ANNUAL REPORT | 2019–20
Pictured on front cover, top to bottom: The Studio Showcase; Fall 2019 Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program (IARP) Carrie Hanson Final Class Performance Event at the Chazen Museum of Art; Creative Campus Tour textiles tour stop. Photos by Maryam Ladoni, Mats Rudels, and Angela Richardson. Pictured above: Creative Campus Tour. Photo by Angela Richardson.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction............................................................................. 3
Serving the Community....................................................... 20
Sharpening our Mission, Vision, & Goals
Wisconsin Film Festival Streaming & Outreach
Diversity Statement & Engagement
Madison Early Music Festival Streaming
By the Numbers
Illuminating the Arts on Campus........................................ 24 Engaging Students................................................................. 8
Arts on Campus Communications
Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program
Creative Campus Tour & Arts Recruitment Support
The Studio: Creative Arts Community
International Visiting Artist Program
Appendix................................................................................ 28 Staff
Supporting Creative Research............................................ 16
Committees
Creative Arts Awards
Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru) 2020 Conference Planning
2019–20 Contributors
4
University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | INTRODUCTION
SHARPENING OUR MISSION, VISION, & GOALS The Division of the Arts is pleased to share our annual report for the 2019–20 academic year. Our mission is to catalyze the arts at UW– Madison by advancing arts research, engaging students in interdisciplinary arts experiences, promoting IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) within and through the arts, elevating the visibility of the arts, advocating for the arts, and providing arts programming for the campus and community. We do so because we believe that the arts offer greater understanding of the world, express and challenge points of view, explore and address injustices, and celebrate all aspects of humanity and the universe around us. Artistic creativity not only enhances our culture but broadens our perspective, deepens our understanding, and enables us to innovate, grow, and change. Art is a powerful vehicle through which representations of race, class, gender, ethnicity, age, ability, and other constructs are created, shared, and dismantled. We believe that
dancers, designers, dramatists, artists, architects, musicians, creative writers, and other scholars who engage in artistic expression are essential to solving complex problems and enriching society. We advance the arts as a vital platform to inquire about the world, illuminate and address injustices, challenge points of view, and celebrate all aspects of humanity and the world around us. The Division remains steadfast in our mission to embrace and engage all members of our diverse community and to promote social justice. We advance our mission and vision by: 1. Engaging Students in the academic arts disciplines and various interdisciplinary creative arts, design, and performance experiences; 2. Supporting Creative Research and expanding its influence on research in all disciplines; 3. Serving the Community in the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea through the creative arts;
4. Illuminating the Arts on Campus through a multiplatform communication campaign promoting UW–Madison arts accomplishments, curricula, programs, and events. As this annual report shows, these four areas of focus are the basis on which we continue to support arts curricula, an arts residential learning community, initiatives, programs, residencies, and other activities that bring together the work of UW–Madison’s artistic community of students, faculty, and staff. It has been an honor to lead the Division of the Arts as its Interim Director this past year. When I accepted the appointment in August 2019, little did I know we would face a pandemic that would result in immense challenges to arts education, exhibition, and performance. I am proud to report that Division festivals and programs pivoted quickly, creatively, and effectively to keep arts teaching, research, and public engagement alive during the quarantine. Likewise, in response
INTRODUCTION | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
to the George Floyd tragedy, the Division redoubled its efforts to elevate the work and voices of BIPOC (black, Indigenous, and people of color) artists, to bring diverse art and artists to campus, and to interrogate our practices and ourselves. It has been a pleasure to connect with Division of the Arts stakeholders across campus, listening carefully to their ideas about how to strengthen our efforts and mission. Their rich input, along with benchmarking visits to peer institutions, has informed a continuing process of refining the Division’s goals and scope to more powerfully support arts research and teaching at the university. I look forward to continuing this exchange of ideas during the coming year to fortify the work of the Division and energize the arts at UW–Madison during a time when we need them more than ever. Susan Zaeske, Interim Director, Division of the Arts
Pictured: The Studio Showcase performance, Fall 2019. Photo by Junlin Ou.
