Given ongoing cuts to public funding for the arts, it is more important than ever to nurture and support a U.P.-based regranting agency that can leverage outside resources to sustain and grow the region’s creative sector. The Upper Peninsula Arts and Culture Alliance (UPACA) is poised to fulfill this role through a pending application to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). If successful, UPACA would serve as a regional re-grantor—distributing funds to artists, organizations, and cultural projects across the Upper Peninsula.
The City of Marquette Office of Arts and Culture was one of three founding members of the Alliance and has held a seat on its Board since 2016. The City’s Arts and Culture Master Plan calls for active participation in regional partnerships and mandates tracking the economic impact of the creative sector—work the City cannot do alone.
The Alliance has been an essential partner in fulfilling that mandate. Two years ago, the City and Alliance collaborated on a regional arts and economic impact study through Americans for the Arts. A second study, focused on the for-profit creative sector, is currently being planned. These studies are vital to demonstrating the value of the creative economy and securing future investment.
Additional past collaborations include:
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U.P. Pavilion at ArtPrize
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Peter Yarrow U.P. Tour at Kaufman Auditorium
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U.P. Creative Conference (hosted twice in Marquette)
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Co-investment in the Marquette Compass Artist Directory
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Co-funding the U.P. Economic Prosperity Grant
To complete its NEA application, the Alliance must receive an official resolution from at least one municipality within its service area designating it as a qualified regranting partner. As a founding member and direct beneficiary of the Alliance’s work, the City of Marquette is well-positioned to provide that support.