A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience!

by Mary Borowski, business manager

On September 24 I had the honor of accompanying my father, a 91-year-old World War II Navy veteran, to Washington D.C. on the Never Forgotten Honor Flight. I also was privileged to serve as a guardian for a second World War II Veteran.

The mission of the Never Forgotten Honor Flight is to provide a special kind of honor for the sacrifices of America's veterans; our heroes fly to Washington D.C. to visit their memorials. Top priority is given to senior veterans – World War II survivors.The veterans do not pay for this activity – it is absolutely free. Central Wisconsin Never Forgotten Honor Flight is an affiliate of the Honor Flight Network, a group that began operations in 2005. The goal is to raise enough money for four flights a year until all WWII veterans have had the opportunity. Korean War veterans and others will be honored in a similar fashion in the future.

The September flight festivities began Sunday evening with a dinner honoring the veterans. During the social hour, many new friends were made, old stories told, and a renewed sense of patriotism could be felt in the banquet hall. A delicious dinner was enjoyed, heart-warming speeches were made, and entertainment filled the room. With music from the 1940s, toes were tapping to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and vets with their arms around their sweethearts were swaying to Sentimental Journey.

Monday morning came bright and early with roll call at 5:00 a.m. at the Central Wisconsin Airport. The vets marched in with their guardians, excited and eager to begin their journey. We were greeted by a crowd of volunteers, making sure the day started off right with coffee, donuts, fruit, juice, and water. The chatter in the terminal was electrified and many pictures were already being taken to record the day’s events. The vets said “good byes” to their spouses, family members, and friends as we boarded the plane and settled in. The plane made its way to the runway and a ceremonial water salute from two fire trucks. We arrived at Regan International Airport to be greeted by lines of cheering airport patrons.

Our first stop was the World War II memorial, where a group photo was taken. Taps was played to salute our fallen heroes. As I watched our group be photographed, visitors from Holland asked me about the group and why they were visiting. I explained and they asked me to thank our veterans for saving their country. I noticed these travelers stayed to talk with many of the vets; this was just one of the many humbling experiences that defined the day.

World War II Memorial

Korean War Memorial

As we waited to re-board the buses, my father and I sat in the park and enjoyied the beautiful 75-degree day. A bus of school children unloaded and a confident young man, nine or ten years old, stopped to greet my father, shook his hand, and said: “Sir, thank you for serving our country.” He then handed my dad a button he had pinned to his shirt that read “I still like Ike.” Goosebumps, oh yes!

The day included visits to the Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Air Force War Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Iwo Jima Memorial. I watched in amazement at each stop as our veterans paid tribute . . . remembering those who went before them and those who are still with us; men and women who bravely fought to keep our country free.

World War II Memorial

Iwo Jima Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

I could go on and on. The stories told were amazing; the shivers, the sorrows, the joys, and the tears that were shared and felt that day cannot be replicated. I truly believe this was a life-changing experience not only for me, but also for everyone who has taken an Honor Flight trip.

As our day came to a close, with exhausted vets in tow, we boarded the plane for central Wisconsin and a quiet plane ride home. Many vets were sound asleep, and exhausted guardians, too. A few conversed about the day’s events. Another surprise awaited: mail call, just like in the service. To everyone’s amazement, large packages of letters were handed out to each and every vet. Letters sent from loved ones, family, friends, and complete strangers. My dad opened his package and the first letter and said, “I have to wait to look at these tomorrow; I don’t have any tissues.” (Tuesday morning, he read every card, letter, and thank you note.)

The icing on the cake, the final event, was the “Welcome Home” at Central Wisconsin Airport. The vets disembarked to cheers, greetings, hugs, and tears from hundreds of people who created a human corridor from the aircraft gate to the terminal exit. Vets stopped and shook hands with family, friends, neighbors, and complete strangers. It was the welcome home many never received sixty or seventy years ago. This certainly resonated with my dad.

Central Wisconsin Airport

The Never Forgotten Honor Flight organization deserves the utmost praise and thanks for their commitment to our country’s veterans.

Because I am a numbers person, I’m closing with these “stats”: the September 24, 2012 flight included thirty-six World War II Veterans, thirty-two Korean War Veterans, twenty-one guardians, three physicians, one journalist, two photographers, six Honor Flight volunteers, two pilots, and three flight attendants all on one very large plane. And, there were countless behind-the-scenes volunteers who make the program run smoothly. I say “thank you” for a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I had the honor of sharing with my father.

A Day in the Life . . .

By Catie Anderson, curator of education

From evening news interviews to acrylic paint smeared across your backside, the life of a Woodson Art Museum educator is a charmed but chaotic one. The proverbial “it’s all in a day’s work” feels appropriate after many a busy day at the Museum. Tuesday, October 23 was no exception.

