A collector of art — and curator of good
June 17, 2025
| By La Crosse Community Foundation |
How Dick Record channels his passion for beauty into community giving
Richard “Dick” Record doesn’t just fund the arts; he surrounds himself with them. His home is filled with paintings and sculptures from around the world, including a dining room that proudly showcases his collection of Picassos. “I can look at them whenever I want,” he said. “And I love sharing them with friends who visit. It does great things for my spirit.”
That same appreciation for beauty and meaning led Dick to create a fund at La Crosse Area Community Foundation in 2011. Over the years, his grants have supported programs that promote creativity, storytelling, and connection — from the “Arts for All” program at Viterbo to the See Me Read project at La Crosse Public Education Foundation. He’s also backed oral history projects, journaling initiatives, and youth workforce readiness efforts.
“Doing good” spurs giving
His interest in community giving began even earlier, when he was invited to support a grassroots initiative aimed at helping isolated teens connect through shared activities. “I met some of the kids and the people running the program, and I liked them,” he said. “They were trying to do something good.”
Since then, Dick has continued giving through both personal contributions and his fund. He’s especially drawn to opportunities that uplift young people or make a lasting difference through creative expression. “If I could help a blooming artist become great — maybe even make it — that’d be wonderful,” he said.
An art lover long before he became a donor, Dick’s collection began modestly — with magazine clippings framed in the basement of his former home in Madison. As his resources grew, so did his collection, which now includes works by artists like Mike Martino and Dale Hendrick, as well as pieces collected during art-themed cruises around the world. “We were expected to buy at the auctions,” he chuckled. “And we did.”
Giving beyond the arts
Although the arts remain a personal passion, his giving has also extended to health and human services. Sometimes, the spark for a grant is as simple as someone reaching out. “People explain what they’re trying to do, and it starts to bud. I like that,” he said.
When asked what he hopes his fund will accomplish long-term, Dick keeps it simple: “I hope the organizations that benefit can continue doing good work.”
Contributing to community
A La Crosse resident since 1971, Dick says it’s the people, the landscape, and the nonprofit energy that make the city special. “We’ve got wonderful people here,” he said. “And the organizations we’ve been talking about — they seem to be getting better all the time. I love seeing that.”
It’s a fitting parallel: just as he surrounds himself with art, Dick has spent decades surrounding his community with opportunity. True to his nature, he doesn’t just collect — he contributes, curating a quieter kind of masterpiece in the community he’s long called home.
