By: Elaina Johann, administrative manager
First time visitors—community members, regional tourists, and even international travelers—are often blown away by the gem that is the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. They can’t believe that we have a world-class museum in the middle of Wisconsin. When we plan Museum trips, we like to discover places that are off the beaten path—rare finds that provide enrichment beyond what we could possibly imagine and allow us to appreciate even more the beauty of what’s at home.
Coming up in two weeks, Woodson Art Museum members and friends will set off to Minneapolis where we are sure to take an art-filled journey discovering the multifaceted efforts of preservation through fine arts restoration, historic architecture, and the cultures that make up the city.
Though the Minneapolis trip is filled, there still is space and time to sign up for another opportunity to travel this year with the Woodson Art Museum team and the great company of fellow Museum members. From October 27 through 31 we will weave together artistic traditions and contemporary art exploring Santa Fe’s Art Scene.
On our New Mexican trip, we will settle in each night La Fanda on the Plaza in the Santa Fe Plaza. Situated centrally in Santa Fe, the Plaza has always been the economic and social beating heart of the city. Typically bustling with daytime activity and nighttime entertainment, the Plaza hosts Native American and Spanish Markets as well as community gatherings, festivities, concerts, and more. Our luxurious accommodations at La Fonda will offer modern conveniences such as an outdoor pool, steam room, and a full-service spa intermingled with authentic New Mexican style from the architecture to the handcrafted furnishings and original artwork.
As much as the Pueblo architecture is part of the cities iconic landscape so are the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that set the backdrop of Santa Fe’s eastern skyline. Though we won’t be traversing these mountains by foot, we will appreciate them from afar traveling along winding mountain roads as we take in their beauty heading north to Taos. The natural beauty of this land has been appreciated and utilized by generations of Santa Feans and ancestors of the Pueblo Indians and the Apache respecting the land for ritual and prayer, stock grazing, timbering, recreation as well as the spectacle of the red glow of the morning sun hitting its peaks, possibly providing them with their namesake translated in Spanish to “Blood of Christ.”
In addition to visiting gallery hubs that intermingle traditional and contemporary arts at Canyon Road and the Railyard Arts District in Santa Fe and the Taos Historic District, we will push the boundaries of how one might experience art with a tour at SITE Santa Fe. The contemporary arts institution presents dynamic, interdisciplinary art that places the artists at the center when presenting innovative exhibitions and programs. The experience is sure to bring together the past and present and inspire what is to come in the art scene.
On top of these experiences, we will also enjoy delectable meals including authentic Southwestern cuisine by an expert chef and tour renowned institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe Opera House, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Ghost Ranch. The thread of life-long learning runs through this trip and every travel opportunity that the Woodson Art Museum offers to its members and friends.
If this has piqued your interests, don’t delay signing up—deposits are due May 26. More details on how to sign up can be found on our website or call us at 715.845.7010.
Featured image above: NPS/Patrick Myers, Sangre de Cristo Mountains