Yesterday morning was spent with coworkers Joe Ruelle and Dave Jones installing an exhibition of local student work created last week during “Pyro-techniques” with artist-in-residence Julie Bender. The pyrography works on view offer an inviting and attractive way for the public to appreciate the positive experiences students shared with this Birds in Art artist at the Museum. Participating students were given 5” x 7” maple wood blocks (generously donated by Merrill woodworker Mark Duginske), wild turkey feathers, pencils, paper, erasers, and basic pyrography tools. The results were amazing. The breadth of the artwork produced by students – in under an hour, utilizing a tool and technique new to most – is truly a testament to the creativity and diverse artistic styles lurking in all of us.

Many raised eyebrows from teachers and chaperones were cast my way when Julie cautioned that the pyrography tools get “twice as hot as an oven” or “1,000°F!” That line was quickly followed by my “But not to worry! We have a first-aid kit here and so far I’ve been the only one to burn myself.” What is often a deterrent for adults can be a selling point for students.

Working with artists-in-residence is one of the highlights of my job for a number of reasons. Not surprisingly, working closely with an artist allows you to gain a deeper appreciation for their work – a benefit students visiting during residency programs also take with them. Additionally, my colleagues and I feel strongly that working one on one with a professional artist in his or her medium is a memorable event that enhances the viewing of their artwork and how we relate to all art in the galleries. I always learn a lot during a residency program – about an artist’s medium, process, and materials as well as gaining more general insights into people.

Following Julie Bender’s residency, I can conclude with confidence that students are braver than adults; when faced with unfamiliar wood burning tools they proceeded with determination while adults proceeded with caution. “Oh, I don’t know; I’m not an artist,” adults often say, “I failed art in high school.” Either art educators are prone to fail many more students than I suspect or some adults are letting some nerves get the best of them. The desired end result is exploration, not a perfectly burned pyrography artwork. (I’ll move on before climbing onto the soapbox . . . .)

Yesterday afternoon was dedicated to welcoming students from Wausau School District’s Engineering and Global Leadership (EGL) Academy, who were treated to an introduction to the Museum’s audio tour app developed by their peer Alan Raff. Curator of exhibitions Andy McGivern and I have blogged many a time about the challenges and successes of this constantly evolving project. This visit afforded us the opportunity to show off the app and our brilliant school district collaboration to local media and school administrators as well as give Alan his proper time in the limelight.

Early evening rolled around in time for Museum educator Jayna Hintz and me to lead a Little Masters/Young Artists studio class inspired by Owen Gromme’s ornithological paintings. Participants, 5 – 12 years, used reference photos of avian subjects to paint portraits or depictions of birds in action, using acrylic on canvas. Sometimes excited young artists become quite liberal with their brushes and paint application, and sometimes educators are standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.

These dynamic elements of my position keep me on my toes; and I’m constantly learning on the job. Tomorrow Jayna Hintz and I will speak at the Wisconsin Art Education Conference (WAEA) in Sheboygan on how the Woodson Art Museum serves as an extension of community classrooms. This will be my conference presentation debut (gulp); it’s all part of a day’s work!

Inspiration, Seared Indelibly

by Amy Beck, marketing and communications manager

The art of pyrography is more than wood burning. An artist uses a tool – heated to as high as 1,000 degrees! – to scorch the surface of natural materials such as wood, paper, gourds, or leather.

With the same price of admission – always free – Woodson Art Museum visitors this week experience more than artwork on view. They can meet Birds in Art and pyrography artist Julie Bender who traveled from Loveland, Colorado for her six-day residency, Pyro-techniques. She works with students and adults during school visits and public programs through this Sunday, October 21.

Where else can students, teens, and adults hear a Birds in Art artist point out the intricacies of a feather – barb, spine, and quill – and then lean over a participant’s smoothly sanded block of maple (thank you, Mark Duginske and Dave Jones!) to adjust hand position on a wood-burning tool? A twist of that tool alters the angle of the tip so that its point or flat edge burns fine lines or subtle shading into the wood.

Julie’s first group on Tuesday of thirty students, from St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Merrill, listened attentively to her cautions about using the tools safely and proceeded – without mishap! – to wow adult supervisors with their amazing, wood-burned images. Come see the array of artwork that visiting students produce; by next week it’ll be on view in the Museum’s lower-level L5 gallery for the next few weeks.

As a curl of smoke wafted up from delicately scorched wood Tuesday, one boy said, “man, this is my dream! I want to do this for a living.”

 “Well, Julie does,” I replied. “You can, too, someday!”

Isn’t that the beauty and value of an artist residency? Inspiration. Meet the artists who live out dreams and prove it’s possible.

After thirty years in Atlanta, Julie pulled up stakes and moved to Colorado to live her dream of creating art in surroundings that fuel her creativity. Leaving oppressive southern heat and humidity behind and now reveling in the landscapes and wildlife outside her back door, Julie is transforming her dream into her tangible reality, much like she translates a pencil sketch into artwork charred on wood or paper.

