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Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

goersab — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:20:00 +0000

Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedulegoersab February 11, 2026

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

As �� steps into spring semester and continues its Year of Design, community members are invited to myriad civic talks, film screenings and literary conversations, art and design exhibitions, and performing arts events for everyone on campus and throughout the community. Events are open to the public; some events require tickets.

�� . Year of Design celebrates the innovation, leadership and impact central to Wisconsin ��. ��. Upcoming signature events include:

Saturday, April 11, 7 p.m.: Fashion Without Fabric, the Midwest ��. premier unconventional fashion runway shows.
Saturday, May 2, 4 p.m.: WEAR Fashion Show, showcasing innovative capstone collections from fashion design and development seniors.
Tuesday, May 5: Research Day, celebrating the research and creative work of students, faculty, and staff from all fields.
Thursday, May 7, 6 p.m.: Stout Game Expo (SGX), western Wisconsin ��. largest game developer exhibition.
Friday, May 8, 6 p.m.: SOAD Senior Show, graduating seniors take over Micheels Hall and the Applied Arts building.
Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10: 4th Annual Unspooled Film & Animation Festival, dedicated to showcasing the very best in independent filmmaking.
Wednesday, June 24, to Sunday, June 28: Murals in Menomonie, featuring the Walldogs, is a collaborative group of community organizations bringing in some of the world ��. best mural artists.

Fashion Without Fabric

�� and the School of Art & Design invite you one of the Midwest's premier unconventional fashion runway shows, Fashion Without Fabric.

Art & Design Exhibitions

Furlong Gallery opens its spring 2026 schedule with the School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibit, on view through Saturday, March 6. This exhibit brings together a wide range of interdisciplinary work by more than 25 SOAD faculty artists and designers.

'Vini Van Go' by Eli Koltanowski, and 'A pregnant pause followed by an audible sigh' by Matthew Wilichowski

Friday, March 13, to Thursday, April 23

North Gallery: "Support Structures," a group show by the Studio Art Program Advisory Committee.
South Gallery: "Simon Ungless: A Life in Print in the South Gallery." Ungless is the founder and designer of When Simon met Ralph, and former textile designer at Alexander McQueen

A reception will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 10, during Destination Weekend. A Meet the Artist event for Ungless will be on Monday, April 13.

Monday, May 4, through September

North Gallery: End of the Year Juried Exhibition
South Gallery: Bud and Betty Student Artist in Residence Exhibition, featuring SAIR recipients Ainsely Violet and Eli Koltanowski

Gallery 209 rotates exhibits on a weekly basis. Located in the Applied Arts building on the second floor, exhibits are reserved for Senior Thesis Exhibitions, as well as master ��. in design students, design and fine art classes and student organizations. An Advanced Printmaking exhibition will be held in Gallery 209, April. 10-12, Destination Weekend.

The Library Art Lab, on the first floor of the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center, showcases student artists, faculty and campus collaborations. Exhibitions include applied research, capstones, clubs and classwork. There are two exhibitions each semester.

Student Artist-in-Residence recipients Ainsley Violet and Eli Koltanowski

Civic dialogue

�� . Center for Applied Ethics will host guest speaker J.P. Messina, professor of philosophy at Purdue University. Messina will present on “Workplace Censorship” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, in the Memorial Student Center Ballroom A. He will discuss the legal environment that protects employers’ rights to fire employees, even while exercising freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment. And if employer censorship becomes widespread, how discourse can suffer as people withhold their views from the public sphere.

Center for Applied Ethics

Our mission is to increase and enhance ethical conversations across the campus community.

The center also hosts Philosophers’ Cafés, informal, friendly conversations on contemporary issues. Meetings are open to all and are led by �� and UW-Eau Claire faculty. Upcoming conversations will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, at Brewery Nønic in Menomonie:

Feb. 11: What Responsibility Does Society Have Toward Children?
March 11: Perceptions of Law and Its Discontents
April 8: Can Wartime Dehumanization Be Avoided?

The Center for Applied Ethics, Office of Student Opportunity & Excellence, and the Freedom of Expression Committee are hosting a series of events, “Enhancing Campus Culture: Free Expression and Civil Discourse,” funded by the Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue and the Menard Center.

The non-partisan, non-ideological Menard Center is dedicated to the study and discussion of civil liberties and related institutions and innovations through scholarly inquiry, educational activities and community outreach.

Film screening and literary discussions

Continuing with Reading Across Campus’ focus on Jane Austen ��. “Pride and Prejudice,” the Literature Committee will host a film screening and discussion from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Harvey Hall Theatre. A short discussion led by professors Joan Navarre and Kristin Risley will follow the film.

Featured author Dasha Kelly, a former Wisconsin Poet Laureate, will present on her most recent anthology, “A Line Meant: A Collaborative Poetry Collection,” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20, in Harvey Hall Theatre. Hamilton has worked with incarcerated populations, helping groups write and publish poetry. Her talk is co-sponsored by the College of Arts & Human Sciences and will connect to the theme of “Helping Humanity Flourish.”

University Theatre

University Theatre will present “Something Rotten,” directed by Audric Buhr, at Harvey Hall Theatre. Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theater involves singing, dancing, and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world ��. very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.

Performance dates and times are:

Friday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 12, 2 p.m.
Thursday, April, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.

“Something Rotten” has received several Best Musical nominations and was hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.”

Tickets will be available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

Musical performances

Stout Choirs, directed by Jean Enyeart and Jonathan Campbell, while Jerry Hui is on sabbatical: Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m., at Our Savior ��. Lutheran Church, 910 9th Street E., Menomonie. The spring choral program, “Questions,” will be a musical exploration of “why?” As graduates move on to build a better world, they will be faced with many uncertainties. Questions come in many forms: rhetorical, spiritual and intellectual. Fear, awe and wonder lead to different kinds of questions.
The Symphonic Band, directed by Erika Svanoe: Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m., in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. “Echoes of Eco” will feature music about our national parks, the wilderness and the great outdoors, including “Diamond Tide” by Viet Cuong, “Wilderness” by Cait Nishimura, and a music and video presentation of “National Park Suite” by Ryan Fraley. The concert will also feature a new piece by Svanoe titled “Winds Across the Water.”
Blue Devil Jazz Orchestra, directed by James Anderson: Saturday, May 2, 7 p.m., at Harvey Hall Theatre. Come hear, groove and tap your toes to jazz classics, such as Benny Goodman ��. “Sing, Sing, Sing!,” Charles Mingus’ “Fables of Faubus,” Glenn Miller ��. “Moonlight Serenade,” as well as some new favorites, too.

Tickets will be available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

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Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances Artwork by Eli Koltanowski and Matthew Wilichowski

University Marketing

Year of Design

A year of events highlighting the innovation, leadership, and impact at the heart of everything we do as Wisconsin's ��.

Hero Caption: "Choreography of the Deep" was the first-place winner in the 2025 Fashion Without Fabric show.

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Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedule

goersab — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:20:27 +0000

Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedulegoersab September 25, 2025

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances

Abbey Goers

As �� launches its Year of Design, community members are invited to myriad talks, performances and exhibitions scheduled on campus this fall.

From exhibitions featuring graphic design, photography, light play and ceramics to philosophical and literary conversations, to performing arts, there are events for everyone on campus and throughout the community.

