SHAWANO, WI – Shawano County leaders are exploring a significant investment in the Mielke Arts Center that could bring upgrades to the building, improvements to the surrounding property and new opportunities for community and youth programming.
Shawano County Administrative Coordinator Stacey Cicero discussed the future of the property during a recent meeting of the county’s Public Property Committee, including ongoing conversations with the Mielke Family Foundation.
Cicero said a member of the Mielke family has been working with the county on ways to improve a facility that has started to show its age.
“They really want to see improvements at the Mielke Arts Center because it has gotten into some shambles,” Cicero said.
According to Cicero, approximately $60,000 is being invested over a three-year period into landscaping around the property. Some of that work has already been completed, including adding rock around the pond and installing a fountain.
Fountain
More landscaping could be completed this year, including additional rock around the pond and potentially a small trail around the building.
“They wanted some curb appeal to clean some things up and have some curb appeal,” Cicero said.
Potential $250,000 Donation
The improvements could become significantly larger in 2027.
Cicero said the Mielke Family Foundation is changing how it distributes funding and is considering making one major donation of approximately $250,000 next year. The Mielke Arts Center is being considered as a potential recipient.
“They’re looking at potentially giving that to Shawano for the Mielke Arts Center for the building itself,” Cicero said.
County officials have already begun gathering estimates for potential improvements, including HVAC, kitchen upgrades, flooring and other work inside the building.
If the $250,000 contribution moves forward, Cicero said the foundation would like to see some level of financial participation from Shawano County. The amount of a potential county match has not been determined.
“They didn’t have an idea of a 10 percent match or a 50 percent match, but just skin in the game so the county provides some funding for that project as well,” Cicero said.
The foundation has also indicated it could continue supporting the center beyond the initial project, potentially contributing between $20,000 and $30,000 annually toward maintenance.
Creating a Community Venue
One of the long-term goals is to expand how the Mielke Arts Center is used.
Cicero said the facility could potentially become a venue for weddings, receptions and other events, creating another source of revenue for Shawano County similar to rentals at the county park pavilion.
Getting there, however, would require significant improvements.
“There is potential, but it’s going to cost money to make that happen,” Cicero said.
Among the areas needing attention are the kitchen, flooring and accessibility. Cicero said the existing kitchen would require new appliances and additional improvements if the facility were to accommodate catered events. Accessibility improvements could also be necessary, including work to the bathrooms.
ADA-Accessible Trail Proposed
Improvements aren’t limited to the building itself.
Cicero said she plans to apply for a grant of up to $50,000 next year to construct an ADA-accessible trail around the property.
“I’ll be writing a grant for up to $50,000 for next year to have the highway department put in a little over a half-mile trail that is ADA accessible,” Cicero said.
The proposed trail would feature a fine-gravel surface designed to make it accessible to more visitors.
County officials are also working with 4-H to explore bringing educational programming to the property.
“We were working with 4-H to bring their presentations out to the Mielke Arts Center and actually hold some youth camps, youth summer camps out there,” Cicero said.
Cicero said the combination of private support, potential grant funding and county involvement could provide an opportunity to revitalize a property that has received limited investment over the years.
County officials stressed that many of the ideas remain preliminary, with additional discussions involving the county, Mielke Family Foundation and Arts Council still needed before larger improvements move forward.
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