Do you love art in Milwaukee? Do you love breakfast? Join us for BREAKFAST CLUB, Part Two

A couple weeks ago a group of arts lovers met in Catalano Square (just South of The Broadway Theater Center in Milwaukee) for breakfast to discuss how they might work together to advocate for putting arts more front and center on our citywide agenda.

We're doing it again tomorrow, so if you love art, set your alarm clock and join us.

We welcome anyone who loves art in Milwaukee, makes art in Milwaukee, or simply believes that art and artists have a place at the table in a city that boasts often of its vibrant arts scene.

I've been involved in a lot of these, but I think this is the real deal. No oversight from a governing body, no axes to grind (well, maybe a few), and plenty of good energy of people looking for proactive things to empower artists and art lovers as major stakeholders in the whole process of getting things done here in Milwaukee.

Here's the details:

When: Friday, July 10
Time: 8am-9am
Where: Catalano Square, South of Broadway Theater Center
What to bring: Your breakfast, or coffee at least at that early hour

See you then!

Singing Skylight Protestors

Opera singers and musical theater types know how to harmonize their way through a protest.

THIS JUST IN FROM THE MANAGEMENT AND BOARD OF THE SKYLIGHT!

Nada.

Just saying.

The Former Skylight Den Mother puts on her protest shoes

I mean, come on. This is a sweet lady who has seen PIRATES OF PENZANCE like 47 times. It's a gloomy day when you crap on this lady.

More pics from Skylight Protest

Some Skylight protest eye candy.



That's Tamara Martinsek. Good sign.



Holding signs while singing. Tougher than it looks.



Colin Cabot meets with protesters. There's a theater named after him at The Skylight. Maybe you've heard.

My Daughters learn a thing or two about picketing at the Skylight Protest at the 411 Building (it ain't the last, folks)

Today, my daughters had their first venture into civil protest.



That's Dorothea in front. Carmela is pretty loud, so I imagine she was screaming somewhere (I regret to say I had to work and couldn't join my daughters in their first foray into public dissent.)

It seems fitting that Dorothea and Carmela were standing in front of the 411 Building protesting the Skylight's recent decision to eradicate their artistic integrity and hide behind a veil of nasty numbers as explanation for their short sighted action for many, many reasons.

First, and foremost, I met Dorothea and Carmela's mother at The Skylight when she directed me in a musical. Without that, no Dorothea, no Carmela.

Then, of course, there was the wedding that Dorothea's and Carmela's parents had in the Skylight bar with 200 or so of our closest friends and the Latin jazz band.

Also, we got a Baby Bjorn at a babyshower that we had at The Skylight thrown by our Skylight friends that both Dorothea and Carmela snuggled in, sometimes while their mother was directing an opera at The Skylight.

It made sense that these tikes were protesting in front of the 411 building along with other peaceful protesters because several floors above Skylight Board members were meeting today in the offices of Dorothea's Godfather, who I might add along with her Godmother has been kind to the little lady on birthdays and special events, admirably filling the role of Godparents.

Finally, it was fitting that my seven-year-old daughter and my three-year-old daughter protested for artistic integrity to be restored to The Skylight because they have a collective wisdom in their 10 years of life that allows them to know when something is just not right. These girls called it. The biz at Skylight still stinks, and I'm certain that if things don't change, we're going to be driving the ladies to fewer swim lessons and dance classes and many more sing-a-long protests like these.

The Huffington Post says The Skylight is following all the wrong rules

Michael Kaiser had a great article in The Huffington Post the other day called Arts in Crisis. I think it's a must read for anyone who thinks that cutting artistic programming or programmers and doing things like combining your marketing director's job with box office management duties is a bad idea.

Okay, it's for all of us who think that this Skylight mess is still a mess.

Really, it's for all of us who think that the key thing about making art is making art. Not making money, and not even operating out of a fear of possible bankruptcy and insolvency.

Michael Kaiser suggests there might be other options. Hmmm? That seems to be a siren call that some people don't seem to hear no matter how high you tune it up.

Who is this Michael Kaiser, you ask? Some crazy artist slinging vitriol and art speak all over the web? Not quite.

Michael Kaiser is the President of The Kennedy Center. In response to a national art crisis, Kaiser has basically made The Kennedy Center a lab for arts groups struggling through tough times. In fact, arts groups that are having problems can apply to the Arts in Crisis program through The Kennedy Center for Kaiser and his crew to come in and give some advice and help.

Yet another example that there are other options available to struggling arts groups other than subjugating their art for a downsizing plan that focuses only on dollars without a lot of sense.

Read the whole article, but here's a sample quote from Kaiser:

We can survive the current economic downturn if we keep our programming vital and work harder than ever to convey our message. Those arts organizations who compete well will survive and recover when the economy recovers. Those that continue to cut away at their programming are likely to become irrelevant.

• The Recession