In 2025-2026, �� is celebrating a Year of Design to highlight the innovation, leadership and impact central to Wisconsin ��. ��. Upcoming signature events include:

Thursday, Oct. 9, 1 p.m.: Cabot Executive-in-Residence keynote address, “Designed to Influence,” with Andrew Murphy, head of Corporate Engagement Strategy at Apple.
Friday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 11: School of Art & Design 60th Anniversary. Registration is required for the free event.
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6 p.m.: Stout Game Expo, western Wisconsin ��. largest game developer exhibition.
Friday, Dec. 12, 6 p.m.: School of Art & Design Senior Show, featuring the works of more than 200 graduating seniors.

Celebrating 60 years: School of Art & Design hosts anniversary events Oct. 10-11

Year of Design highlights AI innovations, alumni leadership, student success

Art & Design Exhibitions

Furlong Gallery opens the 2025 fall exhibition schedule with two side-by-side solo exhibitions:

Saturday, Sept. 18, to Saturday, Oct. 25

�� Professor Charles Matson Lume ��. Sabbatical Exhibition, “becoming I, I say You (for Martin Buber),” is in the North Gallery. An artist talk with Matson Lume will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
School of Art & Design Visiting Artist, ceramist Hannah Niswonger, is in the South Gallery. Her exhibit “Didn’t I Used to Have a Sense of Humor?” brings together four installations: “Octopus ��. Garden,” “Cloud—Bird—Place,” “Poisonous & Carnivorous Dinnerware,” and “Conversations with My Father ��. Paintings.” Niswonger is a ceramicist from Massachusetts.
A closing reception for both artists will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, followed by an artist talk with Niswonger.

Monday, Nov. 10, to Saturday, Dec. 13

Dunn County-born artist and photographer Erinn Springer will be featured in the North Gallery. Springer now resides in Duluth, Minnesota.
Catalogtree, a multidisciplinary design collective based in the Netherlands, will be featured in the South Gallery.

A ceramic octopus by Hannah Niswonger, featured in “Didn’t I Used to Have a Sense of Humor?” / Hannah Niswonger

Join game designer Erika Svanoe and illustrator Erik Evenson for a talk on their creation and collaboration of the popular Jane Austen card game “Marrying Mr. Darcy” from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center. A Q&A and game play will follow. See if you can win the game and the heart of Mr. Darcy.

Gallery 209 rotates exhibits on a weekly basis. Located in the Applied Arts building on the second floor, exhibits are reserved for Senior Thesis Exhibitions, as well as master ��. in design students, design and fine art classes and student organizations. An Alumni Art Exhibition will be held in Gallery 209, Oct. 10-12, Stout Proud Family and Supporter Weekend.

Civic dialogue

A special event, “Banned Books Week: A Conversation with Dr. Samuel Cohen,” will be held from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Harvey Hall Theatre. Cohen is the associate chair of the department of English at University of Missouri. He will discuss his forthcoming book “Banning Books in America: Not a How-to.”

Comments will be offered by Menomonie Public Library Director Joleen Sterk. An audience Q&A will follow, moderated by Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation Director Afton Greco. The event will conclude with a Kahoot contest with prizes for students. The event is sponsored by the Menard Center with co-sponsors, the University Library; Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Honors College; the Literature Committee; the Center for Applied Ethics; and the Menomonie Public Library. Cohen ��. book will be published in February 2026.

Center for Applied Ethics

Our mission is to increase and enhance ethical conversations across the campus community.

�� . Center for Applied Ethics hosts Philosophers’ Cafés, informal, friendly conversations on contemporary issues. Meetings are open to all and are led by �� and UW-Eau Claire faculty. Upcoming conversations will be held at 7 p.m., at Brewery Nønic in Menomonie:

Wednesday, Oct. 8: AI and Our Humanity
Wednesday, Nov. 12: The Wisconsin Idea: What Does It Mean to You?
Wednesday, Dec. 10: Are Gender Disparities in the Workplace a Problem?

The Center for Applied Ethics, Office of Student Opportunity & Excellence, and the Freedom of Expression Committee are hosting a series of events, “Enhancing Campus Culture: Free Expression and Civil Discourse,” funded by the Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue and the Menard Center.

Forty to 60 students will participate in four discussion dinners over the course of the year. Each dinner will center around a controversial moral or political issue, with tables facilitated by faculty members Mitch Ogden, Cynthia Bland, Daniel Sinkovits, Lopa Basu, Alison Lukowski and Tina Lee.

Literary discussions

The Literature Committee will host its annual Faculty and Staff Creative Writing Reading from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Raw Deal. The committee invites faculty and staff from all areas of the university to share their poetry or prose.

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

Basu ��. anthology gathers 68 international voices to reflect on trauma, resolution

English Professor Lopamudra Basu will present on her book of poetry “Sing, Slivered Tongue” as part of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Riverview Room at L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire and virtually. The hybrid event will include several contributing poets joining via Zoom. Books will be available for purchase at local bookstores this fall.

“Sing, Slivered Tongue” sheds light on the subject of trauma and gathers the voices of 68 women from various South Asian communities. “It is not just a litany of trauma. It is a statement of courage. It offers hope and is an attempt to find resolution,” Basu said. “Although the poets are from South Asia, their experiences are global experiences, and our intention is to create bridges.”

In addition to his sabbatical exhibit mentioned earlier, Matson Lume collaborated with three alumni and artists over his 2025-25 sabbatical to publish “at the fountain, at the fountain,” a free artists’ book that features their art and texts. Two book launches will be held this fall: one on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2 to 5 p.m., at FOGSTAND Gallery & Studio, in St. Paul, Minnesota; and another on Thursday, Nov. 6, 4 to 5:30 p.m., at North Shore Readers and Writers Festival at the Grand Marais Art Colony, Grand Marais, Minnesota.

Sabbatical recap: Charles Matson Lume, Studio Art, 2024-25

Celebrating a shared commitment and love of making art within community

University Theatre

University Theatre will present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again],” led by Director Audric Buhr, at Harvey Hall Theatre.

Performance dates and times are:

Thursday, Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m.

Fast-paced, witty, physical and full of laughter, this is one of the world ��. most frequently produced plays and features all 37 of Shakespeare ��. plays, performed in under 100 minutes.

Tickets will be available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

Musical performances

Blue Devil Jazz Orchestra directed by James Anderson: Saturday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m., in the Memorial Student Center ballrooms. Come swing in the Big Apple, as the orchestra takes you from 42nd and Harlem to Times Square, and beyond, featuring music by Charles Mingus, George Gershwin, Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and more.
Stout Choirs, directed by Jerry Hui: Sunday, Nov. 16, 2 p.m., in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. “Colorful Voices” will be a celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the School of Art & Design. Music will focus on the metaphor and power of color, featuring a variety of musical styles from romantic Renaissance madrigals to empowering spirituals.
The Symphonic Band, under Director Erika Svanoe, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2 p.m., in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. “Music in Motion” will feature music about various kinds of transportation, including songs from “The Polar Express” and Rossano Galante ��. “Sailing with Whales.”

Tickets will be available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

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Engineering, technical, design competitions prepare young people for future careers

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Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances Hannah Niswonger, SOAD Visiting Artist at Furlong Gallery

University Marketing

Year of Design

A year of events highlighting the innovation, leadership, and impact at the heart of everything we do as Wisconsin's ��.

School of Art & Design 60th Anniversary

Search Keywords: Year of DesignSchool of Art & Design 60th AnniversaryFurlong GalleryCenter for Applied Ethics

Hero Caption: Professor Charles Matson Lume ��. Sabbatical Exhibition, “becoming I, I say You (for Martin Buber),” is in the Furlong's North Gallery.

