That Time of Year

And, I have artists’ statements on my mind! *

125 of them to be precise.

Why? It’s Birds in Art catalogue production time and that means everyone at the Woodson Art Museum – as well as the 125 artists included in the 2012 exhibition – is working fast and furiously to tend to each and every detail to ensure the best possible publication.

Design, layout and page set-ups, and color proofing require the attention of other staff members. I’m all about words right now . . . artists’ words.

Writing an artist’s statement isn’t easy, and I know it’s not the “fun” part of being an artist either. As professional museum curators and educators, we want to provide insights for catalogue readers as well as visitors (we include artists’ statements on Birds in Art gallery labels). We know our audience enjoys learning about an artist’s creative process, inspirations, and techniques. One of these points of access is super; all three can help us engage people with art, which is what forward-thinking, pro-active museums do day after day.

While statements may be difficult for artists to write, editing them isn’t easy either. In addition to ensuring that what we publish conforms to the Museum’s “style sheet” (this is the easy part), I’m a stickler for the following: does the statement provide insight or enlighten; do the words makes sense or are they just strung together; and does the statement do justice to the artwork by adding something to the equation.

I don’t want to stress anyone further – not the artists responsible for crafting statements, nor myself. Apparently, I’m not the only one thinking about artists’ statements these days.

The June/July issue of American Craft magazine includes an excellent Q & A under the heading, “When Artists Write About Their Work.” The queries answered are threefold: what is the purpose of an artist’s statement; what are the elements of the ideal statement; and is it even a good idea to have artists write them.

The answers come from Glenn Adamson, head of research at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and co-editor of the Journal of Modern Craft. Among his helpful comments are the following:

• Artists’ statements are hard to write . . . we can all agree, yes?!
• If there were no such thing as artists’ statements, only critics and art historians would write about art . . . would we be happy with that? Likely not! It’s good that artists speak for themselves.
•  Adamson says for him, a good statement is “an extension of the work, rather like a museum label, not a stand-alone piece of prose.”
•  Statements should encourage viewers to take a second look. Yes, indeed!
•  Statements “should be honest. No posturing, no after-the-fact theorizing, no mystification.”

 Anderson concludes with these words of advice, which I heartily endorse:

So if you’re in the predicament of writing an artist’s statement, try thinking of it as a particularly candid note, dashed off to an ardent admirer. After all, a love letter is tough to write, too. But who doesn’t love to get one?

I’d love to hear from artists about their statement experiences as well as from statement readers. Don’t be shy.

*In last week’s “Woodson Wanderings” post, educator Catie Anderson talked about her pre-occupation with botanicals.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

I’ve got botanicals on my mind!

Three botanical art-themed exhibitions – Botanicals: Environmental Expressions in Art; Rhythm of Life: Watercolors by Richard Bolingbroke; and Nature Observed: Wendy Brockman Watercolors – will fill the Museum’s galleries from June 23 through August 26.

 

I’m focused on docent training, which takes place bright and early Monday morning, June 25, and so I get to immerse myself in artworks as well as the history of botanicals. My typical research process gets a real boost with these exhibitions because collector Isaac M. Sutton, whose artworks comprise Botanicals: Environmental Expressions in Art, along with Botanicals curator, Susan Frei Nathan and artist Wendy Brockman will be at the Museum this week.

In tandem with the summer solstice, the Museum will celebrate the opening of the new exhibitions with a live Wisconsin Public Radio broadcast from the galleries on Thursday evening, June 21, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. WPR’s Glen Moberg, host of Route 51, will interview Isaac Sutton and take questions from those in the audience and from callers.

I, for one, will be taking notes!

You can listen to the Route 51 on 91.9 FM/WPR’s Ideas Network on your radio or on the web at http://wpr.org/webcasting/live.cfm .

The Museum will be in full bloom this summer, both in the galleries and throughout our grounds. We’ve planned an array of botanical-themed programs . . . check them out on our web site at www.lywam.org or stop in to pick up an events calendar.

I’m partial to roses, which also are blooming outside the Museum’s main entrance. What’s your favorite flower?

Make a Father’s Day Memory at the Woodson Art Museum

What do you remember about seeing NASA countdowns to liftoff, moon landings, and splashdowns?

Since my dad’s birthday last weekend, I’ve been thinking I’d like to ask him. But this Sunday will be the first Father’s Day without him; a year ago, I think we all took for granted that we’d have more time.

The NASA | ART exhibition would’ve been a perfect conversation starter for me and my dad. Some of our best talks flowed from doing things side by side: fishing from a dock, painting sealant on a cabin, watching a basketball or football game together.

I can envision walking through the Woodson Art Museum galleries with him, asking him what he recalls about Neil Armstrong’s moon walk and comment: “That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”

Where was he in 1986 when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart just after liftoff?

As somebody who traveled to the Soviet Union several times throughout his career, what did he think of the space race?

I couldn’t possibly have asked him everything I’d want to know, even though we had nearly half a century together. I sure am thankful for all those talks we did have.

Maybe that’s why every time I see fathers, grandpas, and children strolling the galleries and gardens and playing in Art Park, it makes me smile.

I’m glad they’re enjoying one another’s company at the Art Museum and making lots of memories while they can.

Here’s wishing all fathers and families Happy Father’s Day. Plan a Woodson Art Museum visit during these last days of the NASA | ART exhibition, and have an out-of-this-world time together!

P.S. Don’t be shy about sharing your special Father’s Day memories; let us hear from you.

A Curator’s Delight

I love being a curator. After thirty-three years, each day is still a surprise, the challenges a thrill (if not daunting), and the rewards unending.

Take yesterday as one of my “typical” days.

Awaiting me was a recently delivered package that contained a beautiful pencil sketch, a gift for the Museum’s collection from Catherine McClung. A thick manila envelope also awaited. Its contents revealed dozens of pages of legalese affirming that the Woodson Art Museum is a beneficiary of a Harry Adamson painting.

An email message from Woodson Art Museum director Kathy Foley confirmed that funding is in place for a publication to accompany the fall debut of the BMO Harris Bank gift of the M&I Bank Owen Gromme paintings. Although not a surprise, we now can move forward pulling together the various elements to produce the publication. Oh, yes, and the deadline is only two months away. Now, that’s a challenge!

A recent email message from Marcia Theel, a longtime colleague and friend, reminded me of how much the Museum’s collection has grown. We often discussed organizing one- or two-person exhibitions using the collection, but at the time the depth wasn’t there. Twelve years ago it was only a dream, but now – thanks to several generous gifts – it’s feasible.

A perfect example is the current exhibition An Abundances of Riches: The Woodcuts of Andrea Rich. Andrea’s gifts to the Museum’s collection began in 2000 with the first 129 of her woodcuts; subsequent gifts bring the total to 240. With such a large body of work from which to draw, the difficulty in curating the exhibition was the limited gallery space in which to display her work. An Abundance of Riches, on view through August 12, comprises fifty-five works featuring birds, animals, butterflies, and landscapes.

 

I recently walked through the galleries with a childhood friend, Marsha, who also happens to be Andrea’s cousin. We discussed Andrea, the artworks, and the immense challenge of creating a woodcut. Both of us have witnessed Andrea at work and we marvel at her skill, artistry, and mastery of her subject so exquisitely evident in each design.

Marsha’s comments and those of many others are my reward. Visitors who understand my vision, appreciate the artwork, and recognize the skill of the artist tell me I’ve done my job well. It’s why I love my job.