It might be a tour of a single exhibition. It might focus on a theme. Whatever the content, it will encourage you to look deeply, ponder, and react.

Museum Guide Ann Schaffer says the Chazen has moved away from trying to cover the entire museum in a single tour in favor of a more flexible approach, where guides choose a handful of objects to spark discussion.

“A highlights tour suggests an objective ranking of artwork, which really isn’t possible,” she said. “Our current tour style is about connecting the visitor with the art through conversation and activities. We think they’ll remember that relationship more than they would a lecture.”

Shaffer led a recent Sunday tour that put these ideas into practice. On the tour were Cynthia May; her sister Jill Amel and Jill’s husband, Gary Amel; Jacqueline Dupiche; and Nemo and Stephani Gehred-O’Connell.

The group first looked at Petah Coyne: How Much A Heart Can Hold, stopping at Untitled #1378 (Zelda Fitzgerald.) “I’m going to invite you first to just walk around and look at it from different angles,” she said.

“Really beautiful.”

“Wow.”

“Must have taken a long time.”

“She did not do this overnight,” Schaffer said. (Coyne worked on the sculpture from 1997 through 2013.)

Tour members discussed Zelda Fitzgerald’s history as a troubled, dynamic, artistic woman obscured by the shadow of her more famous husband, the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.

“So, what do you notice?” Schaffer said.

“The first thing that comes to mind is a candelabra,” said May.

“What else?”

“A birthday cake,” said Gary Amel.

“What did she use to make this?”

“This is made from a variety of materials, beads, silk flowers, porcelain hands, and she uses a special wax,” Schaffer said. “Her work is characterized by layers and layers and layers. There are things hidden inside of this piece that she has covered over that she doesn’t even remember what’s in there.”

“The woman’s face over here, is that of any particular significance?” Gary Amel asked.

“Is it her?” May asked.

“It could be,” Schaffer replied. “It could be.”

“Or representing all women,” May said.

Schaffer pointed out that the special glass encasing Zelda is not just a museum display case but an essential part of the work itself. From some angles it’s almost invisible and from others, it causes layered reflections, complicating a direct view of the subject.

“Oh wow!”

“That’s amazing, I didn’t notice that.”

As they passed through the rest of the exhibition, visitors marveled at Coyne’s rich, mysterious works, lingering a bit at Untitled #720 (Eguchi’s Ghost): a floating, swirled mass of hair-like, shredded metal and a dark empty face.

Chazen tour guide Ann Schaffer (right) discusses Shard Whopper with tour members (from left) Jacqueline Dupiche, Gary Amel, Jill Amel, Nemo Gehred-O’Connell, Stephani Gehred-O’Connell, and Cynthia May.

Next, the group visited a nearby exhibition,  Look What Harvey Did: Harvey K. Littleton’s Legacy in the Simona and Jerome Chazen Collection of Studio Glass . Schaffer sketched out Littleton’s importance in launching the international studio glass movement here at UW–Madison. Then she stopped at Clifford Rainey’s War Boy, a translucent, etched-glass torso with rifle cartridges spilling out through large splits held together with copper wire. “What do you notice about this piece?”

“It’s weird,” said Jill Amel.

“How is it weird?” Schaffer asked.

“It’s scary, the skin and the hair. Sewing the flesh together.”

“This artist used a cast-glass technique, and he used the body of his grandson, his ten-year-old grandson, to cast this,” Schaffer said. “And if you can imagine it without the wrapping, without the bullets, how beautiful that piece would be. And evocative of antiquity, with the torso and arms broken off.”

The last stop was Nordic Utopia? African Americans in the 20^th Century, where the group studied six paintings by William Henry Johnson. “I want you to look at these six for a few minutes and then decide which is your favorite,” Schaffer said.

“Some of these are pretty simple, like this one (Girl in a Red Dress), and some are pretty complicated, like this one (A View Down Akersgate, Oslo). That’s what I took away,” Gary Amel said.

“What else?”

“Fluid versus stable,” said Jill Amel.

“Yes, the portraits are very solid,” Schaffer said. “And the landscapes are pretty dynamic, with lines, movement, brushwork.”

Nemo Gehred-O’Connell said that the landscapes were painted earlier in the day and the portraits later.

“After coffee,” Gary Amel added, to chuckles.

Boats in the Harbor, Kerteminde, was the favorite of Stephani Gehred-O’Connell and Gary Amel. “I just like the colors of it, and the movement and kind of the way it’s a feeling of boats, instead of just being solid boats,” Gehred-O’Connell said.