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�� arts and humanities events scheduled for spring 2025

goersab — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 16:03:12 +0000

�� arts and humanities events scheduled for spring 2025goersab January 28, 2025

Community programs include exhibits, ‘Alice by Heart’ musical, concerts, film screenings; coincide with Destination Weekend, Spring Showcase

Abbey Goers

From exhibits celebrating a lifetime of photography, illustrations to “Marvel” at and historical moments, to a musical inviting the audience to step into Wonderland in “Alice by Heart, concerts that transport listeners to outer space, film screenings of “February” and “The League,” and literary and civic conversations, there are arts events for everyone at �� this spring.

Many events are free and open to the public, and several will be held in conjunction with �� . Destination Weekend, Friday, April 11, to Sunday, April 13; and Spring Showcase in April and May.

Visual Arts

Furlong Gallery ��. spring season will open with an anticipated exhibit – Bill Wikrent: Capturing the Moment in the North Gallery; and artist and illustrator Matt Talbot in the South Gallery, on view through Saturday, March 1.

A reception for the exhibit Bill Wikrent: Capturing the Moment will be on Feb. 20, with a plaque unveiling ceremony at 5 p.m.

For 27 years, Wikrent worked with �� . Instructional Technology Services, contributing significantly to the university and surrounding area ��. visual history. This exhibition includes highlights of his campus work, as well as his personal photographs, highlighting his expertise and artistic voice. Wikrent passed away in April 2023. A reception will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, with a plaque unveiling ceremony at 5 p.m., in Micheels Hall Atrium.

Talbot is an illustrator and graphic designer from the seacoast area of New Hampshire. His clients include Marvel Studios, Sony, Mondo, Entertainment Weekly, Archie Comics, Fangoria and more. The exhibit includes both personal projects and client work. A meet and greet will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Furlong, with an artist talk following at 6 p.m., in Applied Arts room 321.

Matt Talbot's illustrations and designs include both personal projects and client work

Other exhibits across campus include:

Sunday, Feb. 2, to Sunday, March 30: The Library Art Lab, on the first floor of the University Library, will host Patient No More: People with Disabilities Securing Civil Rights. This traveling exhibit tells the stories behind a moment in history when protests across the country were held to have Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 signed into law, which ultimately made it illegal for any federally funded facilities or programs to discriminate against people with disabilities. It is a collaborative project with the university ��. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, Disability Services and Involvement Center. A reception will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Monday, March 10, to Wednesday, April 19: Associate Professor Daniel Atyim will showcase his sabbatical work at Furlong.
Monday, May 5, through September: The Student Artist-in-Residence Exhibition at Furlong will feature studio art majors Lily Smith and Ellie Eklof. A reception will be held during the School of Art and Design Show from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 9.
Rotating exhibits of student works will be in Gallery 209, the Student Gallery in the Applied Arts building on the second floor.

'Alice by Heart' will be performed at Harvey Hall Theatre April 4-12.

University Theatre

Students will perform “Alice by Heart,” led by Director Audric Buhr, at Harvey Hall Theatre. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 4, 5, 10*, 11 and 12; and 2 p.m. on April 6.

“Alice by Heart” is a musical that encourages everyone to celebrate the transformational power of the imagination, even in the harshest of times, and explores the poignancy of first love, loss and finding the courage to move forward.

Set during World War II, in the rubble of the London Blitz, Alice Spencer ��. teenage life is turned upside down, when she and her friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. When Alfred is quarantined, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.

* An accessible performance will be held on April 10, with a more informal atmosphere aimed to welcome those with sensory difficulties or autism. The performance will remain the same but with small adjustments. House lights will remain on, loud noises will be softened, and audience members are free to leave and re-enter.

Tickets will be available soon at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

'Please' by SAIR artists Ellie Eklof, and 'worth it' by SAIR artists Lily Smith

Concert Performances

Stout Choirs, under Director Jerry Hui, will present Life on the World Scale at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, at Our Savior ��. Lutheran Church, 910 E. 9th St., in Menomonie. Join in a musical journey from the microcosmos to the cosmos and back. Whether it is in the microbes, the places we live in, in nature, or the universe, we see faces looking back as we reflect our life experiences, big or small.
The Symphonic Band, under Director Erika Svanoe, will perform Around the World at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. The concert will feature music celebrating different places, cultures and composers from around the world, including Minneapolis-based composer Samantha Hogan ��. new piece “A Tour of Minnesota,” which commemorates the state flag.
The Blue Devil Jazz Orchestra, under Director James Anderson, will perform at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, Harvey Hall Theater. Blast off into infinity and beyond with selections of Gustav Holst ��. “The Planets,” and hear classics like Frank Sinatra ��. “Come Fly with Me,” Hoagy Carmichael ��. “Stardust” and Dizzy Gilespie ��. “Manteca!”

Tickets will be available soon at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

Patient No More will be on exhibit at the Library Art Lab Feb. 2 to March 30.

Film and Literary Events

Two film screenings and Q&As with the directors will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 4:

“February,” with director Nathan Deming and lead actor David Duran, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Harvey Hall Theater. “February,” filmed in Eau Claire, recently won multiple awards at the Wisconsin Film Festival. The event is hosted by the video production program and Video Production Club.
“The League,” with filmmaker Byron Motley, 7 to 9 p.m., Memorial Student Center Terrace. Directed by Sam Pollard, “The League” celebrates the dynamic journey of Negro League baseball's triumphs and challenges through the first half of the twentieth century. The event is hosted by �� Athletics and the Office of Student Opportunity & Excellence.

The Literature Committee will host a virtual talk and reading with Andrew Krivak, author of “The Bear,” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5.

Author Peter Geye will present and read from his new novel, “A Lesser Light,” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at Harvey Hall Theater. The novel will be released on Monday, April 15.

�� Athletics and the EDI Office will host a screening of 'The League,' directed by Sam Pollard, on Feb. 4.

Civic Events

�� . Center for Applied Ethics will host several national and international speakers:

Wednesday, March 26: Is Abortion Morally Permissible if the Embryo is a Person?, with Kate Greasley, associate professor and Tutorial Fellow in Law at Oxford University.
Thursday, April 3: Assisted Dying: A Slippery Slope?, with Bonnie Steinbock, professor emerita at the University at Albany/State University of New York.
Wednesday, April 30: “Valuing the Diversity of Languages in a Multicultural World,” with Réamonn Ó Ciaráin, CEO of Gael Linn.

The Center also hosts Philosophers’ Cafés, informal, friendly conversations on contemporary issues. Meetings are open to all and are led by �� and UW-Eau Claire faculty. Upcoming conversations will be held at 7 p.m., at Brewery Nonic in Menomonie:

Monday, Feb. 10: Where the Wild Things Are. Moderator: Professor Julie Beston, biology
Monday, March 24: Is Free Speech Too Free? Moderator: Professor Tim Shiell, philosophy
Monday, April 7: Free: Priceless vs. Worthless. Moderator: Professor Chris Ferguson, economics

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All Community News

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February 25, 2026

Career-connected learning: SkillsUSA brings nearly 400 middle, high school students to ��

Engineering, technical, design competitions prepare young people for future careers

February 25, 2026

Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Community programs include exhibits, ‘Alice by Heart’ musical, concerts, film screenings; coincide with Destination Weekend, Spring Showcase Bill Wikrent, photo collage

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Furlong Gallery

Visit us to browse world-class exhibitions on display throughout the year.

