Recently, Wisconsin’s starving artists went on a diet. To recap: the State budget panel just cut funding for the Wisconsin Arts Board by a crazy 66 percent. The Arts aren’t even considered an independent board anymore; they are simply a part of the Wis. Department of Tourism. So from 1.6 million they now get $535,000.

And in case you don’t remember, after this last round of state budget cuts, Wisconsin is now ranked 47 out of 50 for how much money we afford art programs. Which is basically a governmental shank to all the folks who believe these programs are a crucial part of making a community thrive in today’s economic and cultural climate. 

But this doesn’t stop other foundations from taking the matter into their own hands. For instance this shiny little victory in our own community …

The Eau Claire Regional Arts Center will host its annual Jubilee Gala on Thursday, June 2. This is a huge fundraiser for the center but this year it became even better. How so? The L.E. Phillips Family Foundation has announced their plans to match any donation the center receives up to $30,000.

That means if you buy some original art or jewelry at the silent auction or just make a donation, your money magically doubles to twice that amount. And on top of that, The State Theatre is commemorating their 85th birthday, so why not come and shriek happy birthday well supporting the arts?