Widgeon and Gadwall

In 1939, artist-in-residence John Steuart Curry and John Barton, Professor of Rural Sociology, established the Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) at the University of Wisconsin. They were supported by the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Chris Christensen. The program hosted the first statewide Rural Arts Exhibit in 1940 at the Memorial Union as part of the University’s annual Farm and Home Week. Participants were non-professional artists from rural backgrounds. WRAP encouraged laypeople to create art, cultivate personal styles, and draw inspiration from daily life. Emphasis was placed on personal expression rather than technical skill. Curry and Barton believed not only that art and culture enriched the lives of farmers, but also saw artistic expression and participation in culture as a sign of a healthy democracy. The program received national attention in the 1940s and Barton published Rural Arts of Wisconsin in 1948, featuring biographies of many of WRAP’s artists to promote the program’s mission and celebrate its success. WRAP continued under the Division of Continuing Studies at the University of Wisconsin until 2020. It hosted regional art exhibits and workshops and purchased over 110 works of art for its permanent collection. Ambrose G. Ammel was a taxidermist, having completed a correspondence course from the Northwest School of Taxidermy of Omaha. He became known for his life-like representations and ability to capture an animal’s spirit in his taxidermy creations. His interest in oil painting arose from his taxidermy practice. He first used oil paint to touch up his specimens and then began drawing and painting birds, his favorite subjects. Curry and Barton visited Ammel at his home in the fall of 1939 and convinced him to participate in the inaugural 1940 Rural Arts Exhibit, which featured thirty artists. Although Ammel entered his work four times in the Rural Art Exhibit, he preferred keeping his paintings at home rather than exhibiting or selling them. Widgeon and Gadwell was noted by Barton as being proudly displayed in Ammel’s home. Ammel’s attention to detail is evident in the careful portrayal of the four birds who hang upside down against a wall. It is a Wisconsin version of the traditional genre of still life featuring dead game.