Fish Creek, Wis. (February 16, 2026) – Nearing the successful conclusion of construction and a $5.6M fundraising effort, Door Community Auditorium (DCA) has announced the name of its new venue and program center. The building—including its gathering and performance hall, education wing with practice rooms and recording studio, bar and soda fountain, administrative wing, and patio—is named The Cramer Exchange at DCA, after lead donor Chris Cramer of Gibraltar.
Project managers and Auditorium leadership have been informally referring to the property as “The Annex” since its purchase in fall 2021. Cramer, the Encore Campaign’s lead donor, chose the word “Exchange” to capture all the community exchanges that will take place in the new community center—exchanges of ideas and greetings; of performance and arts instruction; and of concert tickets for currency. The name also references finance, which is part of Cramer’s professional background, as well as a nod to the cultural significance of record exchanges.
Cramer, along with his son Nicholas, made the donation in memory of his parents, Corli & Ron Cramer, and his late wife, Tricia (Nicholas’s mother). Chris’s mother, Corli, had a history in northern Door County going back to the 1920s, including an art teacher aunt from Chicago who summered in the “artists colony” in Peninsula State Park; Chris first visited Door County in the 1950s. Chris and Tricia Cramer (both as a couple and as individuals) were active in the arts throughout their early lives and marriage. Tricia was an art history major, Chicago gallery manager, and art consultant. Chris as a student was a film and concert coordinator at Duke University and served on multiple venue planning committees there and later locally served as a board member of Peninsula Arts Association. Through the Cramers’ work in finance and real estate, they have supported arts organizations and events both locally and nationally.
Chris and Tricia’s long and successful careers forged deep connections in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Durham, North Carolina, in addition to their consistent presence on the Door County arts scene beginning in the early 1990s. Chris remains passionate about the arts in Door County and wishes to honor the Door County artists and artisans of earlier days who were instrumental in laying the foundation for the vibrant arts scene Door County enjoys today. He is also excited that the new venue will elevate the Door Community Auditorium experience for national touring artists and audiences, showcase the many top-
notch current (and future) performers who call Door County home, and nurture student artists for years to come.
An additional $90,483 remains to reach the Encore Campaign’s fundraising goal. Any monies raised beyond the goal will be designated to ongoing Cramer Exchange maintenance and operations. Donors of all sizes are needed to complete the project. Naming opportunities are available. More information is available at www.dcauditorium.org/encore.
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