For more information contact:  

Valeria Davis, Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism, 608/266-2147 

Katie Kazan, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 608/257-0158 Ext. 237

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EVENT ON INTERIOR DESIGN INSPIRED BY ART EARNS $25,021 GRANT

Joint Effort Marketing program funds help promote Madison Museum’s “Design MMoCA 2008”

MADISON, Wis. (April 25, 2008) -- Wisconsin Tourism Deputy Secretary Mark Richardson announced a $25,021 tourism marketing grant to the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art to help promote “Design MMoCA 2008,” an exhibit of interior designs by local and regional design professionals inspired by works in the museum’s permanent collection. The three-day event is Friday through Sunday and includes design vignettes, lectures by participating interior designers and the opportunity to meet them.

Sixteen local and regional design teams created interior settings ranging from bedrooms to dining rooms and work spaces drawing their inspiration from artworks in the museum’s permanent collection. The merging of the two mediums – two dimensional art and three-dimensional interior design -- required exploring another creator’s artistic expression and expanding it into another dimension. The permanent collection pieces include works by Jennifer Bartlett, Jonathan Borofsky, Chuck Close, Ellsworth Kelly, Alyson Shotz, Andy Warhol and others.

“Gov. Doyle and the Department of Tourism are so proud to support the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in its excellent pursuit of creativity, art and bringing art to the community,” said Tourism Deputy Secretary Mark Richardson. “Design MMoCA is an example of the inventive ways the local arts community is constantly evolving, growing and sharing its creative spirit with Wisconsin residents.”

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is the crowning jewel of the Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison. Grant dollars from the Joint Effort Marketing Program are being used to promote MMoCA’s new design event to Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis visitors. These overnight visitors and daytrippers are expected to pump $1.14 million into the local economy.

The grant is part of the Department of Tourism’s Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) program, designed to help promote new events grow to independence and stability and to help established events improve participation and tourism spending in communities. JEM grants are awarded on a competitive basis up to $40,000. So far in fiscal 2008, the program has awarded more than $1 million to 46 projects.

Non-profit organizations must match the award with self-funding and in-kind service donations by organizations and event sponsors. The state funds up to 75 percent of advertising and marketing costs for a project’s first year. Additional support may be available for the second and third years of a project.

JEM proposals are submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and are reviewed by the Department staff and a JEM Review Committee. For more information on the JEM program, contact Abbie Hill at 608/261-6272, or visit http://agency.travelwisconsin.com. 

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