Micro Modernism under the Magnifying Glass

Posted on January 27, 2021
For my premiere post as the Woodson Wanderings’ occasional “art critic,” let’s take a closer look at another first – the Wee Build Workshop’s inaugural exhibition – Micro Modernism, a modest presentation of miniscule proportion.

A Behind-the-Scenes Take

Posted on January 20, 2021
Sometimes the “behind-the-scenes” action of films can be more interesting than the films themselves.  

Kind Gestures Continue

Posted on January 13, 2021
Yet another appreciative message is buoying staff spirits: a hand-painted card of thanks to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum for providing Art Kits to encourage artistic pursuits.

Small Gestures Lead to Big Impacts

Posted on January 06, 2021
As we turned the calendar page to 2021, “hope” for the year ahead is a shared theme. Heartfelt evidence came to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum staff via the U.S. Postal Service in the latter days of December from an Aspirus Wausau Hospital nurse. For the past seven months, in lieu of hands-on art-making activities, Museum staff have lovingly and creatively designed and produced Art Kits to complement artworks on view and encourage busy hands and artistic pursuits.

Pivoting Traditions

Posted on December 30, 2020
Collaborating as a team at the Woodson Art Museum is much like building a gingerbread house with my family. Colleagues work together, sharing stories of the past while working toward the future.

Transported by Light

Posted on December 23, 2020
It was the light and atmosphere. I knew it. I’d experienced it. I missed it. Know me for longer than two minutes and you’ll quickly learn that I once lived along the front range of the Rocky Mountains. The three years I spent in Colorado were some of the best of my life. Many Midwesterners flocked there at the time. My theory on the mass transplantation was that Wisconsinites appreciate the four seasons but prefer Colorado’s milder version of each.

Sharing Gratitude

Posted on December 16, 2020
From My Space to Yours, an exhibition featuring studio photographs provided by sixty-two Birds in Art 2020 artists, can be viewed online. Included along with the photographs are artists’ words of gratitude about their work spaces, surroundings, and opportunities to pursue work they love.

Elementary . . .

Posted on December 09, 2020
Who doesn’t love a good mystery?

Change Is Good

Posted on December 02, 2020
As the calendar page turns to December, in a typical year I would be preparing for an annual Christmas cookie-baking weekend. A few friends and family would come together for three days to bake dozens of cookies which, ultimately, we give away. It’s my favorite holiday tradition. This year, thinking positively that change is good, holiday baking will be different. There will be delicious cookies, yet just not as many as in the past. Instead of thirty different varieties of holiday treats, I’ll prepare just a few. I’m thinking of challenging myself with more difficult recipes that might fail, versus the tried and true.

Treasures Redefined

Posted on November 25, 2020
For a daily mini-escape, I stream and watch past episodes of Antiques Roadshow – the U.K. version. In its forty-one seasons, the British show’s format is the same as the U.S. version. People bring objects, seeking an expert’s appraisal, a discussion of provenance or history of ownership, and estimated auction value. Participants vary, from treasure hunters trawling secondhand stores for the once-in-a-lifetime find to individuals inheriting an antique of which they know little or those with cherished memories.