September 7 through November 10, 2013
WAUSAU, WISCONSIN: Opening festivities for this year’s 38th-annual “Birds in Art” exhibition at the Woodson Art Museum feature a presentation by the 2013 Master Artist Terry Miller and Artists in Action on Saturday morning, September 7.
Early birds who visit the Museum on Saturday morning will be rewarded by interacting with “Birds in Art” artists, gaining insights from a Master Artist talk, and watching artists at work. More than half of the 112 artists selected for “Birds in Art” will flock to Wausau from throughout the world for the opening and will be in the galleries and sculpture garden Saturday morning to talk with visitors and sign catalogues and posters.
Terry Miller presents his Master Artist talk, “The ABCs of an Artist’s Life,” 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.; “Birds in Art” artists demonstrate a variety of mediums and techniques during Artists in Action, 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Browse galleries to see fresh artistic takes on birds by some of the world’s most talented artists, portraying unexpected perspectives, amusing poses, and majestic bearing. “Birds in Art,” a perennial fall favorite, presents 125 all-new paintings, graphics, and sculptures created by artists who bring a global perspective to their passion for birds. The exhibition features fourteen artworks by Master Artist Terry Miller, who works solely with graphite, yielding stunning shades of black, white, and gray.
The Museum, committed to always-free admission, offers extended hours, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, September 7; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday, September 8, during the “Birds in Art” opening weekend, part of the three-venue art extravaganza, Wausau’s Artrageous Weekend. Free shuttle bus service connects all three venues: “Birds in Art” at the Woodson Art Museum, Festival of Arts in downtown Wausau, and Art in the Park in Marathon Park; for details, log onto www.lywam.org/wausaus-artrageous-weekend/, www.wausaufoa.org, or www.wivalleyart.org.
What can you expect when viewing the 2013 “Birds in Art” exhibition? Here’s a sampling. The lustrous, abstract sophistication of Simon Gudgeon’s bronze “Lyrebird.” Chris Bacon’s cropped perspective of red kites gracefully soaring in “Ascension.” Cindy House’s depiction of a Northern harrier in midflight in a pastel landscape.
The 2013 exhibition includes artwork by seven Wisconsin artists, thirty international artists, fourteen first-time “Birds in Art” artists, and eighteen artists who previously have been named Master Artists, as well as 2013 Master Terry Miller. “Birds in Art” remains on view through November 10.
The seven Wisconsin artists, followed by where they reside and the number of years their artwork has been selected for “Birds in Art” (though not necessarily consecutive), are: Mike Anderson, Stevens Point, three years; Clarence P. Cameron, Madison, eleven years; Gary Eigenberger, Green Bay, eighth year; David J. Kapszukiewicz, Tomahawk, first year; Don Rambadt, Milwaukee, thirteen years; Gene Reineking, Almond, four years; Jan McAllaster Stommes, Owen, seven years.
An array of avian-themed programs for all ages will animate the nine-week exhibition. During a six-day artist residency in late October, Paul Rhymer explains how his twenty-five year career as a second-generation Smithsonian taxidermist has informed his bronze sculpture. He will lead bronze sculpting demonstrations for school children during class visits to the Museum, programs for all ages, and workshops, as well as offering taxidermy tips and judging a taxidermy contest during his artist residency, Monday through Sunday, October 21-27.
Public programs include Art Beyond Sight, offered during each exhibition for those with blindness and low vision; “A Taste of Life without Sight,” in conjunction with October’s National Blindness Awareness Month; and two screenings a documentary film chronicling the life of renowned artist, cartoonist, and conservationist Jay N. “Ding” Darling.
A 132-page full-color, illustrated “Birds in Art” catalogue featuring every work along with artists’ statements will be available for purchase in September. Two posters also are available for purchase. For more information, visit www.lywam.org, e-mail the Museum at museum@lywam.org, or call 715.845.7010.
Each fall, the “Birds in Art” exhibition presents original paintings, sculptures, and graphics created within the last two years by artists from the world over. More than 600 artists annually – 605 in 2013 – submit their work for consideration by a jury of three different professionals who winnow the field to about ninety-five artworks. The 2013 jurors were Tom Davis, author and editor, Green Bay, Wisconsin; Duane H. King, executive director, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Cameron M. Shay, director, Graham Gallery, New York City. More than 16,000 visitors flock to the Woodson Art Museum during the exhibition each fall.
A subsequent “Birds in Art” touring exhibition includes sixty artworks and travels to locations throughout the country. The 2013 “Birds in Art” tour: March 1 through June 30, 2014, Heritage Center, State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota; July 19 through September 13, 2014, Steamboat Art Museum, Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and November 4 through December 31, 2014, Michelson Museum of Art, Marshall, Texas.
Woodson Art Museum
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thursdays during Birds in Art 9:00 am – 7:30 pm
Saturday – Sunday Noon – 5:00 pm
Closed Monday and holidays
Admission: Always Free Admission
Phone: 715.845.7010
Fax: 715.845.7103
Email: museum@lywam.org
Location: Franklin and 12th Streets, Wausau, Wisconsin 54403-5007
(700 N. 12th Street)
Online: www.lywam.org
