THE ARTS IN MILWAUKEE

An esteemed arts leader for 34 years, Anna M. Thompson joined the Greater Milwaukee community this May as the executive director of the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts. Anna comes to the Wilson Center from the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she served for 2 1/2 years as the associate vice president and executive director, overseeing a $4.8 million budget and producing and presenting more than 700 performances, residencies and events annually. Previously a music educator, Anna served for eight years as executive director of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and the Judd and Mary Lou Leighton Director for the Performing Arts at University of Notre Dame. Anna also spent 10 years in Minnesota at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Before that, she served for 14 years as an arts administrator at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Butler University and Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library.

Anna was drawn to the Wilson Center for its remarkable architecture, beautiful setting, diverse programming, demonstrated commitment to collaboration and mission to be the catalyst for lifelong discovery and exploration of the arts. Situated in Brookfield’s beautiful Mitchell Park, the Wilson Center has served as a west-side anchor in Milwaukee’s vibrant arts community since opening its doors in 2002, with yearround performances, arts education programs, classes, exhibitions, festivals, and special events. Now entering its 2018-2019 season, the Wilson Center annually engages more than 45,000 people, including more than 10,000 students every year, in the arts.