As we turned the calendar page to 2021, “hope” for the year ahead is a shared theme.
Heartfelt evidence came to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum staff via the U.S. Postal Service in the latter days of December from an Aspirus Wausau Hospital nurse.
For the past seven months, in lieu of hands-on art-making activities, Museum staff have lovingly and creatively designed and produced Art Kits to complement artworks on view and encourage busy hands and artistic pursuits.
Following the Museum’s second, proactive closure in October, staff brainstorming and ingenuity led to the realization of a birdhouse-inspired Stop-by Studio, through which Art Kits are available anytime of the day or night.
The response to the well-stocked Stop-by Studio has not only been enthusiastic, but also has exceeded our expectations, which led the Museum team to think about other outlets for sharing Art Kits.
Since November, 400 Art Kits have been shared with Aspirus, Inc. for frontline healthcare workers, to be used in tandem with an array of self-care materials.
That one nurse didn’t just explore the materials in an Art Kit and indulge in a creative exercise, but also took the time to share both a resulting collage and appreciative note with Museum staff means more than words can express.
The words “life” and “hope,” hidden among the trees, remind us what’s important and how powerful small gestures can be.
With 2020 in the rearview mirror, the Woodson Art Museum staff looks to a brighter future, abundant opportunities to enhance lives through art, and share random acts of kindness as often as possible.
What small gestures will you share that could yield a big impact?
