Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Posted on December 03, 2014
After this fall’s early snowfall–and–melt cycle, a warm day last weekend prompted my wife, Jeana, to coax me outside to build a snowman. At first I resisted, but fun memories of building giant snowmen with our son and his friends when he was a boy got the better of me.
For the Love of Thanksgiving
Posted on November 26, 2014
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No surprise. What’s not to like about a family-and-friends-based celebration focused on food and predicated on acknowledging all that we have to be thankful for?
If you’re out and about post-Thanksgiving and looking for a special way to entertain visiting family and friends, the Woodson Art Museum is open Friday, November 28, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, November 29 and 30, Noon – 5:00 p.m. Among the exhibitions on view, 50 Greatest National Geographic Photographs offers as much diversity as coast-to-coast Thanksgiving menus!
The World’s Adventures Delivered to Your Doorstep
Posted on November 19, 2014
Think for a moment like a 10-year-old. At a time when our minds are malleable and craving adventure, we’re confined to homework and childhood chores. Escape comes through daydreams of new experiences, places, and people. As a self-assured and animated 10-year-old, I easily envisioned that my life’s work would cleverly combine marine biology, anthropology, and becoming the next Jane Goodall.
A Student, an Art Museum, and a Hope Diamond
Posted on November 12, 2014
Who doesn’t love a good story? Would you rather listen to a story that illustrates a point or be pummeled with piles of statistics?
Stories stir, numbers numb, and jargon jars.
That’s the pithy point, the gold-nugget takeaway unearthed by author Andy Goodman during a recent “Power of Storytelling” workshop in Milwaukee for dozens of non-profit organization representatives.
Planning Ahead
Posted on November 05, 2014
Almost every day local, state, or national news reports tell of damaging storms, industrial accidents, or gas and oil spills – all classified as disasters. I shudder at the thought of something similar happening near the Woodson Art Museum.
40 Is the New 39
Posted on October 29, 2014
The Museum and Birds in Art are embracing turning the big 4-0. Sustained success is a source of pride; and like a fine wine, the exhibition will continue to improve with age.
Curatorial Pearls
Posted on October 22, 2014
At this time of the year, Birds in Art is in full swing. It’s always been the Woodson Art Museum’s most popular exhibition. When I pass through the galleries, I’m constantly impressed by the many visitors who make their way to the Museum to take in our annual avian exhibition.... Read More
Partnerships that Play Dividends
Posted on October 15, 2014
Three years ago, the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra and the Woodson Art Museum struck up a partnership.
CWSO executive director Ann Huntoon and I wanted to connect the sister arts – musical and visual – while adding venue opportunities for Symphony members and advanced students and another dimension for visitors to Thursday evening Museum hours during Birds in Art.
Ann and I quickly learned that our professional lives crisscross in a number of interesting ways:
Memorable Artists “in Action”
Posted on October 08, 2014
Sometimes during staff meetings, if I’m not paying close attention or, at the other end of the spectrum, appear overly enthusiastic about an idea or program, I’m elected to lead it. This blog post is an example of the latter and an example of how my zealous attitude and punchy optimism allowed me to craft one of the most memorable Birds in Art experiences this fall.
Seventy artists journeyed to the Woodson Art Museum in early September to celebrate the opening of the 39th annual Birds in Art exhibition. While their schedule of receptions, lectures, and demonstrations for the public fill up the time from Thursday to Saturday evening, Sunday affords opportunities for optional activities. This year, we invited artists to participate in an extra special visit to the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo.
Best Indoor Birdwatching
Posted on October 01, 2014
What secret sauce whets someone’s appetite to pursue a passion for art, birding, or both? Maybe it starts when a child assembles and customizes a birding journal cover. Perhaps it continues through careful observation while sketching basic body shapes and then characteristic details of crest, mask, or beak – all while seated in Woodson Art Museum galleries or on a tree stump in the field.