5
6
University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | INTRODUCTION
DIVERSITY STATEMENT & ENGAGEMENT In this time of reckoning with institutionalized racial injustice, violence, and oppression, the Division of the Arts embraces the potential of the arts to express and process anger, outrage, and sorrow by engaging all dimensions of our being. We call on the unique power of the arts to challenge, illuminate, and transform the status quo in order to bring awareness, healing, empathy, joy, and hope to the interconnected world in which we live. The Division of the Arts, like the UW–Madison, believes that diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation. We join our campus colleagues in valuing the contributions of each person and respecting the profound ways their identity, culture, religion, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinions enrich the university community. Statements of support are meaningless without actions to make real change in the world. Through
Pictured: Division of the Arts social media post, June 4, 2020.
the Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program the Division has long brought world class, innovative, and diverse artists to campus to engage with students, staff, faculty, and local communities. We are proud to host one of the most diverse residential student learning communities on campus, The Studio Creative Arts Community, which houses the incoming cohort of First Wave scholars. In June 2020, the Division formed the Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee to turn our commitment to embrace and serve all members of our diverse arts community into meaningful action. We commit to continue embracing and serving all members of our diverse community while building on our existing efforts through new initiatives.
INTRODUCTION | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
BY THE NUMBERS The UW–Madison Division of the Arts provides a number of resources to its community and campus partners. The following facts and figures highlight achievements during the 2019–20 academic year.
250+
24,690+
Volunteers
Attended, followed, and participated in Division of the Arts’ in-person and virtual programs
50 +
Partners Number of campus and community partners we supported
20+
Guest artists brought to campus
As part of the Wisconsin Film Festival
32,650 Subscribers E-news
Media 19,345 Social Followers
101,970 YouTube Views
$61,500
$1.7 Million
Amount distributed to 5 students, faculty, and staff as part of the Creative Arts Awards
Economic impact of the Wisconsin Film Festival (Destination
67
Faculty & staff affiliates
Madison, 2018)
75+
$
Media mentions
7
8
University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | ENGAGING STUDENTS
INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM CARRIE HANSON FALL 2019
Funded through the Office of the Provost, the Division of the Arts’ Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program (IARP) brings innovative, world-class artists to campus for semester-long residencies. Artists teach an interdisciplinary course, present public events, and participate in community outreach. The program gives students exposure to working artists, provides course credit, and strengthens programmatic ties across disciplines. go.wisc.edu/artsresidency
Carrie Hanson is a choreographer, educator, and the artistic director of the acclaimed dance company The Seldoms. Named Chicagoan of the Year in Dance by the Chicago Tribune in 2015, Hanson frequently collaborates with other creatives—including musicians, architects, and fashion designers—to produce interdisciplinary dances that challenge audiences to reflect on complex contemporary issues. The Seldoms tour internationally and are known for performing their vibrant dances in unlikely locations, such as an outdoor Olympic pool and an abandoned truck depot. Hanson’s residency was presented by the Division of the Arts and hosted by the Dance Department, with Professor Kate Corby as lead
Pictured: Carrie Hanson performs a solo piece at the Chazen. Photo by Mats Rudels.
ENGAGING STUDENTS | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
faculty. Co-sponsors included the Chazen Museum of Art, the Wisconsin Union Theater, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
Guest Artists ff Faheem Majeed ff Alex Rose ff The Seldoms ff and other contributing artists
Residency Highlights During the fall residency, Hanson taught From Topic to Topography: The Body, The Environment, and Social Action. The studio course offered students the opportunity to create original choreography and installations that addressed climate change and equity, among other issues, and present their works before a live audience at the end of the semester. During her residency, Hanson developed and participated in eight public events, including talks at the Wisconsin Science Festival, workshops at the Wisconsin Union, a shared dance
concert featuring Kate Corby & Dancers with The Seldoms, and a culminating site-specific performance held at the Chazen on November 21. An earlier participatory event, Quilting Memory, led by guest artist Faheem Majeed, yielded a gigantic textile work that was integrated in the performance by dancers at the final event.
she had with Professor Daniel Vimont, director of the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research, particularly informed her thinking while she was developing FLOE, a new performance piece addressing climate change that premiered at the Wisconsin Union Theater in January 2020.
On campus, Hanson connected with scientists and scholars working on environmental conservation and climate change. Conversations
Photos
go.wisc.edu/hanson Video
Pictured: students perform during Carrie Hanson’s final residency event at the Chazen. Photo by Mats Rudels.
