Sue deLearie Adair, The Perfect Situation, 2019
The Perfect Situation is the title of a graphite drawing by Sue deLearie Adair that’s among recent acquisitions by the Woodson Art Museum and also encompasses the opening earlier this month of the 2019 Birds in Art exhibition.
After months of work, hundreds of emails and phone calls, numerous Google searches, the production of a 134-page catalogue, artworks arriving from a dozen countries, and ultimately the installation in the galleries of 127 beautiful paintings, graphics, and sculptures, the Museum shares the exhibition with the public.
Paul Rhymer, China Cat Sunflower (ed. 25), 2018
The opening weekend – on the weekend after Labor Day each year – features not only the stunning artworks, but also welcomed seventy-three artists who visited Wausau for the opening festivities. Hearing their artistic inspiration and learning their varied techniques are the frosting on the cake or I should say – cookie baker that I am – the chocolate chips in the cookie dough.
As the curator of collections, I assist the Museum’s Collections Committee in acquiring artworks to enhance the permanent collection – those works that remain at the Museum in perpetuity.
Birds in Art includes the best of the best works of contemporary artists, and we take advantage of the opportunity. Six Museum Board and at-large members, Museum director Kathy Foley, and I work together to choose the works. We sit in a gallery surrounded by artworks and consider which best fit our collecting goals.
We are fortunate to have many supporters who fund the acquisitions, along with another amazing program, Project Postcard, an annual event featuring 4 x 6-inch original artworks donated by Birds in Art artists and sold during the Friday evening preview reception. The proceeds from Project Postcard sales are used exclusively to purchase Birds in Art artworks.
I’m proud to share the 2019 acquisitions here.
Project Postcard
Museum purchase with proceeds from Project Postcard
Sue deLearie Adair, The Perfect Situation, 2019
Robin Berry, Common Firecrest, 2018
Lucrezia Bieler, Balance, 2018
David Lawruk, Pacific Black Ducks, 2019
John S. Miller, Ogishkimanisi (2/16), 2019
Chirag V. Thumbar, Warblers in Rhododendron, 2019
Sandra Wiesman Weiler, Baltimore Oriole Nest, 2019
Edward Aldrich, Air Currents, 2018
William Alther, Winter Arches, 2019
Museum purchase with funds provided by the John and Alice Forester Charitable Trust
Edward Aldrich, Air Currents, 2018
Joe Garcia, H2O, 2019
Eugen Kisselmann, Black Storks, 2019
Bo Lundwall, Colorful Meeting with the Red-throated Diver, 2018
Giorgia Oldano, Mr. and Mrs. Punk, 2018
Paul Rhymer, China Cat Sunflower (ed. 25), 2018
Alan Woollett, Puffins, 2018
Museum purchase with funds provided by Jeff and Helo Zink
William Alther, Winter Arches, 2019
Museum purchase with funds provided by Nancy-Leigh Fisher, Alice W. and Joseph F. Smith, Jr., and Gale Fisher and David Wenninger
Roger Martin, Circumstantial Evidence (ed. 30), 2019
Museum purchase with funds provided by Nancy-Leigh Fisher and Alice W. and Joseph F. Smith, Jr., in honor of the Woodson Art Museum staff
Mark Dedrie, Sword-billed Hummingbird (ed. 8), 2019
Mark Dedrie, Sword-billed Hummingbird (ed. 8), 2019
Museum purchase with funds provided by Nancy-Leigh Fisher and Alice W. and Joseph F. Smith, Jr., in honor of Gale W. Fisher’s special birthday
Brett Jarrett, Peaceful, 2019
Alan Woollett, Preening Mute Swan, 2019
Museum purchase with Tribute Funds in memory of Carol LaFreniere
Alan Woollett, Preening Mute Swan, 2019
To extend the excitement surrounding acquisitions, the Woodson Art Museum recently has made available on its website 700 artworks from the collection. They can be viewed from the following link. https://www.lywam.org/collections/ Take a few minutes to check out artworks online and stay tuned for the addition of more images and information.
In a perfect situation, everyone would experience these recently acquired artworks in the galleries during Birds in Art 2019, on view through December 1. If it’s not possible, view them via this blog post and visit the website to search and view additional works from the Museum’s collection, too.
