Stretching to New Heights
Posted on July 17, 2019
Much folding, bending, and shaping occurs at the Woodson Art Museum, I realized during a recent origami project.
Rising Cranes – the newest addition to the sculpture garden – celebrates the paper-folding art of origami.
Inspired by Rising Cranes, many Museum members folded paper cranes during the summer’s exhibition preview reception. It was a lively time for those who participated.
Not a Fish Tale
Posted on July 10, 2019
An old expression claims that a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day of work. In most cases, that rings true. However, at the Woodson Art Museum, usually the opposite is the case.
Telling Our Stories
Posted on July 03, 2019
I never tire of telling the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s stories. Perhaps that’s an occupational hazard. I prefer to think it’s one of the pleasures of my role as the Museum’s advocate-in-chief. Last month, I welcomed Marathon County department heads, County administrator Brad Karger, and County Board chair Kurt Gibbs to the Museum for their monthly meeting. To quote Brad, “We are taking a ‘field trip.’ This is going to be fun!”
Weaving Willow Encourages Growth
Posted on June 26, 2019
Last week, artist Bonnie Gale returned to the Woodson Art Museum for an artist residency and to pay a visit to Living Willow Dreams, one year after she and assistant Jonna Evans installed the living willow structure in the Museum’s sculpture garden. Living Willow Dreams offers a lush, green garden-retreat where visitors can take a moment to sit and observe the busy, although often overlooked, activities of summertime garden inhabitants.
Botanical Beauties
Posted on June 19, 2019
For years I’ve referred to myself as a real estate hog. What does that mean for a curator? Well, anytime I see a wall in the Woodson Art Museum sans artwork I look to enhance it with selections from the collection.
Cultivating Connections through Botanical Art
Posted on June 12, 2019
How many times have colorful blooms caught your eye and caused you to wonder “what is that flower?” During a recent trip to southwest Wisconsin, conspicuous purple flowers clustered along roadsides and woodland edges garnered attention and conversation. Visit the Museum often with friends and family to discover the many ways botanical art fosters connections between people and plants and deepens appreciation for beauty, creativity, and each other.
Installations & Transitions
Posted on June 05, 2019
Most professions have unique vocabularies. In the art museum world, “installation” refers to the displaying of artworks – whether hung on a gallery wall or incorporated into a space. It also is the transition between exhibitions.
This Project Means “A Lot”
Posted on May 29, 2019
While not as exciting as the work done to the lower level gallery, Art Park, or even the Museum’s roof, there’s no mistaking the importance of a tip-top parking lot.
First Museum Experiences
Posted on May 22, 2019
What do you remember about the first museum you visited? I remember an early – perhaps not my first – museum experience as though it were yesterday. Earlier this month, Wisconsin-born artist Mark Wagner – who grew up in Edgar – undertook a multi-day residency in tandem with the inclusion of his collages in Cut Up/Cut Out, now on view at the Woodson Art Museum. To our delight, we learned, the Woodson was his first museum! If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge and engaging in a “first museum experience,” now’s the time to do so.
Showing and Sharing: Reconnecting at the Art Museum
Posted on May 15, 2019
This past weekend I visited family in Cincinnati; the trip was part Mother’s Day celebration, part long-overdue reunion.
My family visit to the Cincinnati Art Museum reinforced my belief that museum visits are moving and memorable social outings worth celebrating and sharing with others. It’s fitting that I reflect on the power of museum visits this week, as May 11-18 marks Museum Week and Arts Wisconsin’s Creative Economy Week.
