Monday night, the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) kicked off its 50th anniversary campaign at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. In its 50 years, UPAF has raised more than $300 million for a host of Milwaukee-area performing arts groups, including First Stage, Florentine Opera, Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Symphony, and Skylight Music Theatre. In 2016 alone, UPAF raised a record $12.1 million. With arts funding more precarious than ever, UPAF gets the job done.
But don’t take our word for it—why not let actor/improv comedian/podcast host/friend of Milwaukee Record Jacob Bach extoll the virtues of UPAF? In a short video unveiled at Monday’s gala, Bach does just that, laying out some compelling reasons why UPAF matters. Among them:
• $100 million in wages to 6,000 arts jobs.
• $80 million in economic impact.
• Beethoven.
• “Hundreds of thousands of kids who do better in English and science and, you guessed it, math.”
• Because the arts matter. To everyone.
Watch Bach’s video below, and consider donating to UPAF here.