Renderings by JLA Architects
Groundbreaking is approaching for the Center for Black Excellence and Culture (aka the Center), and members of the business and Greater Madison community anticipate much more than a brick-and-mortar building. For many, the space will represent a foundation for cultural belonging and expression, creating opportunities in business and beyond that encourage Black professionals to live, work, and thrive in Madison.
Dr. Alex Gee, the Center’s CEO and founder, recently reported fundraising progress. The Center is currently on target to break ground in late spring of 2024, though Gee jokes, “we will start building in $3 million.” Following 16–18 months of construction, the Center’s anticipated opening date is in late 2025. Gee, a lifelong Madisonian, recently talked to IB about the roots and vision for the project.
“I’ve been here since 1970, and what I’m noticing is that we’re losing lots of Black talent,” he notes. “[People are] taking jobs in cities where they have cultural spaces — book stores, jazz clubs, soul food restaurants — where Black culture is reinforced … Every major community has a performing arts district because culture helps you to breathe. It helps to reinvigorate. It helps you to create.”
At the moment, Gee says there is a dearth of such spaces for Black Madisonians, and that’s why the Center holds so much promise for a more diverse future. “That doesn’t exist … a place to see Black stories on display, Black art, Black painters. Black people travel to Milwaukee, to Chicago, to St. Louis … to experience our own culture.”
The implications of such a desire for racial representation and expression reach beyond business and the arts. “The other thing I found, working with public health officials and medical professionals, is that the stress and microaggressions that we often hear about that accompany racial isolation have a health component — a wellness component. Isolation, stress, and microaggressions are shortening Black lives,” says Gee. “This [project] is really about finding ways to influence Black wellness. When we have a place to be safe, then we have a place to be brave.”
Aura of authenticity
Gee speaks to the opportunity the Center will create for authentic representation of the Black experience and the potential for impacts well beyond city borders. “When we get to tell that story, the ripple effect is not only that Black people invest more and will stay and buy homes, but it means we will flourish. And it means that our non-Black friends and colleagues get to learn about the Black experience and how Black folks … have influenced the state of Wisconsin.”
The project’s focus on authenticity is reflected in all facets of its conception and execution, as Black leaders envisioned, designed, and continue to collaborate to make the Center a reality. Gee says it was critical to have a team following and responding to Black leadership to make the project culturally true and relevant. It offers proof, he adds, that we can work together across racial, gender, and other lines to follow the vision and leadership of someone from a minoritized group.
Moreover, the building itself will incorporate the skills of Black artists, interior designers, and architects. Plans for the three-story, 37,000-square-foot building include spaces for a wide array of purposes. Its two theaters, lounge, outdoor patio, and other gathering spots will fulfill citywide needs. Suffice to say, it’s not just a slab of brick and mortar that will be retrofitted for cultural purposes. Says Gee, “We can do film festivals, lectures. We can entertain dignitaries from Africa, the Caribbean, the Afro-Latino world … We currently don’t have a place to do that, except for churches. We can do weddings and retirement parties, dances … private gatherings.”
There will be spaces for artists to work, galleries showcasing local, statewide, and regional artists, and recreational spaces to house activities such as yoga for Black expectant mothers. It also will feature educational spaces where school districts can bring children of all ethnic backgrounds to learn about the role of Black people in shaping Wisconsin history.
Central to the Center’s plans will be a space for innovation. Gee clarifies, “When we say ‘innovation,’ we’re talking about innovation in leadership development … [The Center] will be a place where emerging Black innovators and existing Black innovators can work together. We will provide networking opportunities and investments in these individuals.”
Dana Pellebon, director of theatrical programming at the Center, speaks to the community benefits of offerings like theater workshops. “There are many pipelines in our community for young artists — especially young white artists — and that has not necessarily been the same, so we are hoping to help develop that pipeline. I’d like for the Center to be an incubator for artists here in our area.”
Pellebon, who serves the community as a supervisor on the Dane County Board and as executive director of the Rape Crisis Center–Dane County, notes the applicability of skills developed by these kinds of offerings go beyond the artistic realm. “It’s invaluable when you are dealing with interpersonal relationships, business relationships, and being able to connect with folks,” says Pellebon, an ATHENA Award recipient. “These are skills that are transferrable.”
Step up time
The Center’s early financial successes and myriad of future prospects have also contributed to its secure position ahead of construction. Successful campaigning and gifts from businesses and individuals have helped to bring funding for the project to $30 million, just $3 million shy of its goal. Gee expresses confidence in the community to bring the Center across the finish line.
“The business, governmental, and philanthropic communities have come around us,” he says. “Now, this is the time for the broader community. We’re accepting gifts for $5 million. We’re accepting gifts for $5. This is a time for everyone to step up. This is a resource for the entire community — let’s all help this happen.”
