Bring on 2018
Posted on January 03, 2018
I’m a perennial optimist; looking ahead makes me smile. I’m excited about the programs and exhibitions on the Museum’s 2018 docket and the extraordinary “rarely seen” National Geographic photographs that will fill our galleries this spring. Here’s to a fabulous 2018!
Battle the Winter Blues
Posted on December 27, 2017
The days following the Christmas holiday are anticlimactic for me. If you, too, experience a post-holiday slump, I encourage you to battle the winter blues with friends and family and a visit to the Woodson Art Museum. In addition to being warm and cozy, the Art Museum galleries offer a wonderful change of scenery.
One Good Turn Deserves Another
Posted on December 20, 2017
I have fond memories of turning my first wooden bowl during shop class at John Muir Middle School. The bowl became a Christmas present for my parents, who used it for serving holiday treats. Years later, I was surprised to learn there was a woodturning club in the area.
Mixing Traditions – Old and New
Posted on December 13, 2017
As the holidays approach, many of us likely are busy with traditional activities. Over the years, I’ve found that some of those once-exciting tasks, including Christmas shopping and decorating the house and a tree, have become less important. There remains one holiday custom – cookie baking – that I still hold dear.
Tradition
Posted on December 06, 2017
December 6th. It arrives each and every year immediately following December 5th and exactly before December 7th. For the twentieth consecutive year, a snowman-adorned stocking is filled with trinkets and treats – on this day. For the sixteenth consecutive year, a Santa-adorned stocking (filled with similar goodies) hangs beside it on the mantel. And for the nineteenth year, my two kids will forget that the sixth day of December is Saint Nicholas’ Day and will be pleasantly surprised (2014 was a momentous year as my daughter did remember and added chocolate-covered curried cashews to my stocking.)
Wrap Holiday Gifts & Travel Around the Museum
Posted on November 29, 2017
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, planning shifts into overdrive for upcoming holiday gift giving and travel; consider “Quilty Pleasures” getaways focused on upcoming Quilts & Wood exhibitions at the Woodson Art Museum, December 2 through February 25, 2018.
Are quilt enthusiasts and fiber artists on your gift-giving list? Consider purchasing a spot in upcoming quilting workshops at the Museum on Saturday, January 20, led by television quilt-show host Mary Fons. Get Quilty Pleasures quilt workshop details and explore other Museum giving opportunities as gift-idea options, for the upcoming holiday season and beyond.
Luck of the Calendar
Posted on November 22, 2017
I am grateful to work at the Woodson Art Museum . . . an institution that I deeply love and believe in. My Thanksgiving – and every day – gratitude extends to Museum volunteers, members, and all those who visit. The liveliness of our programs and the energy within our galleries are thanks to the shared enthusiasm of those who pass through our doors. You make our work worthwhile. The Museum is the perfect destination for visiting family and friends, and the weekend is the final opportunity to view the 2017 Birds in Art exhibition. Although the Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, the Museum hours on Friday, November 24, are 9 am to 4 pm; Saturday and Sunday, November 25 and 26, Noon to 5:00 pm.
Finding the Flock
Posted on November 15, 2017
This challenge is right up my alley. A seek and find of small metal sculptures in different Wausau city parks, not too easy to find, but not impossible. I'd be all over that.
Unexpected Treasures
Posted on November 08, 2017
On temporary loan in my office is a treasure trove. Catalogues, notes, and letters are evidence of a legacy of extraordinary engagement with the artwork and between two people – a father and daughter-in-law – who developed and maintained an annual Birds in Art tradition throughout nearly two decades.
Permanently Placed
Posted on November 01, 2017
As promised, this week I’m continuing a two-part blog focused on the Woodson Art Museum’s permanent collection. Gifts from artists and donors account for the majority of the artworks; the Museum also purchases artworks thanks to specific grants. All potential acquisitions are carefully reviewed by a Collections Committee – eight members representing the Board of Directors, staff, and community – and a Collections Management Policy along with a Collecting Plan guide decision making. Each work is diligently researched and the findings shared with the committee.
