Create Wisconsin Day

Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State Street, Madison

Registration will open after January 1, 2025.

Check out the Local and Creativity Arts Conference
Monday, March 24, 2025

Art + Literature Lab, 111 S. Livingston St., Madison

Presenting Create Wisconsin Day; Wisconsin’s most important statewide creative sector conference! This opportunity follows the annual Local Arts Conference, which supports further networking, technical assistance, and idea-sharing.

We expect several hundred attendees from all corners of the state to gather in Madison. The conference will feature speakers, workshops, discussions and constituent meetings. This opportunity gives everyone with experiences in the arts, business, and government to network and speak about the arts and creative economy in their communities.

 Create Wisconsin’s legislative agenda for 2024-2025 (go to the Legislative Action Center for more info)

  • Invest in Wisconsin’s creative assets by increasing funding for grants awarded on a competitive basis by the Wisconsin Arts Board to creative industries that have a demonstrated strategy to increase economic activity or positively impact a community through increased community gathering, a cultural highlight, or unique service, or that propose a new creative endeavor or to expand a current creative enterprise.

    • “Creative industries” means organizations, individuals, and companies whose products and services have their origin in artistic, cultural, creative, and/or aesthetic content, as a critical sector in resilient and sustainable community and regional economic development.

  • Rural Creative Economy Development Program:  to establish legislation to provide critical state support to economic development and promotional organizations and local government agencies for the purpose of cultural planning and creative economic development programs. Eligible projects will serve the rural creative economy and creative industries through hob and business creation and capacity-building, workforce training and development, community and sector planning, development and engagement, and products or services with artistic, cultural, creative, or aesthetic qualities. 

  • Action Wisconsin is a coalition of people and businesses working to create and retain jobs, enhance the economy, and promote tourism state-wide through film and television production. Wisconsin is one of only five states lacking a film office and one of ten without any production incentives. Without these essential resources in place, the state is missing out on significant economic opportunities. We seek a bill to create film & television production incentives and a state film office, to grow jobs and investment through more film and television programs and projects produced throughout the state. Click here for information via Action!WI.


Create Wisconsin Day 2024 took place on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at the Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison.  A pre-conference took place Tuesday, February 20, at the new Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras Center for Music.

Participants represented Appleton, Bristol, Cedarburg, Cudahy, Evansville, Franklin, Green Bay, Green Lake, Janesville, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, Mineral Point, Neenah, Oregon, Prairie du Sac, Sheboygan, Spring Green, Stevens Point, Superior, Viroqua, Waterloo, Waupun, Wausau, and Whitewater, and a wide range of organizations, agencies, disciplines, creative endeavors, and interests.

Thanks to our advocacy partners:

Thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters:

Contact Create Wisconsin with questions, comments, and ideas.