Rhinelander Community Foundation supports 2023-24 Culture Tap program

The School District of Rhinelander recently received a generous donation of $2,500 from the Rhinelander Community Foundation to help support the 2023-24 “Culture Tap’ artist residency program.

 This year, Culture Tap will host three Mexican folk artists from Mexican Folk Art Collective on Oct. 16 and 17. These artists will work with fifth-grade students in the School District of Rhinelander. They will present traditional Mexican dancing and shakers, language and vocabulary, alebrijes (clay statues), and a Loteria game. This ties in with a cultural learning unit that students are working on. In addition to the school visits, there will be a Community Fiesta at Nacho’s Mexican Grill on Oct. 16 from 6 to 7 p.m., which will feature dancing and Loteria.

 In addition to the Mexican artists, Culture Tap will feature Jeremy Nicolai, a software engineer and programmer from Stevens Point. In February, Nicolai will conduct a five-week evening program for middle school and high school students, which will focus on the design and development of games. This experience will culminate with a community presentation at the end.

 “These are amazing programs for not only our students, but the community as a whole,” said organizer Mike Cheslock. “The Culture Tap program gives those living in the Northwoods opportunities to experience culture in the fields of art and STEM that they normally would not have.”

 The Culture Tap Program began in 2019 and was the brainchild of Melinda Childs, Community Cultural Development Director at ArtStart, Inc. Childs was the main driver in getting Culture Tap off the ground. As a collaboration between ArtStart, Nicolet College, and the School District of Rhinelander, Culture Tap has brought in artists from as far away as Japan. This year is the first year that the school district has been the main organizer of the program. 

“We are very appreciative of the time and effort that Melinda and others have put into this program," said Cheslock.