Investing in Diversity in the Arts
Posted: 05/05/22
An André De Shields Fund Update
Badgers and Badgers-at-heart near and far invested in supporting underrepresented groups or populations with their donations to the André De Shields Fund. We are now $66,000 closer to a goal of $1 million. That’s 1 million ways we can make a difference in representation on campus and in the arts.
One of the biggest leaps toward this dream happened April 6-7, a time called Day of the Badger. On this day, a worldwide community of Badger supporters donated to efforts that meant something to them, and we are honored that, during a 24-hour period, 28 generous people gave, in total, $11,000 to the André De Shields Fund, including the wonderful André, himself. Our team truly celebrated every dollar, knowing the real impact these donations will have on the arts in our community. With the help of our supporters, this was one of the funds that raised the most dollars during Day of the Badger. We will send notes of thanks but will never truly be able to express our gratitude.
“We are very excited by the interest and support that the André De Shields Fund received on the Day of the Badger,” Wisconsin Union Theater Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “This fund is going to enrich the university’s artistic community by dedicating resources for undergraduate students of color to realize their creative and artistic passions and support their academic experience. André’s story is both an inspiration and a clarion call for change, because not much is different about our campus climate since he got his degree at UW-Madison in 1970. ”
While we celebrate this progress, there is still a lot of work to do to meet that $1 million goal. We know students - arts majors and non-arts majors - have so much creativity and innovation to offer, but need a platform and a support system. We are poised to be part of the ecosystem that goes into developing and encouraging creativity and imagination in our students.
Every dollar makes a difference. Click here to make a gift toward increasing representation and enhancing the arts on campus.