Wausau, Wisconsin: A botanical art exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum this summer celebrates the diversity and history of cultivated plants grown for clothing, healing, and food. “Abundant Future: Cultivating Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field,” on view June 11 through August 28, features plants discovered on international travels, picked up at farmers’ markets, and plucked from the artists’ own gardens.
The artworks created by American Society of Botanical Artists were selected for The New York Botanical Garden’s Fourth Triennial, devoted to biological diversity in cultivated utilitarian plants. As the artists studied their chosen plants to ensure faithful depictions, they learned about the history of cultivated varieties or the significance of wild relatives’ roles in yielding today’s fruits and vegetables.
The “Abundant Future” exhibition celebrates the artistry of plant breeding, the challenges of maintaining genetic diversity that helps domesticated crops resist environmental and climate stress and disease, and the potential for rejuvenation via heirloom and ancient plant revival.
Summer Highlights
Art Park, the Museum’s interactive gallery offering drop-in family fun, highlights plant life grown for food, from farm to table to studio. Visitors of all ages cultivate their creativity by sketching a produce still life, inventing a botanical specimen, and planting an original project in a community art garden installation.
Making @ the Museum, 10 a.m.-Noon, on Wednesdays, June 22, July 20, and August 24
Children and families visit the Museum for free, drop-in art making in the Museum’s sculpture garden during three summer sessions. June’s artful exploration highlights painting and the playful ways pigment can be applied to surfaces and combined to create unexpected results. July’s program celebrates the endless possibilities of printmaking, focusing on the relief-printing process and ways to make a monoprint. During the August session, participants experiment with various materials, including wire, wood, and clay, to create small-scale sculptures.
Introduction to Natural Dyeing with Molly Hassler: Studio Workshop, Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
During this two-day workshop for teens and adults, artist Molly Hassler shares the transformative effects of natural dyeing with plant-based pigments on fabric and paper. Participants learn how to source and prepare pigments, create patterns, and generate ideas for incorporating dyeing processes into future projects. Lunches and all materials provided. Fee: $55 for members; $75 for non-members. Scholarships available. Call 715.845.7010 to register.
Nights Out @ the Woodson & Sculpture Garden Yoga
On the first Thursday of each month, the Museum stays open until 7:30 p.m., offering opportunities for evening strolls through the galleries and grounds. Night Out @ the Woodson on July 7 and August 4 will include Sculpture Garden Yoga, if weather permits these outdoor-only sessions, led by a 5 Koshas Yoga and Wellness instructor, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Please register at www.5koshasyoga.com/yoga/class-schedule/ and bring mats or blankets. Session will be canceled if weather requires; watch the 5 Koshas Facebook page for updates.
Agri-Cultured: Summer Art Sessions for Children
Ages 5-8, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 12 and 13, 9 a.m.-Noon
During “Micro-Greens Make Macro-Art,” plants, patterns, and printing inspire projects during art sessions for young makers. Participants take a close look at the shapes and textures of plants to produce mini and mighty artworks. Fee: $35 for Museum members, $50 for non-members; call 715.845.7010 to register; scholarships available.
Ages 9-12, Thursday and Friday, July 14 and 15, 9 a.m.-Noon
During “Plant-Powered Design,” budding artists create large-scale sculptures inspired by seeds and spores. Participants sprout abstracted two-dimensional botanical artworks stemming from foliage contours and isolated plant forms. Fee: $35 for Museum members, $50 for non-members; call 715.845.7010 to register; scholarships available.
Treasuring Memories, Wednesday, July 27, 1-3:30 p.m.
Children, teens, and families coping with the death of a loved one create memorial art for a garden, walkway, or special space of remembrance. Participants may bring small mementos to incorporate into the project. This free program, in-person unless circumstances change, offers the opportunity to share memories and reflections of loved ones. Questions? Call Amy Kitsembel at the Aspirus Grief Center, 715.847.2703. To register, call 715.845.7010.
Botanical Art with Lynne Railsback, Thursday, August 4 through Sunday, August 7
“Abundant Future” exhibition artist Lynne Railsback captures plant life through intimate and elegant watercolor paintings of native and heirloom botanical subjects. Working directly from plant specimens and without preliminary sketches or photographic references, Lynne creates dramatic and rich paintings using only five colors.
Guest Artist Talk, Thursday, August 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Join artist Lynne Railsback for a visual survey of the botanical art featured in “Abundant Future,” highlighting the range of mediums American Society of Botanical Artists use to depict diverse subjects.
Guest Artist Open Studio, Friday, August 5, 1-3 p.m.
Drop in, observe, and converse with Lynne Railsback as she works.
Studio Workshop: Painting Native Plants with Lynne Railsback, Saturday and Sunday, August 6 and 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
During this two-day workshop for teens and adults, painter and botanical illustrator Lynne Railsback guides participants through her watercolor painting process. Participants learn about native plant specimens, how to develop plentiful color palettes using only five colors, and employ the “lift out” painting technique using small brushes to remove pigment. Lunches and all materials provided. Fee: $85 for members; $100 for non-members. Scholarships available. Call 715.845.7010 to register.
Gallery Walk, Saturday, August 6, 1-2 p.m.
Join Lynne on a walk through the “Abundant Future” exhibition, gleaning insights and hearing her stories and observations of artwork on view.
SPARK!, Thursday, August 11, 10:30 a.m.- Noon
Adults with early-to-mid-stage memory loss and their care partners enjoy an interactive, guided experience in the “Abundant Future” galleries followed by hands-on art making inspired by botanical artwork. Call the Museum at 715.845.7010 to register. Programming for adults with memory loss is generously supported by Abbie Spire in memory of Dr. Lyman J. Spire.
Art Beyond Sight, Saturday, August 20, 10:30 a.m.-Noon
Individuals with low vision or blindness explore botanical artworks on view via a multisensory experience with Museum educators followed by guided art making in the Museum’s classroom. Call 715.845.7010 to register.
Additional Options
The Museum’s Stop-by Studio, always open for anytime curbside pickup along 12th Street, is stocked with Art Kits and books, free to keep or share, to encourage at-home art making and creativity. Explore the Museum’s sculpture garden, grounds, and online offerings, too.
Acknowledgments
“Abundant Future: Cultivating Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field,” The Fourth New York Botanical Garden Triennial, was produced in collaboration with the American Society of Botanical Artists. Wausau Homes is the presenting sponsor of the summer exhibition; 5 Koshas is the summer sponsor. Exhibitions and programs are supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. Marketing supported in part by City of Wausau Room Tax funds. Support for hands-on art-making supplies comes from Wilmington Trust and the M&T Charitable Foundation and from the Steinberg Family Foundation.
For additional details, check the online events calendar, the events calendar PDF, and this webpage:
For more information, visit www.lywam.org, e-mail the Museum at info@lywam.org, call 715-845-7010, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Woodson Art Museum Hours
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 9am – 4pm
First Thursday of each month 9am – 7:30pm
Every Thursday during Birds in Art 9am – 7:30pm
Saturday – Sunday Noon – 5pm
Closed Monday & holidays, including New Year’s Day, Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day
Admission: Always Free Admission
Phone: 715.845.7010
Email: info@lywam.org
Location: 700 N. 12th Street (Franklin & 12th Streets), Wausau, Wisconsin 54403-5007
Online: www.lywam.org
