Powers and duties
Wis. Stat. § 41.53
in effect(1) The board shall:
(a) Continually study the artistic and cultural activities within the state.
(b) Assist arts activities in the state.
(c) Assist communities in creating and developing their own arts programs.
(d) Encourage and assist freedom of artistic expression.
(e) Promulgate rules, pursuant to ch. 227, for the implementation and operations of this subchapter.
(f) Plan and implement, when funds are available in the appropriations under s. 20.380 (3) (b) and (o), a program of contracts with or grants-in-aid to groups or, in appropriate cases, individuals of exceptional talent engaged in or concerned with the arts. No grantee may receive any funds distributed as grants-in-aid under this paragraph unless the grantee provides at least 50 percent of the estimated total cost of the project, either in the form of moneys or in-kind contributions of equivalent value, to be funded under this paragraph.
(fm) Conduct a program identical to that described in par. (f), but only for American Indian individuals and groups. The program shall be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.380 (3) (km).
(g) Arrange and schedule the portrait of the governor or any former governor. Costs incurred under this paragraph shall be charged to the appropriation under s. 20.380 (3) (c) up to a limit of $10,000 per portrait. Costs in excess of $10,000 per portrait may be charged to the appropriation under s. 20.380 (3) (c) only with the prior approval of the joint committee on finance.
(h) Annually, award an amount equal to at least 5 percent of all state and federal funds received by the board in that year for grants to artists and arts organizations to artists who are minority group members and arts groups composed principally of minority group members. In this paragraph, “minority group member” has the meaning specified in s. 16.287 (1) (f).
(i) Administer challenge grant programs for the purpose of encouraging the fund-raising efforts of arts organizations.
(j) Annually pay to the Milwaukee Foundation, Inc., for deposit in the High Point fund, the amount appropriated under s. 20.380 (3) (e).
(2) The board may:
(a) Enter into contracts with individuals, organizations, units of government and institutions for services furthering the development of the arts and humanities.
(am) Enter into contracts with American Indian individuals, organizations and institutions and American Indian tribal governments for services furthering the development of the arts and humanities.
(b) Accept all gifts and grants and expend them for the purposes intended.
(c) Award an operational grant to an organization if the sum of all operational grants awarded in the current year does not exceed 50 percent of the sum of all grants awarded to organizations from the appropriations under s. 20.380 (3) (b) and (o) in the current year. In this paragraph, “operational grant” means a grant awarded by the board to support those administrative costs of an organization that are not directly related to the development of an artistic performance or product.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/41.53Fetched: 10/7/2026