Woodson Art Museum Presents 40th Anniversary 2015 Birds in Art Exhibition

Wausau, Wisconsin: Mesmerizing artwork by 123 of the world’s most talented artists serves as a fitting tribute to this year’s milestone 40th annual Birds in Art exhibition on view September 12 through November 29 at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. Varied and accomplished depictions of avian life, from regal poses, lively gatherings, and calm repose to sculptural statements and whimsical trompe l’oeil works highlight why throughout four decades Birds in Art has earned international esteem.

The 2015 exhibition includes the work of 102 artists, selected by three jurors, and 21 who have been named Master Artists during previous Birds in Art exhibitions. Artwork from 607 artists was submitted for the 2015 jury’s consideration. The 2015 jurors were Danny Bills, curator of collections and exhibitions, Wichita Falls Museum at Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas; Virginia Eichhorn, director and chief curator, Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada; and Terry Pitts, director emeritus, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Intriguing suprises await. Chris Maynard’s delicate bird surrounded by scattering insects are all meticulously carved from a feather. Abstract forms creatively encompass open space in work by Don Rambadt – bronze birds in swift departure from a windowlike frame – and Simon Gudgeon – a diminutive bird atop an octagonal assemblage of rods suggesting a nest.

This year’s edition includes 12 Wisconsin artists, 28 international artists, and 11 first-time Birds in Art artists. The Wisconsin artists are: Clarence P. Cameron, Madison; Gary Eigenberger, Green Bay; Janet D. Flynn, Reedsburg; Cary Hunkel, Madison; David Kapszukiewicz, Tomahawk; Jeffrey T. Larson, Maple; S.V. Medaris, Mount Horeb; John S. Miller, Madison; Don Rambadt, Milwaukee; Gene Reineking, Almond; Jan McAllaster Stommes, Owen; and Todd Wohlt, Appleton.

Opening day, Saturday, September 12, provides varied opportunities to interact with more than 60 Birds in Art artists visiting from throughout the world for 40th-anniversary festivities.

Saturday Sampler, 9 am-Noon, September 12

• The Museum opens at 9 am; meet and mingle with the artists, 9 am-Noon, and get catalogues and posters signed.
• Birds in Art Master Artists share insights, 9:30-10:30 am, during brief, image-based presentations under a sculpture garden tent.
• Artists in Action demonstrate various mediums and explain techniques, 10:45 am-12:15 pm.

Ongoing Anniversary Commemoration

Celebrating the 40th anniversary, a digital exhibition will showcase 450 Birds in Art artworks acquired by the Museum since 1976, and From the Archives chronicles the evolution of Birds in Art throughout four decades. Visitors are invited to share Museum and exhibition memories by writing and drawing on paper birds they add to a birch grove forest, Birds of a Feather: 40 Years Together.

The 40th annual exhibition also launches the beginning of the Museum’s 40th anniversary year. Programs throughout the fall will bring to life Birds in Art themes, artistic styles, and techniques; in mid-August check the events calendar at www.lywam.org for details.

A full-color, illustrated Birds in Art catalogue featuring every artwork along with artists’ statements will be available for purchase in September. Preorder catalogues now at www.lywam.org.

Each year, sixty Birds in Art artworks are selected for a subsequent tour to locations throughout the country; the 2015 tour venues are: Fullerton Arboretum, Fullerton, California, December 28, 2015 – February 22, 2016; Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, March 12 – June 5, 2016; Museum of the Red River, Idabel, Oklahoma, June 24 – August 21, 2016; Newington-Cropsey Foundation, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, September 12 – November 4, 2016; Dane G. Hansen Memorial Museum, Logan, Kansas, December 9, 2016 – February 5, 2017.

For more information, visit www.lywam.org, e-mail the Museum at museum@lywam.org, call 715-845-7010, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Woodson Art Museum
Hours:
Tues–Fri 9am–4pm
First Thurs each month 9am–7:30pm
Thurs during Birds in Art 9am–7:30pm
Sat–Sun Noon–5pm
Closed Mon & holidays, including New Year’s Day, Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas

Admission: Always Free Admission
Phone: 715.845.7010
Email: museum@lywam.org
Location: Franklin and 12th Streets, Wausau, Wisconsin 54403-5007
(700 N. Twelfth Street)
Online: www.lywam.org

2015 Birds in Art

Artists