Performing Arts

Take the stage at �� with our choir, band, and theatre programs.

Hero Caption: Furlong Gallery ��. spring season will open with an anticipated exhibit – Bill Wikrent: Capturing the Moment. It is on view through Saturday, March 1.

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Unmapped careers: Alum artist, former National Geographic cartographer, is Cabot Executive

polingj — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 16:34:05 +0000

Unmapped careers: Alum artist, former National Geographic cartographer, is Cabot Executivepolingj September 7, 2023

Stoehr turned his dreams into two unexpected careers, will open art exhibit during Cabot program

An alum who turned his interests and dreams into two unexpected careers — traveling the globe working for National Geographic then becoming a full-time artist — will return to �� to speak and open an exhibit of his work.

William “Bill” Stoehr ('70) will give a keynote address from 1:15 to 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, in the Great Hall of the Memorial Student Center. He also will attend the opening of his exhibit from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at Furlong Gallery in Micheels Hall. Both events are free and open to the public.

Stoehr is this year ��. featured Cabot Executive in Residence, which is sponsored by Stout University Foundation. His address, “Lessons from Alice in Wonderland — Risk, Reward and an Uncertain Future,” considers the questions “who are you and where do you want to go?” He will emphasize the “pursuit of balance in life and the necessary compromises it entails,” he said.

An art exhibit at �� . Furlong Gallery will feature alum William Stoehr ��. paintings, which showcase those affected by substance use disorder. / Contributed photo

The exhibit will feature 14 of his 60-inch by 80-inch acrylic paintings, plus his digital art viewable on 11 screens. Exhibited internationally in universities, art centers, museums and galleries, Stoehr ��. current focus is the award-winning Art for Hope, a collection of portraits that showcase those affected by substance use disorder.

“For me the essence of art is the exploration of fundamental issues of our time. I now focus on opioid addiction with its victims, witnesses and survivors. My job as an artist is to get you to think and to ask questions,” he said.

“We are attracted to faces – it is our nature. If I fill the canvas with a big face, then there is little room for external leading context. I think this, along with the large size and closely cropped face, creates an elevated sense of intimacy.”

The paintings — he uses brushes, paper towels and a kitchen scrubber — began with a personal mission.

“My sister overdosed and died 10 years ago. She might still be alive if weren’t for prescription opioids and the stigma that surrounds addiction. The first step toward alleviating stigma is to normalize the discussion, get people to talk about it and then help people understand that substance use disorders are a treatable medical condition and not a moral failing. And understanding where to get help. Stigma became my focus. My exhibits are a forum for education and communication. A place where you can come for the art but stay for the message,” Stoehr said.

William Stoehr visited Mt. Everest base camp in Nepal as part of his travels while leading the map division of National Geographic. / Contributed photo

The digital magazine Artmoire says Stoehr ��. paintings “are beautifully disturbing. He takes our natural and predisposed attraction to faces and uses this to arouse profound and penetrating emotions within us.”

A technology background at ��

Stoehr lives in Boulder, Colo., with his wife, Mary Kay Stoehr, formerly Mary Kay Merkowitz, a 1971 home economics graduate. They met at �� in 1967 in a lunch line.

He grew up in southeastern Wisconsin, in Burlington, and was interested in art but majored in industrial technology. “Stout academics aligned perfectly with my positions and career path from the very beginning and even throughout my career with National Geographic,” he said.

He competed in track (sprints) and cross country for the Blue Devils, captaining both teams, and was a student government senator, chair of the Campus Elections Committee and on the Intrafraternity Council.

His degree led to a series of jobs in manufacturing and engineering, including manager positions in engineering, production, strategic planning, international sales, marketing and quality assurance. He received a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas, did post-graduate work at Marquette University and was a doctoral program resident at the J.L. Kellogg School at Northwestern University.

With a personal interest in mountain biking, he and Mary Kay decided “for fun” to create the first two mountain biking guides to Colorado. In the process, he learned the art of map-making.

They became map-makers, and their company Trails Illustrated was bought in 1997 by the National Geographic Society. He rose to president of mapping for National Geographic, overseeing production of maps, map atlases, globes, digital maps and more that were sold around the world and that appeared in the magazine. They have traveled around the world and several times to remote areas in Alaska and Nepal.

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In 2004, still inspired by some of the artists he followed as a teen, Jackson Pollack and Willem de Kooning, Stoehr took up art for his next career.

“I set aside my resume and redeployed as an artist. I loved art and I wanted to be an artist when I was 16, and so why not do what I wanted to do as a kid? We just took a risk and just did it — that is the lesson, I followed a dream,” he said.

Cabot Executive in Residence program

Along with the keynote address and exhibit opening, Stoehr will meet with Blue Devil athletes, speak in several classrooms, meet with the Chancellor ��. Coalition on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and attend the Stout University Foundation annual scholarship reception Sept. 14.

This is the 38th year of the Cabot Executive in Residence program, which is named in honor of Arthur R. Cabot, a successful pet products manufacturer. His son, Scott Cabot, earned a bachelor ��. degree from �� in 1978 and a master ��. in 1979.

Recent Cabot executives have included alumni Todd Wanek, president and CEO of Ashley Furniture Industries; Stephen Marcus, chairman of Marcus Corp.; and alumna Shelly Ibach, CEO of Sleep Number.

A Cabot Wall of Honor, featuring plaques of previous Cabot presenters, was established in 2014 in Jarvis Hall.

The event is being coordinated by �� Continuing Education and Conferences.

###

Stoehr turned his dreams into two unexpected careers, will open art exhibit during Cabot program William Stoehr 1

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The president and CEO of Prevea Health will be the featured executive at this year ��. Cabot Executive in Residence Program at University of Wisconsin-Stout.

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‘To Freedom’ will celebrate the art and music of Estonia, Poland and Ukraine

goersab — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:16:09 +0000

‘To Freedom’ will celebrate the art and music of Estonia, Poland and Ukrainegoersab October 19, 2022

Cultural community offerings build connections, understanding of heritage and history; events planned in November, December

Abbey Goers

�� . choral areas and Furlong Gallery, within the School of Art and Design, have collaborated to bring the art, history and music of Estonia, Poland and Ukraine to the communities of the Chippewa Valley.

“To Freedom” will celebrate the nations’ heritage and help build ties between neighbors during a series of cultural offerings open to community members.

The celebration will open with an art exhibit featuring artists of Estonian, Polish and Ukrainian descent. It will be on display from Monday, Nov. 7, to Tuesday, Dec. 20, at Furlong Gallery in �� . Micheels Hall. An artist reception will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 7.

A still from Monika Weiss's short film "Koiman II (Years Without Summers)" / Monika Weiss

A concert featuring four area choirs and celebrating the music of Estonia, Poland and Ukraine will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Our Savior ��. Lutheran Church, in Menomonie.

The exhibiting artists are:

Riivo Kruuk, an Estonian American painter
Christina Shmigel, a Ukrainian American artist
Monika Weiss, an internationally renowned Polish American artist.

Riivo Kruuk ��. "Kättemaks" (Revenge) / Riivo Kruuk

Kruuk is a painter and mural artist from Charleston, S.C. Working in oils, acrylic and spray paint, he is inspired by graffiti, the Renaissance and Baroque periods, street art, fashion, nature and his Estonian heritage.

Shmigel is a first-generation child of parents who left Ukraine during WWII and grew up active in the Ukrainian diaspora community.

A practicing artist, Shmigel teaches art on the university level. Her works address architectural structure, process, ritual and place. She is based in St. Louis.

