Imagine MKE raises $195,000, supports 423 Milwaukee artists
It was early March, and Milwaukee singer-songwriter Zach Pietrini was in the middle of a 17-date tour when the coronavirus crisis hit the United States with a vengeance.
South by Southwest, the massive music festival in Austin that Pietrini had built his tour around, was canceled.
“When I saw that cancel, I knew there was no way this was happening,” Pietrini said. “I watched all my shows canceled one by one. That was a really big hit. That was six to seven months of planning and two to three months of income.”
After returning home, Pietrini said he “had a quick freak-out for two days.” He’s still waiting for his stimulus check and tax returns. He’s been adjusting to the loss of income by selling watercolors, commissioning songs, streaming sets for tips online — and getting support from Imagine MKE, a nonprofit that supports Milwaukee artists.
On March 13, the day after concerts and events started getting canceled in Milwaukee, Imagine MKE set up the MKE Artist Relief Fund to help artists who lost work.
The fundraising goal was $50,000. Thursday, organizers announced they had raised $195,000. It was the combined amount requested by applicants during the first three weeks the fund was open, according to Imagine MKE.
“They have been working so hard to make sure artists in the city are taken care of,” Pietrini said. “Every week they were checking in, letting me know where they were at. That was really nice, with all the weird unknowns.”
The MKE Relief Fund, which closed April 30, is supporting 423 applicants in Milwaukee County, each receiving grants worth up to $500.
The breakdown among recipients who identified their medium: 213 visual artists, 134 musicians, 74 film and video artists, 61 dancers, 47 theater artists and 28 literary artists. Fiftyfour recipients defined themselves as other, with trades ranging from photography to comedy to fashion and jewelry design.
Rapper Zed Kenzo is one of those artists benefiting from the fund. Like Pietrini, she saw income from planned gigs wiped out.
“I’ve been trying to stay motivated, but it’s really hard,” Zed Kenzo said. “When I found I was a (relief fund) recipient, I was elated. I definitely need as much money as I can get right now.”
Major support came from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation ($67,100), Bader Philanthropies ($50,000), the Black Box Fund ($25,000) and Brico Fund ($5,000). A combined 349 individual gifts totaled $41,156. And some Milwaukee artists also contributed to the MKE Artist Relief Fund, according to Imagine MKE, donating portions of sales in April and May.
Imagine MKE’s fundraising campaign also had organizational support from the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network, local label N43 Records, Arts Wisconsin, Downtown BID and No Studios.
“We are in awe of our community’s response to our urgent call to support Milwaukee’s artists,” Imagine MKE CEO David Lee said in a statement. “While we knew the need for help would be great, we could never have known just how many artists would raise their hands — and how significantly our city’s foundations, organizations, and arts supporters would show up.”
While the Imagine MKE relief fund is closed, the fund’s website continues to offer links to other fundraising efforts and resources.
“I think people want to help more than anything,” Kenzo said. “It’s definitely been overwhelming, in a really positive way.”
“It’s huge and amazing that they’ve been able to help,” Pietrini said. “The more we see stuff like that in Milwaukee, the healthier the ecosystem is. … It’s really encouraging, and I’m super grateful for it.”
Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
Piet also talks concerts, local music and more on “TAP’d In” with Jordan Lee. Hear it at 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9), or wherever you get your podcasts.