Spring exhibition celebrates artists and their stories
For the Wausau Times
WAUSAU – Backstories are in the spotlight this spring with an array of artwork from the Woodson Art Museum’s collection in “Beyond Artworks: Artists & Their Stories,”on view through June 6.
Beyond Artworks shares stories of artists, their inspiration, and how artworks were acquired by the museum for preservation and interpretation via varied exhibitions.
“Discover the tale and trace the trail that led to the acquisition of a rare oil painting and a hand-colored aquatint by John James Audubon. Experience artworks by three generations of Wyeth painters, N.C., Andrew, and Jamie, comparing and contrasting their distinct styles and gaining insights into their inspiration and work,” a museum release stated.
“Ever on the quest to continue building the Museum’s world-class collection of avian art, curator Jane Weinke noticed in a 2007 gallery newsletter an image and story about a rare oil painting, Pacific Loons, by John James Audubon. The painting would augment several Audubon prints in the Mmuseum’s collection and also prompt the acquisition of Black-throated Diver, a hand-colored aquatint created for Audubon’s The Birds of America, featuring watercolors of 435 life-size North American birds. The stories that unfold are part of Beyond Artworks, which provides opportunities to experience, compare, and contrast Audubon artworks.
“Through purchases, gifts, and bequests, the collection has grown since 1976 to encompass more than 14,000 artworks, yet – because of space, preservation, and exhibition narrative considerations – only a portion can be on view at a time. This exhibition celebrates and returns collection artwork to the spotlight in spring 2021; responding to Covid-19 in spring 2020, the Woodson Art Museum re-configured its largest gallery for special/traveling exhibitions rather than featuring selections from the collection. This change allowed for installations to be physically distanced, thereby creating an even more welcoming and safer environment for visitors. The Museum reshuffled and reimagined its exhibition schedule and draws upon its own resources in spring 2021 to highlight collection artworks via new combinations and narratives, sparking visitors’ connections, too.”
For more information, visit www.lywam.org, e-mail the Museum at [email protected], or call 715-845-7010.