Truman Lowe: Limn
March 17 - May 30
Sneak Peek Friday: Friday March 19, 10:30 A.M.
Opening Reception: Sunday, March 21, 1:00-4:00 P.M.
The Moment: Artist Dialogues, Thursday, March 25 5:00-8:00 P.M.
A professor of art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and curator of
contemporary art for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the
American Indian, Truman Lowe is one of the most respected sculptors working in
the US today. He has exhibited at such venues as the Heard Museum in Phoenix,
the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, the
National Gallery of Art in Ottawa, Ontario, and the Wright Museum of Art at
Beloit College in Wisconsin. One of his large outdoor sculptures was included in
an exhibit at the White House in 1998.
Growing up on the banks of Wisconsin's Black River, where his parents were
skilled makers of splint-plait baskets and other crafts from their Ho-Chunk
tradition, Truman’s connection to nature began at an early age. As a sculptor, his
large abstract works in wood and metal are inspired by many elements of the
natural world. As he says, “My work is an aesthetic examination of my immediate
environment, and of earlier people who lived in this region and created objects
and stories reflective of their time.”
Lowe’s work is characterized by its seemingly simple forms, materials and
construction, a fact he acknowledges. “If I do anything, I simplify things.
Maybe too much.” This exhibition which will feature two installations will, as
he succinctly puts it, “to make visual all that is known, illuminate what is
not obvious.”
D.V. Holmes & His Mad Mechanical Menagerie
January 7 - March 29
Sneak Peek Friday: Friday, January 9, 10:30 AM
Artist Lecture & Reception: Sunday, January 11, 1:30 - 4:00 PM
A menagerie can be defined three ways: a collection of wild or unusual animals,
especially for exhibition; a place where they are kept or exhibited; or an unusual
and varied group of people. David Holmes, a professor of art from UWParkside, has
established a reputation for unorthodox sculptures which perfectly match each of
these definitions. Using thousands of found objects and mechanical parts, a mad
mechanical menagerie is created from his tremendous imagination to charm, amaze
and fascinate visitors of all ages.
Public & Personal: The Paintings and Photographs of Bernhard Schneider
April 1 - June 28
Sneak Peek Friday: Friday, April 3, 10:30 AM
This original exhibition will examine the close relationship between panorama painter
Bernhard Schneider’s canvases and previously longlost photographs, examining the
influence the latter had on the former at a time when photography was neither considered
an art form nor acceptable fine art influence. The show will be complemented with
paintings by his panorama painting colleagues and friends such as F.W. Heine, George
Peter, Carl Frosch and Conrad Heyd.
From One, Many: Contemporary WI Prints
July 1 – August 30
Sneak Peek Friday: July 10, 10:30 am
Opening reception: Sunday, July 11th, 1:30 - 4:00 pm
In an original MWA exhibition, printmakers from all over the state will showcase
their work. The range of print media will be matched only by the corresponding range
of artists: established practitioners of the medium will be on display beside younger,
up-and coming artists.
Isle of Inspiration: Rediscovering Milwaukee’s Jones Island
September 2 – November 1
Sneak Peek Friday: September 11, 10:30am
Opening Reception: Sunday, September 13th, 1:30 – 4:00 pm
From the early 1800s until the 1940s when its residents were replaced by industry,
Jones Island was a fascinating and unique part of Milwaukee’s history. It was also
an endless source of interest and inspiration for artists such as George Carney,
Emily Groom, Paul Hammersmith, Robert von Neumann, Alfred Pelikan, James Schwalbach
and Howard Thomas. Through their artwork and historical maps Jones Island will come
to life again!
MWA Members’ Show
November 4 – January 3 2010
Sneak Peek Friday: November 6th, 10:30 am
Opening Reception: Sunday, December 6th, 1:30 – 4:00 pm
More popular than ever, the MWA Members’ show is a traditional feature on the MWA
calendar. These artists have a wonderfully diverse range of interests and talents,
and work in a variety of media and subject matter. Whatever your taste in art, you
will find something that suits your taste and pocketbook!