Governor’s Residence Now Exhibiting Art

A partnership between the Executive Residence and the Museum of Wisconsin Art has resulted in an exhibit that promises to showcase the diversity and rich history of Wisconsin art.

The partnership first began to take shape back in 2019 after Tony Evers won the governorship. Gov. Evers made moves to return a David Lenz original painting titled “Wishes in the Wind” to its original home — the Executive Residence — after it was taken down by Republican Scott Walker (it was later welcomed by the Milwaukee Public Library, which displayed it for eight years). In a conversation with Lenz, First Lady Kathy Evers expressed her love of art, and Lenz suggested she meet Laurie Winters, Executive Director and CEO of the Museum of Wisconsin Art.

“We loved the idea of having footprints throughout the state,” Winters says. “We’ve had our sights set on Madison for a while, and this just seemed like such a wonderful way to do it. Kathy Evers has a really good sensibility and a natural eye, so it was fun working with her.”

The exhibit, which displays nearly 20 works loaned to the Executive Residence by MOWA, is on view throughout the first floor of the Residence. The idea is that the exhibit will enhance adult and youth educational tours while also showcasing the diversity of Wisconsin art and artists.

“I think anytime you have art in any kind of official setting, it gives a gravitas that this is important,” Winters says. “We wanted to be able to tell a little bit of the story of Wisconsin art and we wanted to reflect the diversity of the state, so we gave a lot of thought to works by both men and women; black artists and Native American artists.”

On display are works by Reginald Baylor, Eoin Breadon, Tom Jones, Lenz, Dona Look, Truman Lowe, Jeremy Popelka, Adolph Rosenblatt, Gerrit Sinclair, Lucia Stern, Charles Thwaites, Stephanie Trenchard, Tom Uttech, and Lee Weiss. Adding to the pieces loaned by MOWA are works of Wisconsin art from the permanent Residence collection. Winters is particularly excited about the inclusion of a Lowe sculpture.

“He’s such a wonderful, spiritual person and he did a large sculpture of a wall-hanging of a bear skin,” Winters says. “It’s made from wooden planks, and he did it as kind of a tribute to his mother, who is a member of the Ho-Chunk Bear tribe.”

Winters says the current works will be on display for anywhere between six months to a year, and will then be rotated.

Winters noted “the commitment of the First Lady and Governor to the arts and culture – they recognize the economic role of arts and culture in the state. I really love the idea of having this partnership with the leadership in our state.”

Photo Gallery

Art Events and Gallery Openings

Tuesday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. except on Saturday 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

The Grohmann Museum is hosting a companion exhibit to the new book, Ironboat, by Christopher Winters. On display is a collection of photographs tracing the toil and travels of a pair of ironboats on the Great Lakes Superior and Michigan. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. 

Designed for children in grades K5 through 5th grade, Art Workshops Presented by Artists Working in Education is a collaboration between the Milwaukee Public Library and A.W.E. Each session begins with an A.W.E. artist reading aloud a story and two while giving details on the book or illustrator. Participants are then encouraged to work on imaginative art activities relative to the book or themes discussed. This week’s program will take place at the Milwaukee Public Library, Tippecanoe Branch located at 3912 S. Howell Ave.

Thursday, 10 a.m. – close

On the first Thursday of every month up until June, the Milwaukee Art Museum is allowing free admission for individual and families (excluding group tours.)

Thursday, 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Lynden Sculpture Garden hosts a weekly drop-in for an informal art exploration. Every week puts an emphasis on different materials, processes and themes while making use of Lynden Sculpture Garden’s 40 acres of park, lake and woodland. This Drop-In is designed for ages 6-11. Single sessions are $11 or $9 for members, or you can purchase an Art Drop-in Card for $64 or $48, which grants access to eight sessions. For more information, click here.

Thursday, 4 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Museum of Wisconsin Art’s Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, Tyler Friedman, gives a 45-minute guided tour of the Saint Kate art collection, focusing on the MOWA-DTN gallery. Tours are first come, first serve, and tickets can be purchased in person or online for $10. Only 15 guests will be allowed per tour.

Friday, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Milwaukee Art Museum hosts the 4th Annual Veterans Light Up the Arts – an event that celebrates veterans, service member and military spouse artists and performers. Doors open at 6 p.m. followed by performances from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Students/artists and veterans are offered a discounted admission. Visit www.mam.org for more information.

Friday, 4 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbly on a 45-minute guided tour of the Saint Kate art collection. Saint Kate art historian Samantha Timm leads the Champagne Art Tour. Admission is $15 and tickets can be purchased online. The event allows for 15 guests per tour, and the event is first come, first serve. Click here for more information.

Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Grab your sketchbooks and head to the Milwaukee County Zoo! The Milwaukee Sketch Club is hosting its first meetup of 2020 on March 7 – rain or shine. Admission to the zoo is free this day, but parking fees still apply. For more information, click here.

Saturday, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Learn how to “paint” with tissue paper at the Arts@Large Community Center located at 1100 S. 5th St. Lauren Ritzer will demonstrate how to spray water on tissue paper or onto a canvas to create unique colors and designs. All supplies will be provided, and the event is free. Click here for more information.

Saturday, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Enjoy alcohol or coffee house beverages while you create beautiful mosaics at Verlocal, 4511 S. 6th St. Choose from a variety of designs starting at $35 each. Staff will assist with your creations, and no supplies are needed. Tickets can be purchased online for $36.96 or in person. Click here for more information.