MSO’s interim exec and other crunchy bits of arts news

Donald Tyler will be the Milwaukee Symphony‘s interim president and executive director during the search to replace Mark Hanson. Hanson will leave shortly to become executive director of the Houston Symphony.

Tyler, recently retired as Northwestern Mutual’s vice president of investment products and services, has served on the MSO’s board of directors since 2007 and currently serves on its executive and finance committees. He has helped the orchestra win support from area corporations, including NML.

In a prepared statement announcing Tyler’s appointment, board chairman Chris Abele said “Don’s extensive experience will be beneficial in not only leading the orchestra through this transition, but in continuing to advance the MSO’s strategic vision. The board, musicians, and staff are grateful to Don for his willingness to serve the orchestra through this crucial time.”

Prior to joining NML, Tyler was one of the first executives of a newly formed business channel for Wells Capital Management (Strong Capital Management). He was one of two major and three minor founders of two firms, Precision Marketing Partners and The Academy of Financial Services, which offer distribution and training expertise to the mutual fund and insurance industries.

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Mark this date: Saturday, April 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The UWM Peck School of the Arts will host an open house at its Kenilworth Building, at Kenilworth and Prospect. (You know, a block south of the Oriental Theater.) If you haven’t seen this wonderful complex of gallery spaces and studios, do drop in. UWM did a great job of bringing this old industrial building back to life.

Plenty — music, dance, theater and visual art demonstrations — will be going on. And I’ll be there to meet and greet. It’s all free, so come on down.

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100 Monkeys, which does a great deal of public relations work for local arts organizations, is changing its name to Buzz Monkeys.

(Must… resist… temptation to… make with the… wisecracks.)

Their new website is right here.

(Resistance weakening… can’t hold back wry suggestion for company slogan… grip loosening… “When Buzz Monkeys fling it, it sticks!”)

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Speaking of flinging and sticking, at every concert I attend at least one person comes up to me and says: Gee, we miss your reviews in the newspaper. Are you enjoying retirement?

Then I have to explain that I’m writing more than ever, am part owner of Milwaukee’s coolest website, that I’m helping to develop an arts show for MPTV and that I’m teaching in the UWM Honors College. That’s the opposite of retirement.

And these are my fans, who haven’t found me. (If you’ve read this far, you’re a fan, too, and I thank you for that.) So help me out, here, and spread the word that I’m at TCD in a big way. If you see a story you like by me or by another TCD writer, send your friends the link. And do talk up our site. I’m proud of it and I want everyone to see it.

 

About TCD: You might have noticed that we have considerably more content than when I signed on last August. Then, we had basically one page. Now, the Arts & Culture page is taking on life and content of its own. A lot of it is exclusive to that page, so get in the habit of clicking on the Arts & Culture link after checking out the home page.

Also: Did you know that clicking on the byline of any writer calls up a complete menu of everything that writer has done for us? It’s a convenient way to dig deeper into the work of a writer you like or to pursue a topic of interest.

We’re growing and changing rapidly and want everyone to be aware of our site’s rich features and offerings. Note, for example, our increasingly sophisticated and far-reaching events calendar, managed by Laura Heller.

It works through cooperation with presenters and arts organizations. They sign up for accounts and update their own events, which greatly reduces error. I encourage you readers to use this wonderfully interactive resource and all you producers and presenters out there to sign up and participate. It’s an easy, free and an effective way to reach your audience.

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Have you ever seen such an intense and excellent run of dance in this town?

Debra Loewen and her Wild Space company got the ball rolling Jan. 29 with a remarkable collaboration with photographer/videographer Tom Bamberger.

UWM’s Winterdances, which opened Feb. 4, was a strong program; the Milwaukee Ballet‘s Pabst Theater, Feb. 11, showed the dancers to best advantage an included two world premieres; maybe the best Danceworks Performance Company show ever opened on Feb. 26; Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane and Co. brought a compelling show to Alverno College, Feb. 28; the brilliant Trey McIntyre Project danced at Marcus Uihlein on Feb. 9; and the intriguing and enormously skilled Wayne McGregor/Random Dance were at Alverno on March 13.

And we won’t take a breather until after the Milwaukee Ballet’s Pure Dance program at Marcus Uihlein March 25-28.

Seven radically different but very fine companies, big and small, local and traveling, in such a short time. Amazing.