“I like the Danish Seaman, because that piece seems simpler to me,” said Dupiche.

“I think he’s a real character,” May said. “Very sure of himself.” After having chosen Akersgate previously, May said she was switching her vote to Seaman.

“Why is that?” Schaffer asked.

“I just think, wow, he really caught the essence of the guy’s character,” May said. “But I really like the landscapes too.”

As the tour wrapped up, members thanked Schaffer, who encouraged them to come back. “It’s your museum,” she said. “I hope you take some of this home with you today. It’ll be in your dreams, it’ll be in your daily life.”

“Like that hair monster (Coyne’s Eguchi’s Ghost) downstairs,” Nemo Gehred-O’Connell quipped.

So, what did tour members think?

“I really like hearing other people’s impressions of what you’re seeing,” May said.

“It’s nice to have a group this small,” Gary Amel said. “You can actually share ideas. You generally don’t even ask if you’re in a big group.”

“That’s the idea,” Schaffer said. “I’d like for you to establish a relationship with the pieces. And I think we can’t do that if we’re just touring around. You see it, but it doesn’t come inside.”

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With a heavy heart we report the passing of Leslie J. Garfield, ’53, a longtime friend and benefactor of the Chazen Museum of Art. Garfield and his late wife Johanna were dedicated council members since 1992, and respected art collectors with a particular love of twentieth-century prints. The Leslie and Johanna Garfield Galleries on the second floor of the Chazen building were named in honor of their support for the museum’s expansion building. Garfield also served on the Tandem Press Advisory Board. He is survived by children Jed (Karen), Cory, and Clare; and grandchildren Clay and Charlie. His beloved wife Johanna died August 5, 2021. His obituary appears here.

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MADISON, Wis. – The Chazen Museum of Art has named Mieke Miller as its inaugural academic coordinator. In this newly created position, Miller will facilitate access to the Chazen’s Objects Study Room and Prints and Drawings Study Room. Both spaces welcome classes, visiting groups, researchers, artists, and community members for an up-close look at works not on view in the galleries. Miller will also catalog artworks, field reproduction requests, process digital images of artwork, provide tours, and work closely with faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

“The Chazen endeavors to support the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s teaching, research and public service mission, and Miller’s work will advance that goal,” said Katherine Alcauskas, the Chazen’s chief curator. “As the academic coordinator, she will help identify relevant artworks in the Chazen’s permanent collection to enhance the University’s teaching and learning mission that extends to the classroom and out into the community. Her broad knowledge of art history and passion for making art available to everyone pairs well with our aim to help students and the public make greater connections with the works in the Museum’s permanent collection.”

Miller brings a wealth of experience to the role. Before joining the Chazen’s team, she was the assistant registrar at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan, Wis.). She has also served as a collections and gallery assistant at Wriston Art Galleries (Appleton, Wis.) and a project curator for the Milton College Preservation Society (Milton, Wis.). While completing graduate studies in Scotland, Miller served as an art and design intern at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. She started her museum career as a collections assistant at the Wright Museum of Art (Beloit, Wis.).

“I strongly believe in promoting access to collections through direct engagement with objects. I look forward to serving the Chazen’s visitors and the students at UW–Madison,” Miller said. “I am especially passionate about works on paper and collaborating with others to use art to make interdisciplinary connections. The chance to work with curators, faculty, community members, and the Chazen’s education staff to illuminate the artists and themes represented in the Chazen’s collection is a remarkable opportunity.”

The Chazen’s permanent collection includes 24,000 works. Approximately 60 percent of the collection consists of works on paper. The Prints and Drawings Study Room allows visitors greater access to the Museum’s works on paper. The Objects Study Room is dedicated to three-dimensional art.

Miller holds a master’s degree in the history of art from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and a bachelor’s degree in art history from Beloit College in Wisconsin. She joined the Chazen’s team on Oct. 24.

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Thursday, Nov. 3

• 5:30–6:30 p.m.  Chazen Auditorium
DisOrientation. Artist Sanford Biggers, MASK Consortium, and Wildcat Ebony Brown of the Wide Awakes dive into the re:mancipation project. Learn how the project originated, where it’s going, and how you can participate.
Free tickets  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/disorientation-tickets-427198390887
Free live stream at https://www.facebook.com/ChazenArtUW/

• 6:30–8 p.m., Mead Witter Lobby
Reception. Continue the conversation and meet re:mancipation collaborators over light appetizers and live music. Cash bar provided.

