News and Articles Archives - Chazen Museum of Art https://chazen.wisc.edu/category/news/ Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:59:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 Chazen Museum of Art Reinstallation Reimagines Visitor Experience with Object-Centered Approach https://chazen.wisc.edu/chazen-museum-of-art-reinstallation-reimagines-visitor-experience-with-object-centered-approach/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:41:05 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7774 MADISON, Wis. — The Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison) is undertaking a comprehensive reinstallation of its permanent collection, moving away […]

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MADISON, Wis. — The Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison) is undertaking a comprehensive reinstallation of its permanent collection, moving away from a traditional chronological and geographic organization and adopting an object-centered approach. Each gallery will include a deeply researched focus object that will anchor a constellation of works from across time, media and cultures with common connections. This change, slated to debut in September 2026 with the reopening of the museum’s Elvehjem building, will provide multiple paths to engagement; encourage close looking and discovery; prompt contemplation, comparison and contrast; and ultimately foster deeper connections between art and daily life. This new model for exhibiting the Chazen’s holdings will also allow for more flexible approaches to collecting in the future and celebrate new forms of exploration with museum visitors as well as students, faculty and staff at UW–Madison.

“The Chazen Museum of Art’s reinstallation represents a subtle yet profound shift toward seamless engagement and demonstrates the art museum’s power to forge new understandings and actively engage with the rapidly changing world,” said Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen Museum of Art and senior director for the arts and media at UW–Madison. “As an institution committed to remaining nimble, taking risks and adapting to change, the Chazen will present the permanent collection in a way that will make the museum experience more enriching and intellectually accessible for everyone.”

As a museum embedded in a leading research university, the Chazen Museum of Art has leveraged the expertise of UW–Madison faculty, staff and students across diverse fields — from history and religion to material sciences and studio art — to guide its reinstallation. This collaboration is helping the Chazen reconsider gallery themes and checklists, successfully integrate new scholarship and maximize interdisciplinary connections with art.

The long-contemplated project began several years ago with curators and subject matter experts conducting a deep exploration of the more than 25,000 artworks in the Chazen’s care, including studio glass, figurative ceramics, modern Midwest painting, Japanese woodcuts and more. Stepping away from hierarchies that are common in art museums, the reinstallation highlights strengths in the collection, showcasing works previously less emphasized and weaving important threads through social history.

The reinstallation is rooted in visitor experience. As a part of this effort, the staff is carefully considering what makes museums special alongside elements that might intimidate visitors. Staff has incorporated research on visitor interaction with artwork — from how long guests linger to contemplate works to the amount of time spent reading labels. One-on-one and small group meetings with experts at UW–Madison and in the broader community ensure the reinstallation is structured to resonate with a wide range of perspectives. The Chazen will continue to gather visitor feedback through observation and surveys.

Using this valuable information, the Chazen is reinstalling its collection to spark wonder rooted in intellectual engagement. While visitors might not notice drastic aesthetic changes, they will recognize a refined focus that encourages seamless interactions with both objects and their accompanying labels. This thoughtful process ensures that while the space feels familiar, visitors will enjoy deeper and more rewarding connections with the art, creating an elevated museum experience. With comfortable spaces in the galleries to reflect, visitors will have the opportunity to delve deeper into artistic processes and enjoy enriching conversations about the art world, ultimately fostering a more engaging art museum experience that both accurately explores the past and is easily adaptable for the present.

“The Chazen’s reinstallation highlights the art museum’s power to shape contemporary discourse and sets an important precedent for the museum field that other institutions can adopt or learn from as they respond to their own unique collections,” said Katherine Alcauskas, chief curator at the Chazen Museum of Art. “The Chazen’s reinstallation gives renewed attention to time-honored favorites from the collection, illuminating them with fresh perspectives from new scholarship. This approach will allow visitors to discover something new about familiar pieces and facilitate encounters with works that are new to them.”

The Chazen’s reinstallation will also make the educational components of art more legible to a wider community, emphasizing its connection to social issues and ability to illuminate other fields. Designed to significantly enhance the Chazen’s mission as a learning institution, the reinstallation mirrors object-based learning, a method the Museum has successfully employed with classes at UW–Madison. This approach illustrates how a single artwork can be considered across various disciplines. By mixing genres, mediums and eras, the reinstallation provides a unique opportunity for collaboration, demonstrating how museums can actively enhance learning rather than simply serving as viewing spaces.

The Chazen proved the benefits of using a single work to prompt dialogue and navigate complex issues with “re:mancipation,” their first implementation of the single-object model to reframe a work in the permanent collection. The multi-year project included extensive research and educational materials, a documentary and a 2023 exhibition that critically examined and reinterpreted Thomas Ball’s “Emancipation Group,” which shows Abraham Lincoln standing over a kneeling, partially clothed, formerly enslaved man. The Chazen paired the controversial 19th-century sculpture with works from the Museum’s permanent collection and loans to confront its history and its place within the Museum. The initiative provided critical historical context, addressed themes of systemic violence and institutional racism and included a new commissioned sculpture by artist Sanford Biggers in response. The exhibition was a major success, prompting a rise in visitation and receiving positive feedback. The Chazen’s permanent collection reinstallation aims to create similar dialogues with other works in its holdings.

“By redefining how museums can present their artworks, the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is setting a new standard and offering a tangible roadmap for museums seeking new approaches to their collections,” said Gilman. “We recognize that modern life often involves non-linear exploration, and the Chazen creates an environment in which visitors can take the path that suits them best and explore at their leisure, inviting close looking and critical examination.”

With free admission, visitors can drop in often without the pressure of seeing everything in one day. By approaching artwork from different disciplinary perspectives, the reinstallation will enhance knowledge accessibility for visitors, creating various educational entry points for experiencing the beauty and complexity of the collection.

 

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Chazen Move to Reimagined Galleries Begins Spring 2026 https://chazen.wisc.edu/chazen-move-to-reimagined-galleries-begins-spring-2026/ Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:11:05 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7741 OCT 23, 2025—In spring 2026, the Chazen Museum of Art will begin the final part of the comprehensive reinstallation of its permanent collection, moving away […]

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OCT 23, 2025—In spring 2026, the Chazen Museum of Art will begin the final part of the comprehensive reinstallation of its permanent collection, moving away from a traditional chronological and geographic organization and adopting an object-centered approach.

This phase of the multi-year project will result in the temporary closure of the third-floor Chazen building galleries starting in April, followed by the closure of the first and second floors after commencement in May 2026. The entire museum—both the Elvehjem and the Chazen buildings—will re-open in early September. The closures will allow museum staff to efficiently and safely move artwork, prepare galleries, and reinstall more than 1,000 works of art in the Chazen collection.

Closing at the end of the spring term maximizes access to the collection for classes and scholars. The Chazen Café will announce its closure plans later.  Visitors will be able to track progress on the Chazen website starting at the end of the fall semester.

The reinstallation was planned to coincide with the completion of work on the Elvehjem building, which began in 2023. The exterior envelope repairs and insulation upgrades, along with skylight replacement, will result in improved energy efficiency and better environmental conditions for artworks and visitors. For its protection, the artwork in the Elvehjem building was moved to storage or galleries in the Chazen building during the envelope and skylight work. The museum will take advantage of the empty Elvehjem galleries to repair and paint the walls and refinish the floors for the first time since they were installed in 1970.

Each gallery to have focus object

The long-contemplated comprehensive collection reinstallation project began several years ago with curators and subject matter experts conducting a deep exploration of the more than 25,000 artworks in the Chazen’s care. Stepping away from hierarchies that are common in art museums, the reinstallation highlights strengths in the collection, showcasing works previously less emphasized, and weaving important threads through social history.


Amy Gilman

“As an institution committed to remaining nimble, taking risks and adapting to change, the Chazen will present the permanent collection in a way that will make the museum experience more enriching and intellectually accessible for everyone.”

Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen Museum of Art

 


Each gallery will include a deeply researched focus object that will anchor a constellation of works from across time, media and cultures with common connections. This change will provide multiple paths to engagement; encourage close looking and discovery; prompt contemplation, comparison and contrast; and ultimately foster deeper connections between art and daily life. This new model for exhibiting the Chazen’s holdings will also allow for more flexible approaches to collecting in the future and celebrate new forms of exploration with museum visitors as well as students, faculty and staff at UW–Madison.

“The Chazen Museum of Art’s reinstallation represents a subtle yet profound shift toward seamless engagement and demonstrates the art museum’s power to forge new understandings and actively engage with the rapidly changing world,” said Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen Museum of Art and senior director for the arts and media at UW–Madison. “As an institution committed to remaining nimble, taking risks and adapting to change, the Chazen will present the permanent collection in a way that will make the museum experience more enriching and intellectually accessible for everyone.”

As a museum embedded in a leading research university, the Chazen Museum of Art leverages the expertise of UW–Madison faculty, staff and students across diverse fields — from history and religion to material sciences and studio art — to guide the reinstallation. This collaboration has helped the Chazen reconsider gallery themes and checklists, successfully integrate new scholarship and maximize interdisciplinary connections with art.

A look at visitor interaction with artwork

The reinstallation is rooted in visitor experience. As a part of this effort, the staff is carefully considering what makes museums special alongside elements that might intimidate visitors. Staff has incorporated research on visitor interaction with artwork — from how long guests linger to contemplate works to the amount of time spent reading labels. One-on-one and small group meetings with experts at UW–Madison and in the broader community ensure the reinstallation is structured to resonate with a wide range of perspectives.

While visitors might not notice drastic aesthetic changes, they will recognize a refined focus that encourages seamless interactions with both objects and their accompanying labels. With comfortable spaces in the galleries to reflect, visitors will have the opportunity to delve deeper into artistic processes and enjoy enriching conversations about the art world, ultimately fostering a more engaging art museum experience that both accurately explores the past and is easily adaptable for the present.

“The Chazen’s reinstallation highlights the art museum’s power to shape contemporary discourse and sets an important precedent for the museum field that other institutions can adopt or learn from as they respond to their own unique collections,” said Katherine Alcauskas, chief curator at the Chazen Museum of Art. “The Chazen’s reinstallation gives renewed attention to time-honored favorites from the collection, illuminating them with fresh perspectives from new scholarship. This approach will allow visitors to discover something new about familiar pieces and facilitate encounters with works that are new to them.”

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Nittany Lions Win https://chazen.wisc.edu/nittany-lions-win/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:23:19 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7706 This isn’t a sports story, but a Wisconsin loss is Penn State’s gain as the Palmer Museum of Art announced that Dr. Janine Yorimoto Boldt […]

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This isn’t a sports story, but a Wisconsin loss is Penn State’s gain as the Palmer Museum of Art announced that Dr. Janine Yorimoto Boldt will be its new curator of American art.

“We’ve had the great pleasure of working with Janine over the past five years—first as our associate curator of American art, and more recently as a key contributor to our reinstallation team,” said Katherine Alcauskas, the Chazen’s chief curator. “As her curatorial work on the reinstallation concludes at the end of the year, we’re delighted to share that she has accepted a prestigious new role at a fellow Big Ten institution.”

More from Penn State in the press release below:

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Insistent Presence Travels to the Carlos in Atlanta https://chazen.wisc.edu/insistent-presence-travels-to-the-carlos-in-atlanta/ Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:00:42 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7679 One of two Chazen Museum of Art exhibitions traveling in 2025–2026, Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection is on view at the […]

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One of two Chazen Museum of Art exhibitions traveling in 2025–2026, Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection is on view at the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, September 13–December 14, 2025.

A Carlos visitor looks at Virtually Mine by Immy Mali. Photo by Cameron Baskin and courtesy of the Michael C. Carlos Museum.

Artist Leilah Babirye with her ceramic sculpture Manuleme from the Kuchu Mbogo (Buffalo) Clan. Courtesy Katherine Alcauskas

Barthélémy Toguo’s Exodus, foreground, and Virtually Mine by Immy Mali, right. Courtesy Katherine Alcauskas.

Chief curator of the Chazen, Katherine Alcauskas, left, and Margaret Nagawa, guest curator of the exhibition and PhD candidate at Emory University. Photograph by Cameron Baskin and courtesy of the Michael C. Carlos Museum

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Petah Coyne: How Much A Heart Can Hold Opens in Miami https://chazen.wisc.edu/petah-coyne-how-much-a-heart-can-hold-opens-in-miami/ Sat, 27 Sep 2025 16:51:04 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7610 Following a gala opening reception September 18,  Petah Coyne: How Much A Heart Can Hold is now on view at the Lowe Art Museum at […]

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Following a gala opening reception September 18,  Petah Coyne: How Much A Heart Can Hold is now on view at the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami through March 14, 2026. The show originated at the Chazen September 9–December 23, 2024. Our friends at the Lowe shared these images from the reception. Photographs by Rodolfo Benitez courtesy of the Lowe.

 

(L to R) Jill Deupi, executive director of the Lowe Art Museum and artist Petah Coyne

Petah Coyne explains her 20234–2024 work Untitled #1563 (Zora Neale Hurston).

Untitled #1408 (The Lost Landscape), 2015–2018, left, and Untitled #1379 (The Doctor’s Wife), 1997–2018, right, frame the artist Petah Coyne at the Lowe’s gala opening reception.

Museum visitors check out the catalogue for Petah Coyne: How Much A Heart Can Hold, published by the Chazen Museum of Art.

Petah Coyne (with microphone) discusses her work Untitled #1379 (The Doctor’s Wife), 1997–2018. All photos courtesy the Lowe Art Museum.

Petah Coyne, left, and Untitled #1378 (Zelda Fitzgerald), 1997–2013.

Artist Petah Coyne tells stories about her sculpture Untitled #720 (Eguchi’s Ghost) 1992/2007.

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Welcoming the Chazen’s 2025–26 Engagement Fellow and Project Assistants https://chazen.wisc.edu/welcoming-the-chazens-2025-26-engagement-fellow-and-project-assistants/ Fri, 26 Sep 2025 21:24:01 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7641 by Tom Wilkowske Every fall, the Chazen Museum of Art employs graduate students in key roles that support the museum’s mission of connecting people and […]

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by Tom Wilkowske

Every fall, the Chazen Museum of Art employs graduate students in key roles that support the museum’s mission of connecting people and art through teaching, research, and community programming.

For the 2025–26 academic year, three talented scholars—Tarah Connolly, Richard Ellis, and Xiaoyan Jiang—have come to the Chazen as a public engagement fellow and project assistants. Their work ranges from developing digital resources and gallery interpretation to facilitating class visits and contributing to curatorial projects. With backgrounds in education, art history, and interdisciplinary museum practice, they add to the richness and quality of the Chazen’s work while gaining hands-on experience that will shape their future.

“The work of our project assistants and engagement fellow is so important to the Chazen’s mission,” said Chief Engagement Officer Berit Ness. “They not only strengthen our capacity to serve students, faculty, and the public, but also enrich our team with fresh ideas, research expertise, and a spirit of curiosity.”

Tarah Connolly

Tarah Connolly

A third-year PhD candidate in curriculum and instruction in the School of Education, Tarah Connolly is beginning her dissertation on museum education, with a particular focus on children’s museums and  their role in broader educational ecosystems.

At the Chazen, Connolly will work with Ness in supporting efforts to design interactive spaces in the soon-to-be reinstalled collection galleries, as well as develop new guides to support the overall visitor experience.

This work expands her experience beyond children’s museums and science centers into the world of art museums. “I see myself pursuing a variety of career paths related to museum education, but I value being at the intersection of research and practice. An academic museum is the right place to explore that,” she says.

Connolly is especially excited to test new strategies for playful, hands-on engagement. “I’m looking forward to prototyping ideas with visitors and developing ways to spark curiosity in the niches, hallways, and mezzanines of the museum.”

Her position is co-supported by UW–Madison’s Center for the Humanities.

 

Richard Ellis

Richard Ellis

As an academic engagement project assistant, Richard Ellis will collaborate with Ness and Academic Coordinator Mieke Miller to support university class visits to the museum’s galleries and study rooms. Using methods in object-centered learning, he will focus on collaborating with instructors to develop class visits tailored to the goals of an individual class.

Ellis is a second-year PhD candidate in art history whose research interests include Islamic art and architecture, Persian manuscripts, and contemporary and modern art from the Middle East. This position is a direct bridge to his long-term aspirations. “This role provides me with hands-on experience leading educational programming that is integral to the mission of the Chazen, and it directly relates to my career goals of becoming both a museum professional and an educator,” he says.

Ellis is eager to work across disciplines: “I’m really looking forward to collaborating with students and instructors from other fields to discover new ways of engaging with objects in the museum’s collection.”

Xiaoyan Jiang

Xiaoyan Jiang

Now entering her third year of a PhD program in art history, Xiaoyan Jiang’s research interests include twentieth-century European visual culture, with a focus on German modernism and its circulation through migration and diaspora.

At the Chazen, Jiang will work with Chief Curator Katherine Alcauskas, Van Vleck Curator of Works on Paper James Wehn, and Permanent Collection Reinstallation Project Associate Janine Yorimoto Boldt to support the reinstallation of the Chazen’s permanent collection galleries. She will research artworks and collaborate with curators to shape gallery projects and assist Chazen curatorial staff in organizing scholarly bibliographies for each gallery, which will later be made available to faculty and instructors.

“We’re thrilled to have Xiaoyan return for a second year as a project assistant,” said Alcauskas. “With her knowledge of German, Chinese, and Russian, Xiaoyan has made invaluable contributions to our understanding of the artworks in our collection and their interpretation.”

Jiang said her role at the Chazen strengthens her ability to bridge scholarship with exhibition development—skills that are increasingly valuable for careers integrating teaching, research, and curatorial practice.

For Jiang, the year ahead holds dual promise: advancing dissertation research while contributing to the reimagining of the Chazen’s permanent collection. “This work allows me to engage with a wide range of objects and narratives, expanding both my scholarly perspective and the scope of my research.”

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Anwar Floyd-Pruitt https://chazen.wisc.edu/anwar-floyd-pruitt/ Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:01:03 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7590   We join the scores of art organizations, artists, and—we’re sure—everyone who knew Anwar Floyd-Pruitt in mourning his recent death. Chazen staff met Floyd-Pruitt as […]

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We join the scores of art organizations, artists, and—we’re sure—everyone who knew Anwar Floyd-Pruitt in mourning his recent death. Chazen staff met Floyd-Pruitt as the 2020 winner of the Russell and Paula Panczenko MFA Prize during the Covid pandemic, which necessitated postponing his exhibition. Floyd-Pruitt went above and beyond to bring his art to the audience anyway, hosting “Family Friday,” and “Our Kind of Happy Hour,” online.

We’d like to share remembrances from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Magazine, the Museum of Wisconsin Art, and Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel about Anwar Floyd-Pruitt, a beloved artist and community member.

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A Renaissance Spirit: Supporting Students, Honoring Jeannette K. Goldenson at the Chazen https://chazen.wisc.edu/a-renaissance-spirit-supporting-students-honoring-jeannette-k-goldenson-at-the-chazen/ Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:07:57 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7476 With the generous support of the Robert and Judith Atlas Family Foundation, the Chazen has launched the Jeannette K. Goldenson Student Program Series, a new […]

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With the generous support of the Robert and Judith Atlas Family Foundation, the Chazen has launched the Jeannette K. Goldenson Student Program Series, a new initiative which will make the museum’s student-centered events even more accessible and welcoming across the university. The related programs will reflect the creative spirit of its namesake—a woman whose life bridged art, music, literature, and an enduring love for Wisconsin.

Jeannette K. Goldenson, the namesake of the museum’s student programming.

Born October 5, 1907, in Chicago, Goldenson lived her entire life in the city but formed a deep connection to Wisconsin through her brother’s farm in Cambridge, where she created much of her artwork. As her granddaughter, Karen Ver Voort, shares, the farm was “her rural happy place.”

A watercolorist who began painting in her fifties, Goldenson created award-winning works—many inspired by Cambridge—that remain cherished by her family. But her talents stretched far beyond painting. She was a musician and also wrote poetry. Before turning to visual art, Goldenson was a professional dancer in Chicago and even, in a now-rare performance art, a professional whistler.

Her curiosity and courage were lifelong. In the 1950s, she took an unconventional path at the time, leaving Chicago for a semester at the University of Colorado in her late 40s Reflecting on her grandmother’s legacy, Ver Voort recalls, “She taught us all not to be afraid.”

Though not a teacher by profession, Goldenson shared what she learned with others, encouraging them to embrace new experiences. “She would have absolutely loved making a museum feel welcoming to everyone, even people who maybe at some point thought museums are for other people,” said Ver Voort. “If anything, she lived with joy in the world, joy and connectedness.”

Jessie, a Maltese-mix dog with Dogs on Call gets pets from student Grace Ruo during Study Day at the Chazen Museum of Art (Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison)

The family’s decision to honor their matriarch through student-centered programming at the Chazen came naturally. Ver Voort and her husband are UW–Madison alumni, as is one of their children, and the Cambridge connection made the museum a fitting partner. “We thought, you know, what would be a good way to honor her, that my mother would love? Things that welcome students from everywhere and every type of background—I think she would have adored it,” Ver Voort said.

For Berit Ness, the Chazen’s chief engagement officer, the initiative is a natural fit. “The Jeannette K. Goldenson Student Program Series will allow us to enhance our signature student events, like Back to School Bash and Study Day, while expanding and enriching other student offerings over the next several years,” Ness said. “It’s a meaningful way to connect students to the museum and to each other.”

Students enjoy arts and crafts at the Chazen’s annual Back to School Bash event.

Goldenson passed away on March 26, 1988, remaining, as Ver Voort recalls, “lucid and sharp and funny until the day she died.” Decades later, her family continues to feel connected to her through her art. “It’s like you’re looking through her eyes,” said Ver Voort. “This is a tribute to her—and that’s where we want the focus to be.”

 

 

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Undergrad Experience Inspires Gift of Important Warli Artwork https://chazen.wisc.edu/undergrad-experience-inspires-gift-of-important-warli-artwork/ Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:28:15 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7327 Back in 1981, in an undergraduate class at UW–Madison, Mark Moilanen helped curate an exhibition of groundbreaking artworks owned by Alexander and Henrietta Hollaender. The […]

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Back in 1981, in an undergraduate class at UW–Madison, Mark Moilanen helped curate an exhibition of groundbreaking artworks owned by Alexander and Henrietta Hollaender. The experience, and meeting the noted UW–Madison scientist and his wife at the exhibition’s opening, was inspiring to the self-described “city kid from the streets of Milwaukee.”

The Hollaenders later went on to leave more than 250 artworks, many from the CoBrA  group of Modernist artists, to the Elvehjem Museum of Art (now the Chazen).

“Ever since my schooling, I dreamed I would someday be in a position to do something like that,” said Moilanen, who went on to earn his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at UW–Madison.

That day has arrived. The retired art education professor has donated a painting by Indian artist Jivya Soma Mashe to the Chazen. Mashe, who died in 2018, was an important artist who is credited with bringing the Warli tribal art form to global awareness.

Jivya Soma Mashe (Indian, 1934–2018), Untitled, ca. 2006, pigment and paint on cloth, 15 x 21 1/2 in., gift of Dr. Mark Moilanen, (University of Wisconsin–Madison, B.S., 1981; M.A., 1982; Ph.D. 1989), 2025.10.

Traditionally, Warli art was done by women. They painted symbolic, geometric designs on the reddish-brown clay walls of their huts with a white paste made from rice flour, documenting important events like harvests, weddings, and festivals as a ritual practice.

Mashe was born in 1934 in a coastal village in the west central Indian state of Maharashtra. It’s said that he lost his mother at age seven and became speechless, drawing figures in the dirt to communicate and refining his skills over the years. He recovered his speech and took up traditional painting as an artistic practice, eventually moving to acrylic paint as a medium. As an adult, he was discovered by Indian government officials looking to preserve traditional art forms. As his fame grew, he exhibited internationally, was praised by Indian prime ministers, and received a state funeral when he died.

Chazen Chief Curator Katherine Alcauskas said the Mashe painting will help bolster the museum’s holdings of South Asian artwork. “Our collection of Indian miniature painting is already a point of pride, but this gift introduces to the collection a vibrant painting tradition historically rooted in the region,” she said.

In 2006, the first US exhibition of Mashe’s art was held at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, where Moilanen was director of K-12 art education. For the exhibition, Moilanen produced a K-12 lesson plan on Warli art and distributed it to all the state’s schools. Part of the lesson plan encouraged teachers to send their students’ work to Moilanen, who then arranged their pieces in a huge spiral in the campus gallery, echoing an important symbol in Warli art. “It was wonderful!” he said.

Moilanen acquired a piece by Mashe, had it framed, and hung it on the wall in his home. Over time, though, he thought about the lessons learned in that museum training and connoisseurship class. “It made me appreciate the idea of not keeping art to oneself, but trying to have it reach its broadest audience possible,” he said. “To hold this great art piece solely for my own eyes, in my own apartment, is wrong.”

Moilanen says he’s just glad his career path allowed him to follow the Hollaenders’ example in some way. “Today, to have that happen, makes me very happy and extremely proud.”

