Pabst Theater lands $10.8 million in federal grants under COVID-19 relief for shuttered venues
Bill Glauber
For more than a year, Pabst Theater Group CEO Gary Witt has been a national leader in pushing lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to provide COVID-19 relief for live venues that went dark during the pandemic.
This week, the Pabst was on the list of recipients to receive funds from the Shuttered Venues Operators Program. The Pabst will receive $10.8 million in grants.
The breakdown: $3.846 million will go to the Pabst Theater Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees the historic theater at 144 E. Wells Street in Milwaukee.
Another $6.966 million will go to the Pabst Theater Group, which operates the Pabst Theater, Riverside Theater and Turner Hall Ballroom.
"It's incredibly important," said Witt, who was the founding member of the National Independent Venue Association, which lobbied for the financial relief. "This is something we fought for since Easter weekend 2020."
Other significant local groups received grants.
The Marcus Center, a key performing arts venue in Milwaukee, will receive $6.5 million.
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra said it was "grateful" to receive e $1.7 million grant.
"The MSO contracted significantly, however, we continued to fully insure and pay our employees, albeit at lower rates," the statement said. "This grant only covers a small portion of our actual losses. We appreciate the additional government support we received and the recognition that the arts are important to the economy. As we continue to recover from the ongoing impact of the pandemic, government funding is crucial to our survival along with the ongoing support of the community."
Clearwing Productions of West Allis, a major player both locally and nationally in providing audio, lighting and other production work, was listed to receive a $6.7 million grant.
The Milwaukee Public Museum received a $1 million grant, as did Irish Festival. Shank Hall was in line for $231,000.
In a previous round of grants, Summerfest ($10 million) and Eagles Entertainment ($5.7 million) received significant financial infusions.
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Since the program got underway, 85 Wisconsin groups have been awarded grants totaling $85.5 million.
The $16 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was originally passed in a COVID relief package during the Trump administration. It was amended by the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan.