In 2025 and 2026, four teams of Madison-area artists were selected to curate two summers of arts programming for Dane County. This collective curation project aimed to create cultural events and opportunities outside the usual confines of the commercial art sphere, fully embracing intersectionality across artistic disciplines, identities, and ideas. Each LAB^4 team was given a budget to support the curation of innovative art and development of workshops, performances, readings, and collaborative projects. Teams also had resources to bring local artists into conversation with regional and national artists. Above all else, the LAB^4 project sought to shift the role of the curator from “gatekeeper” to the word’s original definition of “caretaker.”
This initiative was made possible by The Ruth Foundation for the Arts, who selected ALL as one of 10 recipients of their 2024 Special Project Grants. Ruth Arts praised ALL’s “emphasis on public knowledge sharing and uplifting historically underrepresented communities, [ALL’s] commitment to equitable partnerships, and for encouraging creative change within this region.”
LAB^4 Curators
Team 1: Matt Blair, Matthew Braunginn, Danielle Dresden, Liz Levine, Emily Popp, Deshawn McKinney, and two highschool-aged artists.
Team 2: Dan Fitch, Autumn Jocas, Nicole Rago, Meghan Rosing, and two highschool-aged artists.
Team 3: Elias Mittelstadt, Charles Payne, Rae Sowards, LaShawn M. Wanak, Katherine Zlabek, and two highschool-aged artists.
Team 4: Ariana Gutierrez, Adriana Peguero, Matt Wisotsky, Sarah Breland, juj e lepe, Jackie Chalghin, and two highschool-aged artists.
LAB^4 Showcase Schedule
Team 1: April 29–June 21, 2025
Team 2: July 8–August 29, 2025
Team 3: April 28–June 20, 2026
Team 4: July 7–August 29, 2026