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Retrospective Positions Toshiko Takaezu Among the 20th Century’s Most Innovative American Artists https://chazen.wisc.edu/retrospective-positions-toshiko-takaezu-among-the-20th-centurys-most-innovative-american-artists/ Thu, 12 Jun 2025 19:13:20 +0000 https://chazen.wisc.edu/?p=7274 Worlds Within at the Chazen Museum of Art traces the evolution of Takaezu’s artistic practice MADISON, Wis. — Embark on an immersive creative journey that […]

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Worlds Within at the Chazen Museum of Art traces the evolution of Takaezu’s artistic practice

MADISON, Wis. — Embark on an immersive creative journey that engages the senses and sparks the imagination with “Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within,” on view Sept. 8-Dec. 23 at the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison). The first retrospective of Takaezu’s work in 20 years, “Worlds Within” illuminates her hybrid practice with over 100 objects, encouraging visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty of her vibrantly glazed ceramic sculptures and her transportive weavings and paintings. Visitors will also be invited to listen and imagine what fills the space inside her signature closed ceramic vessels — a hidden world that held great importance for the artist.

“This chronological exhibition will acquaint visitors with the innovation and multisensory experience that marked Toshiko Takaezu’s groundbreaking practice,” said Amy Gilman, director of the Chazen Museum of Art and senior director for the arts and media at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “Historically, UW–Madison has been a hub for renowned artists who shared their expertise with aspiring artists. Takaezu Toshiko was among those instructors, teaching courses early in her career in the mid-1950s. Presenting the exhibition at the Chazen is especially significant given the artist’s connection to UW–Madison and the University’s continued commitment to the arts, and we look forward to celebrating her enduring legacy as both an artist and mentor.”

Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011) is best known for creating expressively glazed “closed form” ceramic sculptures that ranged in scale from palm-sized works to immersive sculptural environments. Seeking to harness the expressive potential of both abstract painting and sculpture, Takaezu radically reimagined the vessel form as a pliable three-dimensional canvas and as site for limitless experimentation. Of Okinawan heritage and born in Hawai‘i, Takaezu’s phenomenal hybrid practice was informed both by her cross-cultural heritage and deep appreciation for the living environment.

The exhibition will include a vast collection of ceramic sculptures including her signature “closed forms,” Moons, Garden Seats, Trees and monumental pieces from her acclaimed “Star” series. Visitors will also see Takaezu’s rarely exhibited acrylic paintings and fiber works. Installations inspired by those Takaezu created during her lifetime — including a set table of functional wares from the early 1950s and an inviting constellation of enormous ceramic forms from the late 1990s to early 2000s — will transport visitors to the artist’s immersive worlds and offer a comprehensive look at Takaezu’s evolution. Sound will also play an important role in this exhibition as many of Takaezu’s closed ceramic forms contain unseen “rattles.” “Worlds Within” will give visitors a chance to explore these hidden soundscapes with videos developed by composer, sound artist and exhibition co-curator Leilehua Lanzilotti.

Takaezu’s journey into ceramics began in 1940 at a commercial studio in Honolulu. She honed her skills at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the University of Hawai‘i before furthering her studies at the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art. An eight-month trip to Japan in 1955 profoundly influenced her practice. In addition to working as an artist, Takaezu was a prolific instructor, teaching ceramics at several institutions including the University of Wisconsin–Madison.  In 1975, she established a live-in apprenticeship program in her Quakertown, New Jersey studio where she mentored students through lessons of technique and self-discovery. Today, her home still serves as a creative workspace for artists and students.

“Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within” is organized by The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, with assistance from the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation and the Takaezu family. The exhibition and its national tour have been made possible through lead support from the Henry Luce Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.

At the Chazen Museum of Art, the exhibition is supported by the Anonymous Fund.

The exhibition is co-curated by Noguchi Museum Curator Kate Wiener, independent curator Glenn Adamson, and sound artist and composer Leilehua Lanzilotti. The exhibition was conceived and developed with former Noguchi Museum Senior Curator Dakin Hart.

Following the exhibition’s presentation at the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, “Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within” will travel to the Honolulu Museum of Art (Feb. 13-July 26, 2026). The exhibition tour also included The Noguchi Museum (March 20-July 28, 2024), Cranbrook Art Museum (Oct. 9, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (March 2-May 18, 2025).

 

 

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