Exhibits, exhibits, exhibits. One just opened, another is under construction, and one is in the "how will we pay for it" phase. Exhibits are a big part of what we we do here at the Chippewa Valley Museums, but not the only part. 

Venture & Voice Now Open

On display until March 23

For a second year in a row, Empty Walls Art Collective has put together a three-dimensional art exhibit guest curated by Christy Skuban. It's eclectic, playful, and thoughtful. You want to see it.  

Meet the Venture & Voice Artists!

Don’t Miss This Fun Event. Preregister Today

 An opening reception for Venture & Voice will be held at the museum from 6-7:30 pm on Tuesday, January 30. Meet the artists participating in the exhibit and enjoy live jazz music with Jeremy Boettcher and Josh Gallagher from 6:15-7:15 pm. Light refreshments will be on hand, along with a cash bar featuring local wines and beers. This event has no admission fee, courtesy of sponsor Xcel Energy.

Reserve your free tickets by clicking "register" below.

In the event of a weather-related closure, the reception will be rescheduled for February 6th.

Experience Art with Don Gaber

Saturday, February 17, 1-2:30pm

Enjoy a presentation and gallery walk with Empty Walls Art Collective member artist Don Gaber. Learn about Don’s journey to become a full-time artist and participant of many Sculpture Tours, including past and current work for Sculpture Tour Eau Claire. Join the artist for an exciting experiment in using reclaimed materials, as he works with you to create your own 3D piece.

Advance registration is strongly encouraged to guarantee a spot in this program. Open to kids as young as 10 with accompanying registered adult. 

Cost: $17/adult, $15 senior, $10 student. $5 discount for museum members.

Other art experiences include Barbara Koppang February 27 from 6-7:30 pm and Raymond Kaselau March 16 from 1-2:30 pm. Sign-up for these experience using the calendar at cvmuseum.com

Tall Tales Exhibit Progress

Volunteers and staff are hard at work renovating the Tall Tales exhibit at the logging camp exhibit center. This exhibit was installed in 1999 and has seen a lot of love. The new Tall Tales room will go beyond Paul Bunyan and showcase stories told by loggers in the northwoods. Don't worry, the griddle, working nmodel sawmill, and super-sized boot are staying in the exhibit and will be better than you remember. 

Call Tim Hirsch at the museum, or complete the online form to express your interest in helping as an artist with Tall Tales projects.

Major support for this project comes from Eau Claire County, Women's Giving Circle - a fund of the Eau Claire Community Foundation, and Xcel Energy Foundation.

Folk Arts Festival

February 24, 12-5pm

New in 2024! 

Folk Arts Festival Features Several New Presenters

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

• Folk Harps and Ukeleles

• Presentations on Bee Keeping, Pyrography (art of decorating wood with burn marks), Building a Nykleharpa

• Live Blacksmith demonstrations outside (weather permitting)

• Embroidery and Clothing Repair

• Wood Turning and Wood Carving

• Model Railroading

• Puppetry

• Fiber and Textile Art

• Hot Sandwiches for purchase from Jay Ray's

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. 

COST: $12.00 per Adult/ $10.00 per Senior (62+)/ $5.00 per Student/
$5.00 per Youth (5-17)/ Museum Members -- Free with your membership

Purchase advance tickets using the button below.

Major support for the Folk Arts Festival comes from Visit Eau Claire and Volume One.

Winter Reading

You can’t ice skate, snow shoe, or build a snowman, but you can still take a walk or a drive around Eau Claire. Stop in and pick up Reflections of Eau Claire: A Photo History of the City 1870-1998 or Rest in Nature: A Guide to Eau Claire’s Forest Hill Cemetery. Both books provide their own built-in scavenger hunts and will help connect you to places and people. You can order these and many other books online or purchase them directly in the museum gift shop.

Hang in there.

Peace and goodwill,
Carrie Ronnander
Executive Director, Chippewa Valley Museums

PS: The Venture & Voice art exhibit opened just in time for some of the darkest news the Chippewa Valley has received in a very long time. If any place needs art and beauty right now, it's the Chippewa Valley. The January 22nd announcement that HSHS Sacred Heart and HSHS St. Joseph's Hospitals are closing has shocked the community and upended the lives of many. 

Original Sacred Heart Hospital building, 1890, 550 N. Dewey.

HSHS Sacred Heart opened in 1889, HSHS St. Joseph's in 1888. Both were started by Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, a Catholic order dedicated to caring for the sick and injured.The longevity of these hospitals means many, many people have memories and deep connections to these places. We know this is a significant loss and we don't know how it will all play out. The Chippewa Valley Museums' response is to actively preserve the histories of the HSHS hospitals. Museum staff is already working to collect materials, including the heritage wall at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital.

Just as important will be collecting the stories of patients and staff. There will be an oral history project after people have had some time to stablize their lives. If you're interested in participating in an oral history project, I urge you to contact me or Jodi Kiffmeyer, the museum's archivist.

The museum can also serve as a sanctuary and a place of peace, as can Carson Park. The exhibits show how people responded and survived past crises. They also allow you to think about something other than current affairs. There is beautiful art to see and interesting things to do. The music in the Have You Heard? object-enhanced picture show will just make you feel good. 

This is hard and many questions need to be answered. Keep breathing, keep listening, and don't lose hope. We are a resilient community and people.

Postcard of the new Sacred Heart Hospital. 900 W. Clairemont, shortly after it opened in 1964 (Chippewa Valley Museum 816200-0018-002