Weiss, over the past 25 years, has developed a transdisciplinary practice composed of moving image, sound, sculpture, performance and drawing. Recurring material and motives include sound, water, the body, stillness, doubling and gestures of lamentation. She often focuses on a relationship to history and collective remembrance.

Polish American artist Monika Weiss / Monika Weiss

"To Freedom” will feature Weiss ��. "Koiman II (Years Without Summers)," a 20-minute film inspired by Winterreise, composed in 1828 by the German Romantic composer Franz Schubert. The work is dedicated to the artist ��. late mother, pianist Gabriela Weiss, and to current refugees and migrants around the world. Each film portrays an anonymous female protagonist performed by the artist.

Weiss divides her time between her New York studio and her professorship at Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis. Her work has been featured in more than 90 international solo and group exhibitions. It has been written about in numerous books and publications, including the New York Times, ARTnews and Art in America. Her solo museum exhibitions include Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw; Lehman College Art Gallery, New York; and Museum of Memory & Human Rights, Santiago, Chile. Weiss ��. biography is written by Katarzyna Falęcka.

Weiss will perform "Orgé 2022," composed and choreographed by the artist, with participation by the �� Chamber Choir and select faculty and students, at the “To Freedom” opening reception on Nov. 7.

Other student opportunities in October include visual artists visiting various studio art courses. Guest lecturers Natalia Ripeckyj, of Eau Claire, and Natalie Nowytski, a Minneapolis-based Ukrainian folk musician, will visit ��.

A rare opportunity

Director of Choral Activities Jerry Hui appreciates the many external partners supporting “To Freedom,” including the official cultural arms of three countries: the Estonian Consulate General in New York, the Polish Cultural Institute New York and the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York. Also contributing were the Ukrainian American Community Center of Minnesota and Wisconsin Ukrainians Inc.

“It is a rare opportunity for �� to partner directly with cultural bearers of specific geographical regions in creating these rich educational experiences,” Hui said.

Riivo Kruuk ��. "Vabadusele" (To Freedom) / Riivo Kruuk

Jaanika Peerna, cultural affairs coordinator at the Estonian Consulate General in New York, said “the consulate is delighted to collaborate with �� on a project which sheds light on the powerful role culture plays in fighting for democratic values and connecting people from different walks of life. It ��. not every day we get to work with so passionate a professor as Dr. Jerry Hui who initiated 'To Freedom' and has been leading the project so wonderfully.

“If even just a fragment from a melody from a Ukrainian song, a visual detail from an Estonian artist ��. painting, or a single word from the Polish language would stay lingering in a student ��. mind, this could be a steppingstone to a much more in-depth inquiry into the role of culture as a tool for transformation,” Peerna said.

Since its foundation, the Polish Cultural Institute has worked with various universities. “We hope that through the ‘To Freedom’ project, the students at �� as well as residents of the greater Eau Claire-Menomonie area will learn about and relate to Ukrainian cultural heritage and its universal democratic values embraced and emphasized by Polish and Estonian cultures,” said Izabela Gola, curator of visual arts and design, Polish Cultural Institute.

A still from Monika Weiss ��. short film "Koiman II (Years Without Summers)" / Monika Weiss

“We anticipate that the project participants will connect with the broader humanitarian and reconciliatory message that the work of Monika Weiss contributes to this project,” Gola added.

Kathy Nalywajko, president of the Ukrainian Institute of America believes “the arts offer a means to expand our understanding of the nature and character of conflict through the application of a different lens, and, crucially, a means to understand society ��. changing attitudes to war and peace.

“We’re excited and proud to have played a role alongside our Estonian and Polish friends in celebrating the unique artistic and living cultures of our respective heritages in ‘To Freedom,’” Nalywaiko added.

Sharing musical traditions in concert

In addition to the exhibit, four area choirs will perform “To Freedom,” a concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Our Savior ��. Lutheran Church, 910 Ninth St. E., Menomonie.

Director of Choral Activities Jerry Hui and �� Symphonic Singers / ��

�� Symphonic Singers and Chamber Choir, conducted by Hui, will perform music from Ukraine, Poland and Estonia that speaks to the perils of war and the desire for peace.

Examples include “Hej Sokoły,” a Polish folk song about a soldier ��. longing for his Ukrainian beloved; and “For Ukraine,” composed by Estonian contemporary composer Erkki-Sven Tüür only six months ago. The university choirs will be joined by Schola Cantorum of Eau Claire and the Treble Singers from the Menomonie Middle School.

Siim Sööt, honorary consul of Estonia, plans to provide a presentation on Estonian history and culture.

Swan Lake Ballet and Ganna Ensemble, an Eau Claire-based dance studio, will perform to some of the songs. The ensemble is led by Ganna Berge, a lecturer in �� . mathematics, statistics and computer science department. She was born in Crimea, a peninsula that borders Ukraine and Russia.

Tickets are $5 and will be available to purchase online in late October.

“I hope people who attend the concert or visit the exhibition will gain a new appreciation of the culture and history from Central Europe and may be motivated to seek further understanding in this region that has dominated recent news,” Hui said.

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Alum Anderson, award-winning plein air painter, exhibiting ‘Field to Finish’ at Furlong Gallery

goersab — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 18:44:59 +0000

Alum Anderson, award-winning plein air painter, exhibiting ‘Field to Finish’ at Furlong Gallerygoersab October 3, 2022

He’ll also a lead workshop for students Oct. 8; community invited to watch artists in action

Abbey Goers

Stepping into �� . Furlong Gallery ��. current exhibit is like stepping into the pages of a travel journal, with rock, prairie grass and mountain stream under foot. Children playing at a fountain, a street musician, riders on horseback – characters and landscapes capture the imagination and evoke a need to wander.

Marc Anderson and "The Staff Meeting" / ��

Award-winning plein air artist Marc Anderson's “Field to Finish” is showing at Furlong through Saturday, Oct. 29. Plein air refers to artists painting outdoors in natural light, surrounded by their selected landscape.

A 2010 �� studio art alum, Anderson believes each painting has its own story. When he chooses a subject, he thinks about lighting, texture and surfaces in a landscape.

“I try to pick out something unique about a setting. It ��. all there waiting for you to paint,” he said. “Sometimes you have to work a little harder to find the right setting; sometimes the composition is just ready to go.”

Anderson, who grew up in Wild Rose, has participated in plein air festivals and prestigious shows across the country. In 2018, he opened the M. Anderson Gallery in Wauwatosa – a showroom, studio and home base for his workshops.

"Alpenglow" / Marc Anderson

From cartoons to fine art

While at ��, Anderson studied to be a political cartoonist and was a caricature artist at Valley Fair, an amusement park in Shakopee, Minn. He later worked as a freelance illustrator for various publications.

“I had an opinion, and editorial cartoons created an outlet for me to let people know,” he said.

Students visiting "Field to Finish" in Furlong Gallery / Reed Theship-Rosales

But a plein air workshop with artist Mark Boedges in Vermont led to a gradual shift in Anderson ��. creative process and, eventually, his career. It was an abstract process of building his business around his fine art, as he began to understand the ins and outs of marketing and finances, he said.

“Plein air painting allows for a less specific voice, but it ��. equally satisfying,” Anderson said. “I didn’t realize the possibility of becoming a full-time artist until I started.”

Now a winner of several Best in Shows, Anderson was named a Top 10 Artist to Collect Now by Plein Air Magazine in 2021.

