While visual and performing arts enrich our cultural identity and cultivate our humanity, they also stimulate our economy, providing jobs and paychecks. 

In Waunakee, the arts have an engine powered by the Create Waunakee committee and its supporting nonprofit, Create Waunakee Inc., the fundraising arm. 

Natasha Lutes, Create Waunakee Inc. president, spoke to the Waunakee Rotary Club Jan. 4 about arts in Waunakee and an upcoming fundraiser to support the work. 

Lutes has lived in Waunakee for the past 14 years, and for the past 16, has been creating and selling art. As her five children grew older, allowing her to devote less of her time to them, she became involved with Create Waunakee. 

That committee grew out of Waunakee’s creative economy initiative, a government push to help showcase Waunakee’s arts and innovation. It began with the Imagination Celebration events in 2012 and 2013, inviting visual and performing artists to Waunakee High School to unveil their work. Over the years, additional programs, including Art on Main, developed.

In 2020, the citizen committee Create Waunakee was formed, and as the pandemic kept everyone home, the members practiced innovation and creativity by planning events over Zoom, Lutes said. 

That was the year Art on Main featured butterflies as the theme, and Lutes began collaborating with award-winning photographer Rona Neri on their contributions for Art on Main installations. 

A partnership between the village and Endres Manufacturing, that public arts project will celebrate its 10th year summer, and is now just one of several projects Create Waunakee organizes. 

The others include the Artisan Market at Schumacher Farm Park in early October, where vendors fill the grounds to show and sell their works. Create Waunkaee also took over Live from the Park, the summer concert series at Waunakee Village Park begun by Katie Lowery. It spearheaded the first community-made mural on South Street near the former library, called “Stronger Together,” then worked on another mural project, Waunakee Wings, with Michelle Kullmann.

This is the second year artists have hosted the Holiday Artisan Crawl, selling their work at three Southbridge Homes, Lutes said. They also helped launch Make Music Day, an international celebration of music on the summer solstice, in Waunakee. 

One of the newer programs is Paint the Plow, with Waunakee students painting village plows. 

Many of these projects bring people into the downtown area, helping to spur the local economy and support the arts.

Lutes pointed out that the arts make up 4.4% of the nation’s economy. They also beautify public spaces and strengthen community pride and identity.

But Wisconsin spends the least on the arts per capita of any other state, amplifying a need for private funding. The nonprofit Create Waunakee Inc. is a means to that end, and has a large fundraiser set for Feb. 17.

The Ball of Creativity: Whimsical is planned as a formal gala event with “creativity at every turn” at the Waunakee public library featuring three different performance areas plus a silent auction. It will fill the entire Waunakee library, Lutes said. 

“It’s an event designed to allow community members to connect and engage with artists and performers from Waunakee and the surrounding area,” she added. 

It will also include a silent auction with a number of works donated by local artists.

Because so many artists are donating time and talent for the event, much of the proceeds will stay with Create Waunakee and can help the organization meet its goals. 

Eventually, the hope is to have a staff person on board, along with a space to house the organization, Lutes said. 

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Other News: 

-President Jennifer Tasker presented David Weisshof with a Paul Harris +1 award.

-Rotary in Lights saw another record fundraising year, with initial numbers showing  $35,500 raised from the booklet sponsorship and $39,000 in donations collected at the gate, Jennifer said. 

-The big day to take down lights is Saturday. Meet at the park at 9 a.m. then head to Waun-A-Bowl for drinks and appetizers afterwards. 

-On Jan. 19, volunteers are needed to help load a shipping container with supplies for Honduras at Chet’s Car Care in Madison. 

-The Tri-Con convention is in Green Bay April 18-21.

-The Christmas party is Feb. 1 at Buck and Honey’s, and so far, 27 people have signed up. It will start around 6 p.m.  

Guests: John Reuter, guest of Tony Burns; Elizabeth Teeter, guest of Howard Teeter; Shauna Hughey, guest of Jennfer Tasker; Kyla Larson, guest of Don Tierney.

Visiting Rotarians: None. 

Birthdays: Jan. 11, Greg Garton; Jan. 15, Sorina Neamtu; Jan. 16, Kevin McDaniel.Anniversaries: None.

Greeters: Jan. 11, Kylie West and Ellen Schaaf; Jan. 18, Sarah Bonk; Jan. 25, Jean Elvekrog and Erick Plumb.  

 To sign up to greet or to find out if you are greeting, visit: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805054CAAAA2CA7F85-44320149-2023#/