Stay on your toes this holiday giving season! Clockwise from upper left: Madison Ballet/Just Coffee beans, Li Chiao-Ping logo knit hat, Dane Arts desk calendar, Wisconsin Film Fest tickets, MadStage T-shirt and Ingrid Kallick owl logo coffee mug for Kathie Rasmussen Women’s Theatre.
Giving is an art. It can also support art. Gifts that support local organizations range from the expected (tickets, a donation in your name) to more unexpected products and memorabilia.
Why not breakfast like a ballerina? Madison Ballet sells several signature coffee blends, including “Nutcracker Suite” and “Class at 10 a.m.,” roasted locally by Just Coffee Co-op.
“The coffee idea came about when we were looking for merchandise that would fit with our goal to shake up people’s notions of what ballet could be,” says general manager Gretchen Bourg. “Our performances, like Dracula, were very different from the tutu-and-tiara ballets that one might expect, and we wanted gift items that would appeal to those patrons who want something out of the ordinary.”
“Class at 10 a.m.,” a breakfast blend, is “sort of a ballet inside joke. Dancers aren’t typically morning folks, so company classes often start at 10 a.m.,” says Bourg.
Also available are signed pointe shoes (those tippy-toe slippers), posters, music and apparel, available at madisonballet.org. Or, gift certificates valid for items or tuition at School of Madison Ballet can be purchased by calling 608-278-7990.
Madstage.com, the performer’s essential source for news of jobs, openings, auditions, classes and more, has a new online store at zazzle.com/madstage, featuring a T-shirt bearing the Madstage logo of the Comedy/Tragedy masks, with Comedy wearing a cheesehead.
“Find your strength, build your core and boost your flexibility — and your artistry,” says Lisa Thurrell, co-artistic director of Kanopy Dance. Its “Class Cards” are good for 10 lessons; $250 adult, $150 college student/dance professional rate. “It’s never too late,” says Thurrell. These need to be ordered by Dec. 15; call 608-255-2211. Apparel in adult and youth sizes — hooded sweatshirts, yoga pants and sweatpants — are also available for a limited time, $28 to $45, at kanopydance.org/category/news.
Kathie Rasmussen Women’s Theatre has cards, mugs, show posters, T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts available, featuring the work of award-winning designer Ingrid Kallick, at cafepress.com/kathie.
The Dane Arts desk calendar, a favorite Madison stocking stuffer, is back for 2016 featuring local artists including Linda Hancock, Linda Koenig and Peter Patau. This year’s theme is “The Shining Lights.” It’s available at the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission Office in the City-County Building and numerous other area gift shops, bookstores, and museums. See danearts.com for the whole list.
This is the 25th anniversary of nationally renowned Li Chiao-Ping Dance. The company has apparel, totes and other items, and an upcoming concert Dec. 10-12 at the Overture Center for the Arts. “Proceeds help us do a range of things — from program printing to paying our company members for the hard work they do,” says communications director Spencer McAfee-Gundrum. See lichiaopingdance.org and look for the “shop” tab under “support” to find fun stocking caps (with the Li Chiao-Ping logo, $7) and the dynamic “Riot of Spring” T-shirt.
Arts Wisconsin, the state nonprofit advocacy organization, sells T-shirts, totes and cards. Especially nice is a card featuring a poem by former Wisconsin poet laureate Max Garland. Browse the store at artswisconsin.org/programsservices/merchandise or call 608-255-8316.
Sometimes, you get a deal for being generous.
“For the entire month of December, from noon on Dec. 1 to noon on Jan. 2, buy as many tickets as you like to Wisconsin Union Theater spring season events without paying convenience fees,” says Ralph Russo, its director. “Save $4 per ticket and give the gift of performing arts and quality time spent with loved ones.” This deal is online only at uniontheater.wisc.edu, subject to availability, and does not include December shows.
Film fan in the family? “We offer a special 10-pack holiday gift certificate,” says Ben Reiser, coordinator with the Wisconsin Film Festival. The $75 certificates (worth $100 of screenings) go on sale the day after Thanksgiving. Details at wifilmfest.org.