Johanna (l) and Leslie (r) Garfield are seen with Bucky Badger at a celebration marking the Chazen Building’s fifth anniversary.
The Chazen Museum of Art and UW–Madison mourn the loss of Chazen Advisory Council member Johanna “Jo” Garfield on August 5, 2021 at the age of 90. Jo was an incredible woman—an author, teacher, and fierce lover of the arts. She was also the beloved matriarch of her family, and adoring wife of Leslie Garfield ‘53. We are grateful for Jo’s many years of service on the Chazen Council, beginning in 1992, and for her and Leslie’s tremendous support of the museum. They are present in our minds every day with the Leslie and Johanna Garfield Galleries on the 2nd floor of the Chazen building, which serves as a main space for our rotating exhibitions. Our deepest sympathies go out to Leslie, children Jed (Karen), Cory, and Clare, her grandchildren, Clay and Charlie, and many friends and relatives who will miss her spirit and heart. A full obituary appears here.