"Acoustic Memories" / Marc Anderson

When events and festivals closed during the pandemic, he turned to the comfort of his studio and focused on building frames for his artwork and to sell to other artists. Anderson ��. grandfather was a woodworker, and he now has his grandfather ��. tools.

“It was nice to do something else in the studio. It was gratifying to take total ownership of a piece,” he said, as he sets many of his paintings in his custom frames, including one of his favorite pieces, “The Staff Meeting,” a scene of anglers gathered on a wharf.

Anderson will lead a plein air workshop for advanced painting and drawing students on Saturday, Oct. 8, with a demonstration from about 10 a.m. to noon at the 9-11 Memorial in front of the Applied Arts Building. Students will paint from 1 to 4 p.m. near the same area. The community is invited to watch the artists in action.

A student viewing "The Music Man" / ��

�� . homecoming week is Oct. 3, to Saturday, Oct. 8, with events for alumni, students, staff and Blue Devil supporters, complete with the return of the homecoming parade at 11 a.m. on Oct. 8. The homecoming football game will kick off at 1 p.m. when the Blue Devils face UW-La Crosse.

The School of Art and Design offers six Bachelor of Fine Arts programs, as well as a Master of Fine Arts in design, which was ranked No. 6 in the nation last spring for game design among public universities and colleges. The BFAs in animation and digital media and game design and development are ranked nationally by the Princeton Review and Animation Career Review.

SOAD also offers BFAs in graphic design and interactive media, industrial design, interior design and studio art, and Bachelor of Science programs in arts administration and entrepreneurship and video production.

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He’ll also a lead workshop for students Oct. 8; community invited to watch artists in action Marc Anderson, The Staff Meeting

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Hero Caption: Alum and plein air painter Marc Anderson, right, with School of Art and Design Director Dave Beck. Photo by Reed Theship-Rosales.

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Best of Design and Student Artists in Residence exhibits recognize creative excellence

goersab — Thu, 12 May 2022 19:09:20 +0000

Best of Design and Student Artists in Residence exhibits recognize creative excellencegoersab May 12, 2022

Industrial design senior exhibits three pieces, selected for Best in Show

Abbey Goers

Every spring, �� . Furlong Gallery in Micheels Hall celebrates the creativity and discipline of students in the School of Art and Design.

From April 21 through Saturday, Sept. 10, the gallery will feature the final shows of the 2021-22 academic year: the Best of Design Juried Exhibition in the larger space and the Student Artist in Residence in the south space.

Lecturer Jonny Wheeler was honored to help put the show together. “I’ve been so impressed by the tremendous work produced by the design students,” he said.

The exhibits feature the works of more than 40 students.

Industrial design senior has three pieces in juried exhibit

Industrial design graduating senior Elizabeth Kelly / ��

Elizabeth Kelly, an industrial design graduating senior, has three pieces in the exhibit: “Celeste Lamp,” “UV Bag” and “Room & Board Project.”

Kelly attended LakeView Technology Academy, a vocational high school in Kenosha. In the engineering program, she found her love for design. Her teacher, Matthew Schultz, was a �� technology education alum and had a lot of influence on her development, she said.

Schultz headed the Supermileage Vehicle Club at the academy, where Kelly learned the process of design through problem solving to create a working vehicle ready to race.

“This club helped me develop my skills as a designer and led me to wonder about my career,” she said. “Mr. Schultz recommended the industrial design program at Stout, which has been a perfect fit for my interests and who I am as a person. I am most thankful. I wouldn't have found industrial design without him or my experience at LakeView.”

Kelly created “Celeste Lamp” during her Design for Manufacturing class, where students designed a lamp and reproduced it five times.

“Our teacher, David Richter O'Connell, always tells us to push our designs and go out of the box on ideas,” Kelly said. “For this project, I wanted to challenge myself and use materials or processes I haven't before.”

Kelly incorporated concrete into her design as she felt it had a lunar feel and researched forms of lighting, such as glowing algae or dinoflagellates. With the arced form of the lamp, she was inspired by the anglerfish, a deep-sea predator that lures its prey into its gaping jaws using a glowing appendage on its forehead.

Elizabeth Kelly's "UV Bag" / ��

The lamp has an LED color-changing strip in the metal curvature, from which a small glass globe, filled with the glowing algae, dangles. The algae, since it's an animal, requires maintenance and has its own natural sleep schedule, Kelly explained.

For the algae to glow, it must be dark and there must be water movement. She used magnets in the globe to create a bouncing movement, similar to an anglerfish.

Kelly created her second piece, “UV Bag,” during her Product Interface class. She was assigned to create a wearable product for the COVID environment.

“I wanted to learn how to sew, so I decided to design a bag for the office space that also incorporated UV lighting technology within the bag to clean any of the products that are within the bag,” she said.

She machine- and hand-stitched the bag at home. The logo on the front has a power button, which activates interior UV lights. The lights only work when the zipper is fully shut to avoid any UV light harm, Kelly explained.

Elizabeth Kelly's "Room & Board Project" / ��

Kelly ��. third piece in the exhibit, “Room & Board Project,” was her senior capstone project, sponsored by the Room & Board company.

Using the additive manufacturing process, she designed a table bench for an entryway or office space, incorporating sustainable materials such as seaweed fabric, reclaimed ash wood and algae-based filament.

“For this project, the material inspired my form,” Kelly said. “I wanted to showcase an organic form derived from looking at kelp and seaweed in the ocean.”

The curve and flow of the bench suggests movement of seaweed in a gentle current. Kelly printed a miniature of the table bench in �� . 3D Print Lab.

Kelly presented “Room & Board Project” at the SOAD Senior Show on May 6.

‘Top Dog’ team collaborates on video game

A team of third-year students teamed up to create “Top Dog,” a single-player, turn-based strategy video game. In a friendly annual tournament, players battle as an Old English Sheepdog to win a year ��. supply of dog treats.

Hailee Kane, Audrey Lawson and Taylor Kinsella / ��

Game design and development-art majors Hailee Kane of Rosemount, Minn., and Audrey Lawson of La Crosse, joined talents with computer science majors and programmers Joshua Armbrecht of Algonquin, Ill.; Taylor Kinsella of Denmark, Wis.; and Jaydon Pfab of Warrens.

They worked together during their 2D Game Design and Development course with Associate Professor Seth Berrier.

Kane was inspired by a video she saw of a Shiba Inu dog and thought, "I could make a game out of this. This game was my baby. I’m very proud of how it turned out,” she said.

The team took gameplay inspiration from the "Mario and Luigi" series. Designed to look like a friendly gladiator, the player, as the sheepdog, engages in three arena battles, with each new opponent more daunting than the last. Players select attack modes and then play minigames to test their memory or reflexes, to have the attack be successful or to gain back health or stamina.

Players may earn items that are unlocked after completing a battle, like new gladiator garments or weapons. “This allows the player to customize themselves and experiment in preparation for the final battle against Slobberus,” Kane said.

Hailee Kane battles Slobberus in "Top Dog" / ��

Most of the characters are based on the team members’ pets: Gizmo is Kane ��. dog; Danny is Lawson's dog; and Slobberus, whose name is inspired by Cerberus, the three-headed giant dog of Greek myth, is a combination of the programmers' dogs Bella, Rufus and Otto.

Even the shopkeeper is Berrier ��. cat, disguised as a dog.

