As director of community partnerships for the Marcus Performing Arts Center in downtown Milwaukee, Anthony Smith has been instrumental in identifying areas of need and developing new events and programming, according to Kevin Giglinto, president and CEO of MPAC.
“Among his significant contributions are the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration and the Cesar E. Chavez Celebration, annual events where hundreds of students study these two cultural icons and interpret their words through art, speech and writing contests,” Giglinto said.
Smith also helped launch the Student Matinee Series, which offers special daytime performances for K-12 students, and expanded the Family Nights program, which provides access to the arts for families in underserved Milwaukee neighborhoods at no cost. Most recently, Smith was instrumental in creating MPAC’s Culture Collective, designed to celebrate the contributions of artists from diverse backgrounds across a range of artistic disciplines.
“This new series aligns with MPAC’s commitment to racial equity, diversity and inclusion and reinforces MPAC’s mission to foster an inclusive and vibrant cultural community, a commitment Smith passionately champions,” Giglinto said.
