Category Archives: Blog
A Busman’s Holiday Getaway
Posted on May 12, 2021
A recent getaway with my husband, Ernie, took us east to Sheboygan, thanks to an invitation from colleague and friend Sam Gappmayer, director of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. It’s an understatement to say the past twelve-plus months were challenging and also kept us close to home. Now thankfully vaccinated, we were ready to tentatively dip our toes back into normal — or, more correctly, “new normal” — behaviors. Sam’s invitation to preview the Kohler Arts Center’s Art Preserve was just the incentive we needed.
The Daves of Our Lives
Posted on May 05, 2021
I currently have three Daves in my life – my boyfriend, my best friend, and my work friend – and each of them deserves a medal for putting up with me for so many years. For the sake of this post’s storytelling clarity, I shall employ the same system I use in conversation: last names. Simpson is the boyfriend, Badesch is my longtime friend, and Jones is my work buddy.
Let’s Celebrate
Posted on April 28, 2021
Celebrating milestones has always been part of my culture. As a family, we celebrated religious achievements, sporting events, school programs, and birthdays – any reason to come together for food and fun.
The current Woodson Art Museum exhibition, Beyond Artworks: Artists & Their Stories, on view through June 6, is another reason to celebrate. The exhibition honors nearly forty-five years of thoughtful acquisitions enhancing the Museum’s collection. Not only are the artworks outstanding but the stories offer visitors ways to discover amazing facts about artworks and reasons to celebrate. Follow these links for a virtual tour via images and video and visit soon and often this spring.
Random Acts of Celebration
Posted on April 21, 2021
Although Earth Day is April 22 and Slow Art Day was April 10, carrying the spirit of these days throughout many more may be among the best ways to observe them. Earth Day 2021 includes activities spanning three days, and taking time to linger in a Woodson Art Museum gallery and appreciate art slowly is a good idea year round.
The Lasting Impression of Artworks
Posted on April 14, 2021
Staff at the Woodson Art Museum serve as keepers of exhibitions past. You know the feeling; your memory holds onto a small detail, but you can’t remember the full description. If that detail is of a past artwork exhibited in our galleries, we’re here to help.
Water-Cooler Repertoire
Posted on March 31, 2021
Water-cooler talk is socially distanced and topics limited to those that can be shared with projected voices along hallways and across office thresholds. With much of “typical” life on pause, conversation about pets provides common ground, different daily tales, humor, and an opportunity to truly help one another through advice and suggestions. I think I can safely say shared pet stories have enhanced our mental health and camaraderie.
Background Check(s)
Posted on March 24, 2021
The wall of books in the Museum’s library, almost entirely art and art history books, provides a handsome and intellectual background.
Classical Sculpture, Meet “Calder”
Posted on March 17, 2021
The latest offerings from the Woodson Art Museum’s Wee Build Workshop feature academic architecture, Roman friezes, and an homage to the master of the mobile, Alexander Calder.
The Art of Curating
Posted on March 10, 2021
I’ve seen the word curate used lately in many contexts related to the organization of food stands, merchandise placement in stores, and even selecting songs and musicians.
The term curate has long been associated with the art world. One definition is to select, organize, and care for a collection or exhibition. Certainly, it describes how exhibitions from the Woodson Art Museum’s permanent collection have been presented for decades. As I look at other definitions of the word, I see that merchandise, information, and more can be curated. Why not?
Heard on the Street
Posted on April 07, 2021