Barry’s Bobolink: In the Field with a Master Artist
Posted on September 10, 2014
The whole bird vibrates. Side-lit by sun, a bobolink spills song across new meadow grass on old farmland in Westminster, Massachusetts in May. Notes vector out from half a head of open beak and half a buffy helmet, aquiver with sound. With wing-pumping, reverse-tuxedo verve, this bird makes “going out on a limb” look good.
I am in the field with my teacher, Barry Van Dusen, in mid-spring – out early in the day, out ready in the field where things are just beginning. It’s my first bobolink. And I’m completely happy.
Does Practice Make Perfect?
Posted on September 03, 2014
In grade school, we practiced cursive until our fingers were numb. Repetition was a key to success. Hard to forget the letters, words, and phrases written on lined paper designed to ensure that tall letters – you know, l, d, h, and b – were high enough and letters that dropped down – q, y, p, and j – were low enough.
Even though the merits of cursive are debated today, there’s something reassuring about repetitive actions and behaviors . . . but, does practice make perfect?
Over the next few days – for the thirty-ninth time – the Woodson Art Museum will celebrate the opening of Birds in Art and welcome artists from around the world, members and guests, and the community at large to the all-new 2014 exhibition.
Adverbs Like White Elephants
Posted on August 27, 2014
My favorite author is Ernest Hemingway. Obscure choice, right? Regardless of his popularity, I appreciate his direct, honest prose. From the expatriate culture of The Sun Also Rises, to the battle between man and marlin (and a few sharks) in The Old Man and the Sea, few people influenced literature more.
Family Fest Feathers Nests
Posted on August 20, 2014
A friend with young children thinks, at this stage of summer, that my impending “empty-nest” life stage sounds like a slice of heaven. Our youngest child flies the coop for college in just eight short days. As for my harried-mom friend, she’d like to be the one to fly over the cuckoo’s nest.
I well recall that for young families, mid-August often can be a limbo land of loose ends. Children get restless with the more slack summer routine and are overflowing with anxious energy about returning to fall classrooms. The resulting behavior can be enough to drive even the most patient parents bonkers. When my own kids started bouncing around the room like Ping-Pong balls, I sought out a change of venue with family-friendly activities. Parents, as a wall-crawling alternative, here’s a suggestion that you’re sure to enjoy, too: drop in, 9am-4 pm, today and tomorrow for Family Fest at the Woodson Art Museum.
A Special Creativity
Posted on August 13, 2014
I freely admit there are no creative bones in my body. I admire creative talents in others, but I am unable to take paints, sticks, canvas, paper, or any combination and make something pleasing to the eye. Luckily, I’m OK with that.
My family, friends, colleagues, and coworkers think differently. They would argue that my ability to bake cookies is not only a talent, but also an artform. I think it's less about skill and more a labor of love. Afterall, I don’t create my own recipes.
With this blog installment, I'm sharing what I consider a minor talent . . . using Woodson Art Museum gallery walls as my "canvas" for the exhibitions I curate and install.
Ideas Create Ripples of Impact
Posted on August 06, 2014
An idea cast forth into the world can cause ripples that continue to touch many lives. My life was changed in 2009 when Helen Ramon, program officer at the Helen Bader Foundation, initiated a call to Wisconsin museums to develop programs for older adults. For me, a Woodson Art Museum educator, that "challenge" led to the opportunity to learn about an innovative program for those with dementia and their care partners called “Meet Me at MoMA” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Ideas, methods, and best practices based on MoMA’s program subsequently were implemented at eleven Wisconsin museums. These museums formed an alliance and named their respective programs "SPARK!". Each museum tailored the program to fit the needs of its visitors and its specific environment.
Special Delivery
Posted on July 30, 2014
Preparations for this year’s Birds in Art exhibition are well underway. We continue to receive a steady flow of artwork with over half of the 126 paintings, drawings and sculpture safely unpacked, stored in a Woodson Art Museum vault, and ready for installation in our galleries.
Coming from an international cast of artists, artworks are shipped from all over the world.
I’ll Have a Pabst Blue Ribbon-Tailed Astrapia
Posted on July 23, 2014
Believe it or not, the Woodson Art Museum’s flagship exhibition, Birds in Art, is just around the corner. In preparation, the Museum is looking into potential marketing opportunities to heighten awareness of the exhibition and honor the great work of the artists in the 2014 edition.
Inspired by recent projects undertaken by other museums, staff talked about partnering with local microbreweries to develop a craft beer with a Birds in Art theme. It is an intriguing idea and could be mutually beneficial for the Museum and the brewery. We’ve been kicking around possible names of the potential brew, and I personally have taken charge of this task and also volunteered my services for future taste testing.
Red Carpet Rollout for Marathon County Executive Committee
Posted on July 16, 2014
Under the cliché heading of either “be careful what you wish for” or “life is like a box of chocolates,” I don’t think I could have anticipated the multiple positive outcomes when Marathon County administrator Brad Karger asked if the Executive Committee could hold its monthly meeting at the Woodson Art Museum.
I didn’t have to think twice about my willingness to roll out the red carpet. To my delight, the Wednesday, July 9, meeting vastly exceeded my expectations.
The meeting agenda kicked off with an educational presentation and discussion about how the arts help build a community in which people want to live and that’s good for business. No surprise, this is a topic near and dear to my heart.
Merit Badges, Just for Fun
Posted on July 09, 2014
Whether or not you’ve ever toasted marshmallows or swapped ghost stories around a campfire, the idea of summer camp simply says “vacation.”
“Fun has its merits.” That’s the tagline for Camp Wisconsin, the Department of Tourism’s theme encouraging people to explore the state this summer, earning digital scouting-inspired merit badges along the way.
After downloading the Travel Wisconsin mobile app, travelers can earn thirteen digital Brag Badges at hundreds of locations across the state – including the Woodson Art Museum.
