About Us

The Bridge Committee

In 2003 the Wilson Center designated a committee to assist in providing leadership and advocacy within the larger arts community to bridge the region and build new audiences for the arts. The committee consists of community, business, and arts leaders representing the Wilson Center’s commitment to providing regional leadership within the arts.

The Eddy Award
In the spring of 2005 the Bridge Committee launched a new award called the “Eddy”. This award is presented annually by the Wilson Center Bridge Committee to an arts organization, a corporation, or individual(s) whose commitment to collaboration has created a higher standard of excellence in arts education and arts visibility for our region.

This award is presented to the recipient at the Wilson Center’s annual gala/Big Event in June. An original piece of artwork by a Wisconsin artist is specially chosen—by members of the Center’s Curatorial Committee—as the award itself.

The 2012 Eddy Award will be presented to

Latino Arts Strings Program and Mariachi Juvenil
This high quality, skills-based program provides students with a strong foundation for classical music performance while encouraging youth to stay in school.

The 2012 award is a commissioned piece from artist

Rory Burke.

Past Eddy Recipients and Award Artworks

2005: Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (presented with an inscribed glass vase)
2006: Christine Harris (presented with a glass sculpture by Steve Immerman)
2007: Danceworks, Inc./MadHot Ballroom and Tap (presented with a painting by Gabrielle Mayer)
2008: Marlene Doerr and SHARP Literacy (presented with a wood sculpture by Tom Eddington)
2009: Skylight Opera Theatre (presented with a hand-colored woodblock print by Marvin & Wendy Hill)
2010: Marcus Corporation (presented with a painting by David Sear)

2011: Creativity Works! (photograph by Mark Stall)

The Bridge Committee is

Paul Mathews, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts - Chair

Murph Burke, Community Volunteer

Cristy Garcia-Thomas, United Performing Arts Fund

Christine Harris, Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee

Wade Hobgood, UW-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts

Dawn Helsing-Wolters, Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Dan Keegan, Milwaukee Art Museum

George Meyer, Kahler Slater

Marianne Lubar, Community Volunteer

Jodi Peck, Community Volunteer

Sarah Smith, Marquette University

Julie Tolan, Marquette University

Kate Wilson, Wilson Center Board of Directors

Wilson Center staff:

Jonathan Winkle, Executive Director

Sandy Madden, Development Director

Megan Huse, Development Manager