What makes this artist residency possible is funding from the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, with funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board, Community Foundation, and the B.A. & Esther GreenheckFoundation.

Here’s who benefits directly from Julie’s time at the Museum this week:

 

• About 200 students in seven class visits from area schools.
• Visitors who attend Bender on Burning, 5:30-6:30 pm, Thursday, October 18, to learn about Julie's process and see her demonstrate her work.
• Teens gather for “Playing with Fire,” 6-8 pm, Friday, October 19. Call 715.845.7010 to RSVP.
• Individuals with low vision and blindness gather during Art Beyond Sight, 10:30-Noon, Saturday, October 20. Participants listen to Julie describe the process and feel the different textures of burned images on wood and paper. Call 715.845.7010 to register.
• Adults and educators attend a workshop, Saturday, October 20, 1-5 pm, to create a complex pyrographic artwork; $40 for Museum members; $50 for non-members. Call 715.845.7010 to register.
• Visitors join Julie on a Gallery Walk, Sunday, October 21, 2-3 pm, for a look at Birds in Art through the eyes of a participating artist.

 

Meet Julie this week for inspiration sure to leave its mark.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience how the Museum strives each day to fulfill its mission to enhance lives through art.

Is This Really Work?

I’ve written this before, but it bears repeating. I love my job! Who wouldn’t? I work with an amazingly talented group of people, I am surrounded by beautiful artwork, and now we have a state-of-the-art building addition in which to display and store the Woodson Art Museum’s permanent collection. Pinch me!

Over the past two weeks I gradually have been moving paintings from the existing storage areas into the new space. Previously, the collection was housed in three separate areas, but now all will be combined and stored in one space. To optimize the room, we chose Spacesaver, a side-by-side sliding system that includes fifty-four panels that are eight feet high and twelve feet long, as well as thirty-two feet of stationary racks. I suspect it will take many years to completely fill the racks.

I love the challenge of fitting the variously sized paintings on the screens to maximize the space. At first, I tried to fit like shapes and colors together but soon realized that was too compulsive as well as unnecessary. Now, I piece together the works almost like a jigsaw puzzle without connecting parts.

It was necessary to have a clean and stabilized environment before introducing artwork into the new storage space. That included scrubbing and dusting the space from the ceiling down and waiting several weeks to ensure the temperature and humidity remained constant. Once assured those two requirements were met I added a few comforts – a table and chair, radio, and supply cart – and began transferring the works. As the transition progressed so did the need for other tools, conservation supplies, and files, which then were added to the storage area.

 

Another necessity was a large supply of hanging devices used to attach the artworks to the screens. What I thought was an ample number quickly dwindled as more and more works were hung. Thankfully, there will be just enough to complete the task.

As you can see in the last photo, I have made significant progress. Not all of the paintings are in the new space. I estimate about one hundred works remain.

It’s difficult to concentrate on my other work. I want to spend all day moving the last of the artwork, contemplating the organization of the room, and drawing inspiration from the beautiful collection. I already have identified several themes for future exhibitions.

Oh, lucky me!

Woodson Art Museum Extends the Classroom

By Jayna Hintz, curator of education

"Tell me, and I forget.  Show me, and I remember. Involve me, and I understand."
This saying comes to mind when I share the importance of museums as an extension of the classroom.

During class visits to the Woodson Art Museum, students acquire skills and knowledge necessary for success. Students learn, connect, and expand their critical, analytical, and creative thinking; they learn from original artworks and objects that aren’t available in a classroom.

Learning from actual objects, rather than reproductions, strengthens students’ understanding that art reflects and captures human history, cultures, and the environment. During my own art history classes, viewing image after image of artworks on a screen didn’t yield the same excitement I felt when seeing the original artworks in museums. In galleries, I could see evidence of human contact: brush strokes on canvas, a mosquito embedded in artwork painted en plein air, fingerprints left in a clay model and captured forever when the sculpture was cast in bronze. An artist’s fingerprints are evident here, too, cast in bronze on Bart Walter’s Ostrich located in the Museum’s sculpture garden.

During a docent-led, object-based learning experience at the Woodson Art Museum, students look
at sculptures, paintings, or artifacts and respond to open-ended and guided questions to discover
the role and importance of artworks in our world – past, present, and future. Students are encouraged
to share what they know, sense, and feel about an object. Discussions ensure that students
make connections to their own experiences and other students’ varied cultural and personal perspectives, too.

While gaining that deeper understanding, students develop problem-solving skills, new vocabulary, self-discipline, tolerance, and critical thinking that carry over to other areas of study.

Encourage the teachers you know to schedule classroom visits to the Woodson Art Museum and explore the exhibition resources and pre- and -post visit materials to extend their students’ learning. Wonders await!