WFAF Celebrates 60th Year! – Fund Drive Begins

Sixty years of concerts, musicals, plays, art shows, and cultural events could not have happened if it weren’t for the continued passion, enthusiasm, and financial support of thousands of Waupaca area residents. The Waupaca Fine Arts Festival (WFAF) came into existence on a winter night in January of 1964. Gerald C. Knoepfel, the recently hired Waupaca High School choir director, had a dream of bringing the Arts to the citizens of Waupaca. Knoepfel envisioned a Fine Arts Festival, which would sponsor a community choir, a drama group, and an art show, and possibly host an orchestra. The number of lives that have been enriched throughout the Festival’s 60-year existence is immeasurable!

While the Arts landscape has certainly changed in Waupaca over this time span, the need for the WFAF and its community-based participatory programs continues to be as valuable as it was in 1964. The mission statement of the WFAF is “to foster the Arts through promotion and sponsorship of artistic programs, cultural activities, and educational leadership to further promote artistic appreciation to the citizens of the Waupaca area.”

Dan Wolfgram Co-chairman of the WFAF stated, “It has been a challenging three years for everyone associated with the Arts due to the COVID19 pandemic. We have emerged stronger and more resilient, w,   ith a deeper appreciation of the Arts than ever before. The WFAF is looking forward to celebrating its 60^th anniversary. When you contribute to the WFAF, you are supporting the organization with the longest history of participation-based Arts in this community. Our fund-raising goal for the 2022-2023 season is $25,000.”

The upcoming 60th season presents an exciting program of varied cultural events. The Waupaca Art Show will again be presented at the historic Danes Hall in Waupaca for five days, from April 22-26. The Waupaca Community Choir and Civic Orchestra will return with a full orchestra and feature Gabriel Faure’s Requiem and Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria. The concert will be performed Sunday, April 2, at the Waupaca High School’s Performing Arts Center. Learn more here.

The Waupaca Community Theatre’s events include a dinner theatre production of Vanities: The Musical, at Par 4 on the weekend of February 10-12, accompanied by six musicians. The Waupaca Community Children’s Theatre, in conjunction with the Waupaca School District, will be staging a summer show yet to be announced at the Waupaca Middle School’s Knoepfel Auditorium July 24-27, and the Waupaca Community Theatrewill present six performances of the Tony Award-winning musicalThe Drowsy Chaperone on July 29-30 & Aug 3-6. Learn more here.

Contributions, which are welcomed throughout the year, are tax-deductible if they are itemized.  The Waupaca Fine Arts Festival is a registered non-profit 501(c3) organization.  The WFAF donors will be recognized in the following categories for their contributions: Contributor – (up to $99), Donor – ($100-249), Benefactor – ($250-499), Patron – ($500-999), Director’s Circle – ($1000-2,499), Presidential Circle – ($2,500+). If a contribution is at the Patron level or higher, individuals will be listed as an underwriter for all events for the Community Choir, the Art Show, and the Community Theatre. Donations MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 23, 2023, to be included in the season’s printed brochure.  Checks can be mailed to Waupaca Fine Arts Festival, Box 55, Waupaca, WI 54981.

If you would like to foster the local arts through a legacy bequest, we would welcome your perpetual support. You can provide a gift to the Waupaca Fine Arts Festival through your will or revocable trust. After your lifetime, proceeds are used to add to the WFAF’s charitable endowment fund. If you are interested in learning how you can leave a legacy with us, we will be happy to provide you with more information. Use our contact form and select “Executive Board” to discuss further.