They collaborated with Sage Moser, a student at Michigan Tech, who designed audio for the game. Berrier arranged a virtual chat for the class to meet with an audio design class at Michigan Tech, giving them a synopsis of their games. Moser chose to join the “Top Dog” team, creating chipper music for the environment and battle-themed music in the arena, again inspired by “Mario and Luigi.”

Students recognized for creative excellence in design

An artists’ reception was held on May 6 in the Micheels Hall Atrium before the SOAD Senior Show. Students awarded Best in Category during the reception were:

Animation and digital media: Kayla Miller, character idle and attack animations
Design foundations: Jordan Miinch, postcard project
Game design: Alexander Ewell, Carter Gehl, Elizabeth Geoffrey and Tanner Tilkens, “Death ��. Dog” game
Graphic design: Claire Schardin, transgender posters
Industrial design: Michael Wolff, “The Buddy System”
Interior design: Emma Caldwell, “The Vega House”
Video and music: Kyle Burger, Kelsey Galbraith, Delaney Hoffman and Jesse Stark, video and audio soundtrack “Safe Haven.”

Elizabeth Kelly's "Celeste Lamp" / ��

Kelly was awarded Best in Show for “Celeste Lamp.”

This year ��. Student Artists in Residence are studio art seniors Ezra Brey, of Stillwater, Minn.; and Kayla Haugen, of Woodbury, Minn. Their exhibit has a shared title, “Traces.”

Each year, the Student Artist in Residence program awards two School of Art and Design students with a grant of $2,000 each. They receive a dedicated studio and exhibition space, resulting in a body of work created over the course of the year. The program was created through a gift by Bud and Betty Micheels to the Stout University Foundation.

Next year's SAIRs recipients were named at the awards ceremony: studio art majors Eliza Jorgenson, of Hudson; and Ray Pagenkopf, of McFarland.

The Noah Norton Portfolio Prize Endowed Fund winner was announced during the Senior Show. Anna Lindner, an industrial design junior from Hastings, Minn., was awarded the $1,000 prize. The endowed fund is named in honor of Norton, a former associate professor and the university ��. first program director of industrial design. Norton died from leukemia in April 2017. He earned his bachelor ��. degree from ��.

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Hero Caption: Artwork by Student Artist in Residence Kayla Haugen is on display in the Furlong Gallery.

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Exhibits feature prints, paintings that consider the environment, human significance

polingj — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 17:23:01 +0000

Exhibits feature prints, paintings that consider the environment, human significancepolingj March 7, 2022

‘A Series of Entanglements’ and ‘Re. Rainbow Girl’ on display through April 9

Prints and paintings by artists from Ohio and Illinois are on exhibit in two gallery spaces at ��.

The exhibits, “A Series of Entanglements,” by Taryn McMahon and “Re. Rainbow Girl” by Tim Lowly, will run through Saturday, April 9.

Face masks are required indoors at �� through Friday, March 11.

The north space in the gallery features monotype and laser monotype prints by McMahon, who is an associate professor at Kent State University ��. School of Art in Kent, Ohio.

The art of Taryn McMahon, who teaches at Kent State University, focuses on the “human impact on ecologies and cultural preconceptions of nature.” / Contributed photo

“Human impact on ecologies and cultural preconceptions of nature have been the primary concerns of my artwork for nearly 10 years,” McMahon said. “My exhibition ‘A Series of Entanglements’ layers silhouettes of objects found on the shores of the Cuyahoga River. These highly layered prints point to the current state of entanglement between people and our environment.

“The spaces I draw and photograph reveal complex interactions between the human and nonhuman. The drawings and photographs are manipulated and filtered through digital and handmade printmaking processes to generate mixed media works on paper and installations. As viewers walk around the installations, they shift from pictorial image to sculptural object; their constructed-ness is revealed. My works in both installation and two-dimension move between real and artificial, landscape and construction,” she said.

McMahon gave a virtual presentation March 3 as part of �� . School of Art and Design Speaker Series, exploring how art has fueled and shaped fantasies of nature.

Artist Tim Lowly, of Chicago, stands in his studio near a painting that depicts his daughter, Temma, who has cerebral palsy. / Leah Emerson photo

The south space in the gallery features paintings by Lowly, a Chicago-area artist, curator, musician and teacher who has been affiliated with North Park University as gallery director, professor and artist-in-residence.

The central subject of Lowly ��. work is his daughter Temma, born in 1985, who has cerebral palsy with spastic quadriplegia.

“The works in this project all focus on a single woman, my daughter Temma, who — by visual associations with well-known artworks — is positioned as a meaningful human being: perhaps even some kind of ‘super hero,’” Lowly said.

“The eventual comprehension by the viewer that the person depicted is ‘profoundly other’ complicates conventional expectations of power, agency and human significance,” Lowly added, noting that the term “profoundly other” is used in lieu of the “problematic and misleading categorization ‘profoundly disabled.’”

�� . School of Art and Design offers seven fine arts programs, including a master ��. in design. First-year SOAD students start in the Pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts program, which is the gateway to a BFA degree. The university also offers a B.S. in arts administration and entrepreneurship.

###

Prints and paintings by artists from Ohio and Illinois are on exhibit in two gallery spaces at ��. Tim Lowly

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Furlong Gallery exhibit explores issues of how ‘to hold the land’

polingj — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 21:06:40 +0000

Furlong Gallery exhibit explores issues of how ‘to hold the land’polingj November 15, 2021

Minneapolis curator Witt Siasoco gathers work of 11 artists who, like him, aim to make a difference in their communities

The word landholder and its derivative “to hold the land” would seem to have the same meaning, but to artist Witt Siasoco they conjure something very different.

Siasoco delves deeply into the differences with To Hold the Land, the title of an exhibit he has curated featuring 11 artists at University of Wisconsin-Stout ��. Furlong Gallery. The exhibit runs through Saturday, Dec. 18. A reception is planned from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18.

“To hold the land,” he says, “calls up an image ideologically opposed to notions of the ‘land holder,’ one who is a steward of the land. I envision cupped hands, a loving embrace of land,” he said.

“But it ��. also an image of resistance: holding something dear to prevent it from being taken away — from racist policies that bar equal access, from extractive industries and polluters, from entities infringing on Indigenous sovereignty,” Siasoco said.

Artist Witt Siasoco, of Minneapolis, has curated the exhibit To Hold the Land at �� . Furlong Gallery. The exhibit features 11 artists. / Contributed photo

The seeds for the exhibit were planted about a year ago when Siasoco participated in a Stop Line 3 demonstration in northern Minnesota during the Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline project. He met and was inspired by Winona LaDuke, a Native American activist.

“It ��. not just an Indigenous people ��. movement. We have to all think about our relationship to the land,” said Siasoco, who grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, and lives in Minneapolis.

“To hold the land” can be what people take and give back, or extraction vs. contribution, he said.

“The issues of natural resource extraction greatly impact communities in the region. Specifically, the complex dilemma of local jobs versus extractive industries can be seen in iron ore mining in northern Minnesota, as well as sand mining near Menomonie,” Siasoco said.

Covering the north and south exhibit spaces at the gallery, To Hold the Land includes photographs, portraits, 3D objects, a teepee, video, a story carved on pieces of sugar maple and fabric art.

Mirror shields made by �� art and design students, under the direction of artist Cannupa Hanska Luger, are part of the exhibit. At left is a video of similar shields in use. / ��

The artists explore social and environmental issues related to the land. “It ��. important for me to connect with community. That ��. a theme that guides me, relationships,” he said.

