Allison Buchli, multimedia specialist and graphic designer
Hello! My name is Allison Buchli, the new Multimedia Specialist/Graphic Designer here at the Woodson Art Museum. Honestly, it’s still hard to believe that I am typing this, and 10-year- old Allison would be beyond giddy if she knew her future self would be lucky enough to work at an art museum someday. I still catch myself having to stop and look around (seriously, this place is gorgeous!) although I’m sure that won’t end anytime soon.
Writing entry from a childhood school project
Early this year, I began preparing for a move from Eau Claire to Wausau that would take place mid-summer. My boyfriend lives here, which is how such a decision came to be. In my curiosity, I found myself regularly searching “ _____ in Wausau” on the internet, the blank space being filled with words like “coffee shops,” “book stores,” “best breakfast spots,” “record stores,” “thrift stores,” and things alike to cover my bases and become familiar with my future favorites in what was soon to be my new home. Typing these searches into my browser became both exciting and comforting for me during the months leading up to my move, as I still had yet to land a new job, and learning about the places I would hopefully soon become a regular at gave me hope that at least I’d find fulfillment in the “things to do in Wausau” department.
Spending years living and working in Eau Claire, a fairly “artsy” city by many standards, I hoped I wouldn’t have to sacrifice that when moving here. With a strong appreciation for the arts in all its forms, and three years under my belt working as a graphic designer for Volume One, a local arts and culture magazine in Eau Claire, a connection to the creative community was not something I was willing to give up so easily. With “_____in Wausau” basically muscle memory for my fingers at this point, one day I optimistically typed “art museum” into that space. Really, I wasn’t expecting anything within a 150-mile radius; its central Wisconsin after all! If you’re reading this, I’m certain there is no need to explain how deeply wrong I was in my assumptions. That moment is why I am here to share this in the first place. I immediately followed along with the Museum’s socials, which is how I learned about this job opportunity, many months later. It couldn’t have been more perfect timing, just a few weeks before I was set to move. I was so excited about the possibility of working here, that amidst the stacks of unpacked boxes and tired limbs from moving day, I still made it a priority to drive past the Museum on my first night here so I could see it in person. Even in the quickly dimming light after sunset, and surrounded by gorgeous mature trees and luscious vines, it’s grandeur did not disappoint.
In my two weeks of working here so far, I can assure you the excitement is very much still alive. While I have a bit of a background with art history, having taken a couple of classes in college, it is a feeling entirely unique and somewhat indescribable, to be in the physical presence of art, and everyday at that. I am looking forward to designing some awesome stuff for the Museum and all of you reading, and having a part in what it provides to the Wausau community and beyond.
Last week, a project I was working on required me to search through some archives of newspaper clippings, articles, and images from Birds in Art throughout the years. With Birds in Art Fifty quickly approaching, it felt like the perfect way to learn more about the exhibition and its gravity—by looking back to the very beginning. In my search, I came across a clipping with the headline “Will it Fly in Wausau?” in reference to the 1982 Birds in Art exhibition. While the headline was almost certainly nodding to birds, and wings, and the avian art on display in that year’s exhibition, I couldn’t help but smile, as it reminded me of my “_____in Wausau” searches, that have since slowed down. I remember the uncertainty I felt around what my future held, and if I would still find myself in the type of creatively fulfilling and collaborative environment I had become so appreciate of. Spoiler: I have!