Friday, Nov. 4

• 11 a.m.–noon, Chazen Auditorium
Monuments Reimagined: Contemporary Artists as Changemakers. How can we reimagine the ways in which we memorialize our shared past? Chazen Storyteller-in-Residence Gianofer Fields hosts the conversation with artists Sanford Biggers and Faisal Abdu’Allah, curator Marilu Knode and Monuments Lab director of partnerships Naima Murphy Salcido as they discuss the role of contemporary artists in disrupting the narrative of public art and forging new paths.

Panelists:
Naima Murphy Salcido, Director of Partnerships at Monument Lab
Marilu Knode, former curator, Sculpture Milwaukee
Prof. Faisal Abdu’Allah, Chazen Family Distinguished Chair in Art, UW–Madison
Sanford Biggers, Artist

Free tickets  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monuments-reimagined-contemporary-artists-as-changemakers-tickets-427208802027

Free live stream https://www.facebook.com/ChazenArtUW

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This form is a request for the use of the Chazen Museum of Art on a specific date; it is not a reservation. Museum staff will review all requests and respond within 30 days.

To consider and adequately prepare for events, all requests must be submitted at least three months prior to your desired event date.

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The Chazen Museum of Art values deeply the importance of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion as essential to its mission, and supports the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s institutional statement on diversity. The Chazen is aware of the systemic and institutional barriers to accessing art museums and is therefore committed to taking strategic, and deliberate opportunities to represent and uplift traditionally marginalized communities through its collection, programming, and staff. This work is not easy or fast, but the Chazen is committed to becoming better listeners, partners, and allies of diversity and effecting change in the field. 

To ensure the Chazen’s commitment to the above statement at every level of the organization, DEAI goals have been added to each staff member’s annual performance evaluation criteria. Currently, these goals are centered around the following themes:

Wider Representation
Prioritize representation of marginalized communities in our staff, collection, programming, and exhibitions.
Examples include:

• Hire and retain a diverse staff
• Research and implement installations/interpretations that tell more inclusive histories of American Art
• Propose new acquisitions that represent women, BIPOC, LGBTQ artists or address themes related to visibility of traditionally marginalized communities

Accessibility
Increase access across platforms to the museum and its collection.
Examples include:

• Research and implement highest standards for accessible exhibition design practices
• Improve amount and accuracy of contextual information provided about collection works on the website
• Remove barriers to equitable and inclusive hiring practices, such as the requirement of advanced degrees and specific experience

Connection: Forge authentic relationships with campus and area organizations which represent traditionally marginalized communities.
Examples include:

• Add new members to advisory council who expand diversity of membership
• Target local diverse media for marketing and press releases
• Diversify programmatic offerings by targeted stewardship of core audiences and speakers
• re:mancipation

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Eligibility:

This contest is open to all undergraduate students who were enrolled at UW Madison in May 2021, including Class of 2021.
Artists must be 18 years or older to submit.

Please submit designs to shop@chazen.wisc.edu. All submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. on June 30th.

Entry:

• By entering, the artist provides the Chazen Museum of Art limited rights to use the design in social media promotions and in production of shirts in 2021 and 2022. The artist will be credited in all uses of the design. No additional compensation will be provided for these limited rights. The artist retains copyright and all other rights related to the design.
• By entering, the artist agrees that the Chazen Museum may use their name, major, and social media identity in contest promotion and shirt production.
• By entering the contest, artist acknowledges that the design is: (a) original; (b) does not incorporate or include any material that would require the consent of any third party; and (c) does not violate any copyright, trademark, publicity right, privacy right, or any other right of any third party. (Examples: cannot contain Bucky, terrace chairs, specific pieces of artwork, etc.)
• All graphics must use the provided template (see below). The Chazen Museum of Art shall have the right to edit, composite, scan, duplicate or alter the entry design for as necessary for reproduction.
• All forms of media, i.e. paint, charcoal, digital designs, etc. will be accepted.
• The Chazen Museum of Art shall have the right to make a final selection of entries for social media promotion and voting. Public voting will be held; however, the Chazen Museum of Art reserves the right to determine the winning design for resale value.
• The selected design will receive $150 in monetary compensation, to be processed through the student payroll system or, for students no longer actively enrolled, as a direct payment. To receive compensation, the artist may be required to complete additional paperwork. Taxes may be deducted as required by UW Madison policy.
• The Chazen Museum retains the right not to produce the t-shirt due to operational or budgetary reasons. Monetary compensation will still be provided.

Get the template and a copy of the rules here:

Design template at full size

Design template for 11 x 17 paper

Design template for 8.5 x 11 paper

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