Tag Archives: birds in art
Squirrel!
Posted on September 13, 2017
Fresh from the successful opening weekend of the 42nd Birds in Art exhibition, I’m pondering squirrels.
I tend to be fairly deliberate in my work. I like lists. Spreadsheets are my friends. I enjoy planning my calendar and filling it with color-coded notations. I schedule “impromptu” messages to my daughter, a first-year college student. So, I can relate to the industrious squirrel scurrying about gathering and storing for the . . .
Are You Ready for Some Birds in Art?
Posted on September 06, 2017
The first few days after Labor Day are hectic. At the Woodson Art Museum, staff keep busy putting the finishing touches on Birds in Art. Perhaps more pressing, it’s time to draft my fantasy football team.
Wandering with the Woodson
Posted on August 30, 2017
For nine years, Woodson Art Museum staff members have written weekly for our mixed-voice blog, “Woodson Wanderings.” We’ve never missed a week, a fact in which we take great pride.
Via wide-ranging and varied posts, we’ve shared institutional and personal joys and sorrows. We’ve laughed and we’ve cried. We’ve celebrated and we’ve mourned.
Bye, Bye, Summer; Hello, Birdie
Posted on August 23, 2017
Taking turns lamenting summer’s inevitable departure seems to be an unofficial, mid-August tradition amongst Woodson Art Museum staff members.
“How is it already August?!”
“Birds in Art can’t be just two weeks away.”
“Where did my summer go?”
The good news is Museum staff didn’t waste summer lounging around on the couch or acquiring poolside sunburns.
The Wall(s)
Posted on August 09, 2017
Although walls may not seem as crucial as the artwork they support, an attractive and reliable backdrop ensures enjoyment of the artwork.
Birds Spring into Art
Posted on May 03, 2017
With spring comes hope. Hope for warmer weather, a new growing season, and time to get outside to enjoy nature. Spring also brings the return of migratory birds that fled to warmer climates last fall.
Nourishing through Time and Attention
Posted on March 29, 2017
Soaking rain. Frost. Sunshine and fifty-five degrees. Forecasted snow. Spring break in Wisconsin.
My kids and I are enjoying a “staycation.” I’m at the Woodson Art Museum typing away and they are around the house soaking up the no-school vibes. We’ll escape for a day trip to a favorite educational and entertaining venue in Chicago.
Our Newest Master Sculptor
Posted on March 22, 2017
A key component of the Woodson Art Museum’s flagship Birds in Art exhibition is the Museum’s Master Artist recognition for achievement within the avian-art genre. This tradition began with Wisconsin’s Owen Gromme in 1976 and over the years has highlighted the work of an international cast of thirty-six artists.
Pentimenti
Posted on November 23, 2016
Pentimenti – my new favorite word. It’s derived from the Italian word for repentance.
While waiting for a student tour to arrive, Timothy David Mayhew – a recent artist in residence and expert in Old Master natural-chalk technique – curator of education Catie Anderson and I were admiring chalk drawings from the Woodson Art Museum’s collection. Tiepolo’s Head of an Old Bearded Man with the faint lines of the first attempts still visible, elicited a discussion about the unforgiving nature of chalk; once drawn it cannot be erased or removed. The merciless nature of the medium trains the artist to master a light touch and embrace the ghostly remains of previous efforts – the pentimenti.
Life-List Highlights
Posted on November 16, 2016
Both within and beyond the Woodson Art Museum galleries, I enjoy bird watching and learning about our feathered friends. Like many fellow contemporary birders, I post my sightings to eBird, a website and mobile app. Whether or not you’re a birder, visit the Woodson Art Museum on or before November 27 to experience Birds in Art, a must-see highlight for your exhibition life list.
