Tag Archives: Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

Water-Cooler Repertoire

Posted on March 31, 2021
Water-cooler talk is socially distanced and topics limited to those that can be shared with projected voices along hallways and across office thresholds. With much of “typical” life on pause, conversation about pets provides common ground, different daily tales, humor, and an opportunity to truly help one another through advice and suggestions. I think I can safely say shared pet stories have enhanced our mental health and camaraderie.

Three Words to Keep Top of Mind

Posted on March 03, 2021
Absent a reliable roadmap for moving forward in the coronavirus journey, kindness, flexibility, and honesty can be put into action daily. We're modeling these behaviors at the Woodson Art Museum, warmly and sincerely welcoming visitors back to our galleries, even though masks obscure our delighted smiles.

Play in the Snow

Posted on February 24, 2021
For inspiration, check out this video by Woodson Art Museum staff, encouraging all to sculpt small-scale snow creations with everyday objects as tools. This link to a snow-sculpture-themed Art Kit offers ideas and activities to spark creativity, too.

A Piece of the Puzzle

Posted on February 03, 2021
I recently hunted in my jewelry box for a unique jigsaw puzzle piece, designed and decorated by my daughter when she was 7 years old. At the time, the thousand-piece puzzle under construction in the family room actually contained only 999 pieces, courtesy of our basset hound’s surreptitiousness. My compassionate daughter remedied the situation with her carefully crafted cardboard surrogate, which completed the puzzle and restored the dog’s good standing.

Kind Gestures Continue

Posted on January 13, 2021
Yet another appreciative message is buoying staff spirits: a hand-painted card of thanks to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum for providing Art Kits to encourage artistic pursuits.

Small Gestures Lead to Big Impacts

Posted on January 06, 2021
As we turned the calendar page to 2021, “hope” for the year ahead is a shared theme. Heartfelt evidence came to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum staff via the U.S. Postal Service in the latter days of December from an Aspirus Wausau Hospital nurse. For the past seven months, in lieu of hands-on art-making activities, Museum staff have lovingly and creatively designed and produced Art Kits to complement artworks on view and encourage busy hands and artistic pursuits.

Pivoting Traditions

Posted on December 30, 2020
Collaborating as a team at the Woodson Art Museum is much like building a gingerbread house with my family. Colleagues work together, sharing stories of the past while working toward the future.

Transported by Light

Posted on December 23, 2020
It was the light and atmosphere. I knew it. I’d experienced it. I missed it. Know me for longer than two minutes and you’ll quickly learn that I once lived along the front range of the Rocky Mountains. The three years I spent in Colorado were some of the best of my life. Many Midwesterners flocked there at the time. My theory on the mass transplantation was that Wisconsinites appreciate the four seasons but prefer Colorado’s milder version of each.

Change Is Good

Posted on December 02, 2020
As the calendar page turns to December, in a typical year I would be preparing for an annual Christmas cookie-baking weekend. A few friends and family would come together for three days to bake dozens of cookies which, ultimately, we give away. It’s my favorite holiday tradition. This year, thinking positively that change is good, holiday baking will be different. There will be delicious cookies, yet just not as many as in the past. Instead of thirty different varieties of holiday treats, I’ll prepare just a few. I’m thinking of challenging myself with more difficult recipes that might fail, versus the tried and true.

Treasures Redefined

Posted on November 25, 2020
For a daily mini-escape, I stream and watch past episodes of Antiques Roadshow – the U.K. version. In its forty-one seasons, the British show’s format is the same as the U.S. version. People bring objects, seeking an expert’s appraisal, a discussion of provenance or history of ownership, and estimated auction value. Participants vary, from treasure hunters trawling secondhand stores for the once-in-a-lifetime find to individuals inheriting an antique of which they know little or those with cherished memories.