Rachel Hausmann-Schall, artist residency and adult program manager
It’s impossible for me not to feel reminiscent around this time each year. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and I, like many, have fond memories of dressing up as a child and trick-or-treating around my childhood home. I remember the disappointment when my mom would caution, “make sure you wear your winter coat!” when the Wisconsin weather was getting the best of us. Even if I was annoyed that my costume wouldn’t have the full effect due to the added winter wardrobe, I still marched through the neighborhood with intent, seeking out the houses or businesses that I knew gave out full-size candy bars.
It was around Halloween that I also enjoyed watching The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” (their annual Halloween special) with my older siblings. I have a distinct memory, thanks to this animated TV series, of first learning about Edgar Allen Poe’s famous 1845 poem The Raven. In this “Treehouse of Horror” episode, Bart Simpson plays the mischievous raven, antagonizing his father Homer by speaking the one famous line, “Nevermore.” With some additional context provided by my own father, I eventually became familiar with the true history of this classic and enjoyed learning more about Edgar Allen Poe in school.
Illustration in watercolor and ink. Corresponds to the description of the verses of Poe’s poem The Raven: “wandering from the nightly Shore…” ca. 1882
Illustration by Édouard Manet for a French translation by Stéphane Mallarmé of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”. 1875
The colors of falling leaves, bustling winds, and spooky motifs have continued to be interests of mine well into adulthood. At the Woodson Art Museum, this time of year aligns with the Museum’s flagship exhibition Birds in Art. So far, visitors have enjoyed the 51st iteration, which includes many fall themes and a few artworks that might provoke a spooky atmosphere or feeling.
Karen Bondarchuk, Keeping Up Appearances, 2026, charcoal on Rives BFK paper
Mary Cornish, Monolith, 2026, oil on Belgian linen
Kimberly Beck, Jenny and Tom, 2025, oil on linen
Mary Apikos, We Can Only Be Human Together, 2025, casein paint, ink, pastel, graphite on translucent Duralar
However, it just might be Tyler Vouros’ drawing Raven’s Landing that could make for the perfect setting for Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven, with its dark and ominous arrangement of clouds behind an aged maple tree.
Tyler Vouros, Raven’s Landing, 2026, charcoal, shellac, and oil on panel
Tyler is traveling to Wausau next week for a residency at the Museum’s Glass Box Studio, where he will be sharing his expertise in creating imagined landscapes in charcoal and haunting portraits of avian subjects. Tyler will give a Guest Artist talk on Thursday, November 12 at 6pm in the Museum’s lower-level classroom and will offer Open Studio Sessions at the Glass Box Studio on Friday, November 13 and Tuesday, November 17, 1 – 4 pm. Lucky participants in Tyler’s sold out workshop will enjoy drawing from live avian subjects thanks to a collaboration with On the Wing, a raptor rehabilitation organization based on Oshkosh. Additionally, Tyler will participate in outreach with local students at Wausau East and West High Schools, as well as travel to Baraboo for a Q&A session about his work and processes during the International Crane Foundation’s Great Midwest Crane Fest.
We hope to see all of you here in the next few weeks gently rapping, rapping at our chamber door.
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