Britten, Sonata for Solo Cello No. 2 by Leo Brouwer, Five Preludes for Solo Cello by Edmund Finnis, and Suite for Solo Cello by Gaspar Cassadó.

This performance is presented by the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) and the student-led Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee.

Kanneh-Mason began playing the cello at 6 years old and has gone on to be the first Black musician to win the BBC Young Musician of the Year Award and to become the youngest classical musician and the first cellist to rank in the Official U.K. Albums Chart Top 10.

“I love music,” Kanneh-Mason said. “I’ve always just been very fascinated by it.”

He has released three albums with Decca Records: “Inspiration” in 2018, “Elgar” in 2020, and “Song” in 2022, with more than 100,000 copies being sold worldwide. His albums span centuries and genres.

Less than five months after the release of his first album, he received a royal invitation from the now-Duchess of Sussex after she and the Duke of Sussex heard him play at a charity event. Almost 2 billion people watched him as he performed at the royal wedding in May 2018. 

“Any performance, no matter the audience, I guess, I still have the same mindset of communicating this piece of music that I’ve been working on and thinking about a lot,” Kanneh-Mason said about the experience in an interview with GQ.

“It’s so fortunate that Sheku’s internet fame from the royal wedding broadcast let the world know about him,” WUT Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “That event really catapulted him to be a household name. I’ve had multiple audience members ask me, ‘Can you get Sheku? Please bring Sheku to the classical series!’ I’m glad we could deliver on that request this year; it will be a special performance.”

His performance is part of the WUT 2023-24 Classical Series, which features chamber music stars and stars on the rise. Other WUT season events include dance, international music, jazz, and chamber music.

Patrons can save 20% on WUT season events through the brand-new build-your-own subscription options of three to five events for 15% off or six or more events for a 20% discount.

Patrons can purchase tickets to Kanneh-Mason’s performance online, at the Memorial Union Box Office, or by phone at (608) 265-2787.

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About the Wisconsin Union Theater

For more than 80 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 extensive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is committed to social justice and works to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive place for all who engage with the Theater’s programming, events, and activities. 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: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee is part of the Wisconsin Union’s leadership development program for UW–Madison students and supports the Wisconsin Union Theater’s mission of serving students through the performing arts. By helping to program the Theater’s annual season of performing arts presentations, the students learn about program curation, relationship-building, marketing, communications, budgeting, and production. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/get-involved/wud/performing-arts.