Art All Around

Cloudy winter days can dampen the spirit, which is why the Chippewa Valley Museum started hosting a winter art exhibit a few years ago. Art is good for mind, body, and soul. You will find plenty of opportunities to enjoy and engage with art in this newsletter. 

Now through April 8:

Dimensions & Discovery: Exploring 3-D with EMPTY WALLS ART

The 2023 Winter Art Exhibit features 3D wall-mounted art and sculptures made by eleven local artists. Dimensions & Discovery: Exploring 3-D with EMPTY WALLS ART runs now through April 8.

EMPTY WALLS artists: Don Gaber • Aubrey Hogan • Ray Kaselau • Jeff Nelson • Karen Scarseth • Christy Skuban • Scott Von Holzen  

Invited artists: Tim Brudnicki • Kate Mclean • Terry Meyer • Kelsey Wenberg

Meet the Artists!
Artist Reception, Tuesday, January 31, 6:00 - 7:30

Video featuring the artists in the show and produced by Raymond Kaselau

See the exhibit and meet the artists. Guest Curator Christy Skuban will offer a brief reflection about the show and share information about upcoming art show programming. Preregistration is encouraged but walk-ins are welcome.

CVM Members: Free | General: $10 | Senior: $8 | Youth/Student: $5

In the event of weather related closure the reception will be rescheduled for February. 7th.

Art Talk and DIY Art Series

Dimensions & Discovery artists will share details about their work in a series of three Creative Process Art Talks. The series includes hands-on art-making activities before and after each presentation, including supervised project stations featuring sketching, stenciling, and sculpting. All ages are welcome to participate.

*  Saturday, February 18, 1:30-3pm. Don Gaber. Every object has a story. Learn from Don how vintage materials can be repurposed through art, then use the reclaimed materials provided to create sculptural artworks of your very own. Advanced registration is strongly encouraged to guarantee a spot in this program. Recommended for ages 10 and older. 

Cost: Included with admission. Free for members. $10/Adult, $8/Senior, $5 5-17.

Ostrich, peacock, and eagle made by Don Gaber from reclaimed parts and on display in the Dimensions & Discovery art exhibit.

Save the Dates for Art Talks 2 & 3

* Tuesday, March 7, 6-7:30 pm. Kelsey M. Wenberg, Scott Von Holzen, and Ray Kaselau.

* Saturday, March 18, 1:30-3 pm. Christy Skuban and Aubrey Hogan. 

Mark Your Calendars: February 25

Join local folk artists and vendors for a day of family-friendly demonstrations and activities. Below is a peak at what to expect: 

• Folk Harps and Ragtime Music 

• Presentations on Maple Sugaring, Balloon Sculptures, and Puzzle Making

• Making fleece-tied pet blankets with the Eau Claire K-Kids

• HMoob/Hmong Cross Stitching

• Wood Turning and Wood Carving

• Fly Tying

• Model Railroading

Watch social media and the museum's website cvmuseum.com for more details. If you are a vendor or artist who would like to be involved, please contact Karen Jacobson. 

Survey Reminder: Complete by Jan. 31

We are making many decisions for our newly merged organization which may affect you. Let your voice be heard on admissions and memberships by completing the survey by January 31st. 

Completed responses will be eligible to win a Museum Gift Pack which includes a one-year membership to gift or use, Rest In Peace: A Guide to Eau Claire's Forest HIll Cemetery, and your choice of a Wisconsin Logging Museum coffee mug or pint glass. 

New Faces, New Roles

There is quite a bit going on behind the scenes as well. To catch you up on the many staff & Board of Directors changes and additions:

• Former Wisconsin Logging Museum Executive Director Rachel Lange has stepped into her new role as Curator at Chippewa Valley Museum.

• Former CVM Curator of Collections Diana Peterson has moved into an Assistant Curator position and added Editor to her responsibilities.

• Frank Barby, who has been our part-time Facilities Engineer since 2019 as well as our part-time Financial Manager since 2021, is now our full-time Director of Operations.

• Dustyn Dubuque started January 16 as our new full-time Development Manager.

• Four former Wisconsin Logging Museum Board of Directors have joined the Chippewa Valley Museum board: Matthew Hanaman, Tom Mihajlov, Melissa Peterson, and Curt Van Auken. Melissa and Tom both represent Kiwanis clubs.

We are also finalizing the hiring of a limited-term part-time Education Assistant and expect to be supervising three interns this spring. The merger of Chippewa Valley Museum with Wisconsin Logging Museum has opened many doors. These are exciting times indeed.

Peace,
Carrie Ronnander
Executive Director, Chippewa Valley Museum

PS -- In Ojibwe culture, winter is the time for storytelling. The Wisconsin Historical Society just completed an Ojibwe Storytelling Series, which is now available through its YouTube channel.

Many years ago I ran across this story in William Warren's History of the Ojibwe People, published about 1852 and republished in 2009 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Born in 1825, Warren was the grandson of fur trader Michel Cadotte and Ikwesewe of the White Crane Clan of Anishinaabe (Ojibwe). The excerpt below is copied from Warren's book:

About the year 1745, the first Ojibwe pioneer hunters, braving the attacks of their enemies, first permanently planted their wigwams on the shores of Lac Courteorielle (also called Ottawa Lake). The founders of this village consisted of three brothers belonging to the daring and fearless Bear Clan. On the shores of Lac Courtoreille, during the course of a winter hunt, they lost one of their children.

There was a charm about that little grave, which caused the mourning parents to brave all dangers, and isolated from their fellows, they passed the spring and summer in that vicinity, and eventually made the spot where it stood a permanent village. Their numbers increased every year, till at last, being followed by their traders, who made Lac Courteoreille their inland depot, parties of hunters branched off, and pressing back the Dakotas, they took possession and eventually formed new villages at Lac Shatac, Red Cedar, and Long Lakes, and at Puk-wa-wanuh on the Chippeway River

Former Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Chairman and educator Rick St. Germaine shared the same story in the Tribal Histories series produced by Wisconsin Public Television in 2020. I encourage you to take 30 minutes to watch this video.