WAUSAU, WISCONSIN: Stunning contemporary artwork and topical environmental issues are the focus of this week’s debut of the exhibition “Reclaimed: The Art of Recology” at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. “Reclaimed” opens Saturday, June 10 and remains on view through Sunday, August 27, 2023, always admission free.
You have likely heard the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” That idiom comes to life in “Reclaimed: The Art of Recology” on view June 10 – August 27, 2023. From tapestries made from used ties, shirts, and other fabrics to sculptural vases crafted from Ethernet and coaxial cables, this eclectic exhibition features artwork created from unwanted materials, casting “trash” in a new light.
Recology, San Francisco’s 47-acre Recycling and Transfer Center, has hosted an Artist in Residence program since 1990. Operating with the belief that art plays a unique role in educating and inspiring the public, Recology offers artists an opportunity to make artwork from discarded materials. Armed with safety gear and a shopping cart, artists scavenge in the Public Reuse and Recycling Area to reclaim discarded waste as reimagined art objects. The exhibition features work by 33 artists who have participated in Recology’s Artist in Residence Program. Experience astounding upcycled art and the stories uncovered about our relationship with the environment and what we can do to improve sustainability. “Reclaimed: The Art of Recology” is organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, in Walnut Creek, California.
Concurrent with “Reclaimed: The Art of Recology” is the exhibition “Heidi Parkes: Reuse, Reflection, and Storytelling in Cloth” also on view June 10 through August 27. Using cloth as her canvas, Milwaukee-based artist Heidi Parkes “paints” with scraps of fabric and thread in her improvisational quilts. Her fiber artworks incorporate heirloom textiles that elicit memories, reflect on domesticity, and tell stories of shared experience. This exhibition organized by the Woodson Art Museum highlights more than a dozen large-scale quilts sure to delight the senses. Heidi Parkes will in residence at the Woodson Art Museum from Tuesday, July 18 through Sunday, July 23, presiding over the following programs:
☛ Tuesday, July 18, 1-4 pm
Making & Mending: Creative Care with Heidi Parkes
Try your hand at sewing (1 – 3 pm) with guidance from Heidi Parkes and learn simple stitching techniques on one of her quilt creations during stop-in stitching sessions at the Museum’s Glass Box Studio. Warm up your hands and mind (3 – 4 pm) with Heidi during afternoon hand yoga sessions.
☛ Wednesday, July 19, 1-4 pm
Making & Mending: Creative Care with Heidi Parkes
Try your hand at sewing (1 – 3 pm) with guidance from Heidi Parkes and learn simple stitching techniques on one of her quilt creations during stop-in stitching sessions at the Museum’s Glass Box Studio. Warm up your hands and mind (3 – 4 pm) with Heidi during afternoon hand yoga sessions.
Photo of Heidi Parkes by Jeff Parkes
☛ Friday, July 21, 1-4 pm
Making & Mending: Creative Care with Heidi Parkes
Try your hand at sewing (1 – 3 pm) with guidance from Heidi Parkes and learn simple stitching techniques on one of her quilt creations during stop-in stitching sessions at the Museum’s Glass Box Studio. Warm up your hands and mind (3 – 4 pm) with Heidi during afternoon hand yoga sessions.
☛ Thursday, July 20, 5:30-7 pm
Artist Talk & Gallery Walk
Join Heidi Parkes as she discusses her background, creative philosophy, and fiber art processes. Following the talk, stroll through the galleries with Heidi and hear insights about her exhibited artworks in the exhibition.
☛ Sunday, July 23, 10 am – 3 pm
Fabric Vessel Workshop
Unique and perfect for repurposed scraps from a favorite quilt, fabric vases can be both functional and decorative. Heidi will lead all steps to create a fabric vase. Use batting scraps to create a silhouette of your choosing around a small, clean, glass jar from your recycling bin, and learn hand sewing techniques to create a beautiful exterior. This class is for both beginners and experienced sewers. Registration required; fee: $85 for Museum members, $100 for non-members. Register online or call 715-845-7010. Scholarships available.
Additional upcoming program highlights
☛ SPARK! programs for adults with early-to-mid-stage memory loss and their care partners focus on artworks in the Museum’s galleries and grounds on Thursday, June 8, Thursday, July 13, and Thursday, August 10, all 10:30 am-Noon. Register online at www.lywam.org/learn-do/program-registration or call 715.845.7010. To schedule a specialized SPARK! experience, contact scheduling@lywam.org or 715.845.7010.
☛ Making @ the Museum drop-in programs for all will be on Tuesday, June 27, 1-3 pm, Tuesday, July 25, 1-3 p.m., and Tuesday, August 22, 1–3 pm
☛ During Art Beyond Sight on Saturday, July 22, 10:30 am-Noon, individuals with low vision and blindness explore “Reuse, Reflection, and Storytelling in Cloth” via a multisensory gallery experience led by Museum educators. Time in the galleries is followed by conversations and hands-on making with guest artist Heidi Parkes. Register online at www.lywam.org/learn-do/program-registration or call 715.845.7010. To schedule a specialized Art Beyond Sight experience, contact scheduling@lywam.org or 715.845.7010.
☛ South Beach Up North: classical music at the Museum featuring cellist and Wausau native Michael Andrews with other South Beach Chamber Ensemble musicians. The ensemble will celebrate the music of Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar, Paul Schoenfield, and Jose Luis Hernandez.