Siasoco said the artists he chose for the exhibit, like him, work in the galleries but more importantly participate on a civic level. In fact, two of the items on exhibit, mirror shields and a teepee, are replicas of items that were used recently in the pipeline demonstrations in Minnesota. When the exhibit ends, those items are expected to be used in future Stop Line 3 demonstrations.

The mirror shields were made by a group of �� School of Art and Design students while working with artist Cannupa Hanska Luger, who was raised on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, an area deeply impacted by the effects of oil pipelines.

The shields, mirrored vinyl on Masonite, are similar to those used in the Mirror Shield Project that began in 2016 during a pipeline protest near Standing Rock. Luger invited people to create mirrored shields, and more than 1,000 arrived. The project has since been used in resistance movements around the world.

A video of those shields in use accompanies the new shields at Furlong Gallery.

Other examples from the exhibit include:

Julie Renee Benda, who grew up in Michigan ��. Upper Peninsula: a series of logs from her family ��. homestead. The logs adorn writings that grapple with the complexity of land ownership.
Alexa Horochowski, of Minneapolis: vortex drawings using trash like packing peanuts and aluminum cans coated in various substances and tumbled with barrel fans on sheets of Tyvek material. “The drawings touch on the issues of environmental degradation and mass consumerism, in particular the North Pacific Gyre, a sea of plastic in the middle of the ocean,” she said.
Mike Hoyt, of Minneapolis and a Minnesota-born Kanaka Maoli artist: portraits from Free the Deeds, a project to raise awareness of racial housing covenants from the 1910s to the 1950s that made it illegal for nonwhite people to live there.

Siasoco also is a graphic designer and arts educator who has worked with the City of Minneapolis and for the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Institute of Art. He recently received a visual artist fellowship from the Jerome Foundation.

He hopes that To Hold the Land can continue with exhibits at other galleries.

###

The word landholder and its derivative “to hold the land” would seem to have the same meaning, but to artist Witt Siasoco they conjure something very different. WItt Siasoco

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Hero Caption: The exhibit To Hold the Land runs through Dec. 18 at Furlong Gallery.

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Civil liberties are focus of Gallery 209 student exhibition through Oct. 29

powersp — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 15:33:05 +0000

Civil liberties are focus of Gallery 209 student exhibition through Oct. 29powersp October 21, 2021

Student artwork, microaggression posters part of professor ��. Menard Center fellowship show

A new art exhibit at University of Wisconsin-Stout focuses on what justice means in America and asks viewers to be aware of their own biases.

The And Justice for All: Civil Liberties Art Exhibition is open through Friday, Oct. 29, at Gallery 209 in Applied Arts. The exhibit is open 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. Masks are required on campus.

The title of the exhibit refers to the final words of the Pledge of Allegiance. The juried show is part of interim director of art and art history department Professor Cynthia Bland ��. Civil Liberties Research Fellowship last spring from the Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation.

“Although we’ve made so much progress as a nation, we still encounter instances of narrow mindedness and intolerance in our daily lives,” Bland wrote in the exhibition statement. “Artists have the responsibility to educate their public, to use their platform to change the fabric of America, and to push for a future where we are all more accepting, equitable and willing to protect others.”

Visual experiences are a big part of peoples’ lives and art can help educate people, Bland said. “We have had so many artists through time who have really made an impact,” she noted. “We hadn’t had this opportunity for students before.”

Student artwork was designed to convey important messages about civil liberties. / �� photo

MCSII provided funding for four Best of Show awards to be awarded to students who have created new works of art. The award is from $400 to $100. A closing reception is planned at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at the gallery when the awards will be announced.

“We have eight new works of art on display, highlighting our students’ willingness to take risks to communicate important messages to their audience,” Bland said. “Accompanying these works are posters from the permanent collection of the Furlong Gallery. The posters range from whimsical to weighty, capturing the challenges artists and Americans have faced in preceding eras.”

Images highlight microaggressions

The gallery also features digital poster triptychs on display from design department Professor Nagesh Shinde ��. spring 2021 Graphic Design II course. The students were asked to create visually dynamic images that highlight microaggressions, or thinly veiled derogatory insults that erode an individual ��. sense of self-worth.

Microaggressions are commonplace, and oftentimes unintentional, but the result is the further marginalization of culturally or racially isolated groups, Bland noted.

Learn more about the poster project here.

One piece, “Educate, Liberate, Occupy,” was created by sophomore Jon Rosario, majoring in industrial design.

“(The) print seeks to initiate conversations about civil liberties – checking America about its perceived racial ‘excellence’ in the process,” Rosario said.

The background of the piece is a pattern filled with names of historical events in American history including those impacting Asians, African-Americans, native peoples, Latinx and LGBTQIA+ people.

“Not including descriptions of the events, viewers would need to do some investigation to truly understand the events behind the pattern, giving them the opportunity to learn and come to a conclusion for themselves, by themselves,” Rosario said.

“The goal with this was that if I could get people to educate themselves, then maybe they would educate one another, and we could liberate one another from these false narratives that we’ve been so used to believing. With that liberation then, we could then occupy the narrative, giving us a path to greater things, like defeating racism, homophobia and communal ignorance here on this campus.”

Some of the artwork is from the Furlong Gallery permanent collection. / �� photo

Director Tim Shiell said, “MCSII supports artistic endeavors illuminating civil liberty issues because art can express human ambitions and ideals in uniquely wonderful and powerful ways. �� has amazing art and design programs, and Professor Bland has done outstanding work throughout MCSII ��. existence connecting art students to civil liberty issues. Too often civil liberty folks focus on student essay contests, the written word, so we want to support other avenues for students to connect to civil liberties.”

Standing up for art

Renee Carrell, Furlong Gallery assistant director and coordinator of Gallery 209, curated the exhibit and was part of the jury that selected artwork.

Alum Patrick Loftiness’ “Oh, Potus!,” a piece from the Furlong Gallery collection, depicts how former President Donald Trump was disliked by both Republicans and Democrats. To Carrell, it is a good example of freedom of expression. She believes Loftiness, who died in 2020, would be pleased his work was in a civil liberties exhibit.

“Art and comedy are usually the first casualties of freedom of speech,” Carrell said. “Art especially has been censored or destroyed throughout history when politics changed. Someone needs to stand up for our good friend, art.”

Rosario, of Ijamsville, Md., said the exhibit is interesting. “Overall, I think although it's not the largest exhibition, it does indeed do a good job of getting the conversation started. The pieces included are so thought-provoking, a great start to the conversation, I think the result will have a wonderful shot at being purposeful.”

In addition to Rosario ��. work, other students who are part of the MCSII portion of the exhibit, and the name of their works are: Jordan Miinch, of Antigo, “America is Queer”; Ashton Musielewicz, of St. Paul, “I Know Myself”; Alice O’Brien, of Isanti, Minn., “Cycle”; Julia Phillips, of Glenville, Minn., “A Russian in America”; Katie Reeves, of Albertville, Minn., “I’ll Tread Right Back”; Ethan Scholz, of Brookfield, “Gagged,” John Leonard, "Saturn."

Other parts of Bland ��. fellowship included a Free Speech Week student panel discussion on Confederate monuments and a student research fellow, Jake Mazourek, studying the Works Progress Administration murals by Cal Peters on campus.

A new art exhibit at University of Wisconsin-Stout focuses on what justice means in America and asks viewers to be aware of their own biases. civillibertieshero.jpg

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Hero Caption: �� Professor Cynthia Bland at And Justice For All: Civil Liberties Art Exhibit in Gallery 209.

Cynthia Bland

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