Milwaukee artist Tia Richardson stands in front of a community mural she created, "The Rebirthing of the Earth Mother," at 2215 N. Phillips Ave. A new Wisconsin Policy Forum report says work opportunities for Milwaukee County artists and creatives have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Milwaukee County artists and creative workers report that their income and work opportunities are still below pre-pandemic levels, according to a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report. 

Nearly 400 people queried in later 2021 for “The Work of Art: A Survey of Milwaukee’s Artists and Creatives” also see increased public funding for the arts as the best way city and country government can support them.

Respondents also believe that local businesses can help them by Investing in creative community development, also known as “creative placemaking,” which incorporates artists into neighborhood projects.

Wisconsin Policy Forum’s new report builds on its 2021 report, which warned that the arts and culture sector in Wisconsin is facing an “existential threat” from the coronavirus pandemic, in part because state aid supporting those activities was already low.