9
10 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | ENGAGING STUDENTS
INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM BEN BARSON AND GIZELXANATH RODRIGUEZ SPRING 2020
Artivists (artists and activists) Ben Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez co-founded the Afro Yaqui Music Collective, an ensemble that combines Afro-Asian musical and political affinities with inspiration from the struggles of the Yaqui people of northern Mexico. They work to incorporate voices of regional and Indigenous communities in the creation of their boundary-pushing interdisciplinary works. The Barson and Rodriguez residency was presented by the Division of the Arts and hosted by the Asian American Studies Program, with Associate Professor Peggy Choy as lead faculty. Co-sponsors included the Dance Department, the Mead Witter School of Music, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
Guest Artists and Activists ff Charlotte Hill O’Neal aka Mama C ff Nejma Nefertiti ff Anahí Ochoa ff Mario Luna Romero ff and other contributing artists
Pictured: Ben Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez perform during the “Just Bust!” open-mic night at August boutique. Photo by Kate Lochner.
ENGAGING STUDENTS | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
Residency Highlights During the spring residency, Barson and Rodriguez taught Artivism: Intercultural Solidarity & Decolonizing Performance. The course taught students to envision new ways that art can bring marginalized communities together to create change. Barson also co-taught the UW Contemporary Jazz Ensemble lab course with Associate Professor Johannes Wallmann. Students in the course contributed original compositions to the final residency project. During their residency, Rodriguez and Barson developed and participated in nine public events, including a cypher, or freestyle jam session, held at the Bayview Community Center; performances at Tandem Press and Café CODA; an open-mic night at August boutique; workshops with First Wave and the City of Madison’s Neighborhood Intervention Project; classroom visits; and a presentation at a conference organized by the Nelson Institute’s Center for Culture, History, and
Environment. LACIS (Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies Program) was a frequent campus collaborator. Interrupted mid-March by the COVID-19 pandemic, the artists quickly redesigned their residency course and final event to work in an online format. Guest artists, including the renowned Tanzania-based multimedia artist and activist Mama C, visited the class online and collaborated with students virtually. A multimedia video work blending students’ writing, choreography, music, poetry, and imagery replaced the previously planned live performance. The students’ video, Contested
Homes: Migrant Liberation Movement Suite, exploring themes of police violence, migrant justice, systemic racism, and climate change while proposing visions of positive change, premiered online before a large live audience. go.wisc.edu/barsonrodriguez Photos Video
Pictured left to right: Video still from “Contested Homes: Migrant Liberation Movement Suite,” featuring course participants and Charlotte Hill O’Neal, a.k.a. Mama C; screenshot of the Artivism class Barson and Rodriguez taught during their residency. Images by Adam Cooper-Terán and Ben Barson.
11
12 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | ENGAGING STUDENTS
THE STUDIO: CREATIVE ARTS COMMUNITY UW–Madison community through projects, performances, collaborations, and exhibitions. In the fall, students enrolled in the interdisciplinary, hands-on Mapping Your Creative Practice course worked with Studio faculty director Associate Professor Faisal Abdu’Allah to explore a wide range of studio spaces, tools, and resources for making and viewing art on campus.
The Studio is a residential learning community located in Sellery Hall that hosts academic and cocurricular programming for 64 first-year students with an expressed interest in the arts. It is cosponsored by the Division of University Housing; the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement; and the Division of the Arts. The Studio offers residents access to art and performance spaces and provides numerous opportunities for them to attend cultural events. Residents participate in seminar courses and use their artistic skills and talents to serve the greater
In the spring, students participating in The Studio Presents…, another seminar course taught by Associate Professor Abdu’Allah, collaborated on a collective artistic project. Initially the students planned to produce a work addressing climate change that would be exhibited at the Nelson Institute’s April 2020 Earth Day Conference. However, after COVID-19 caused classes to move online, the students changed their plans and created an online zine, QuaranZine, showcasing visual art and poetry they developed throughout the semester.
The Studio Creative Arts Awards Research Award Siena Laws Education Studies, in support of creating wearable sculpture.
Service Award Malcolm McCanles Theatre and Drama and Asher Bernick-Roehr Undeclared, in support of creating a theater production.
The Division also sponsored two Creative Arts Awards for arts research and service to current residents.
Pictured top to bottom: The Studio Showcase performance, January 2020; The Studio Creative Arts Awards student winners Instagram announcement. Images by The Studio and Junlin Ou.
ENGAGING STUDENTS | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
Key Highlights 40+ arts and cultural events ff Themed Welcome Week events ff Regular Showcase multi-media events ff Collective artistic product QuaranZine ff Professional development workshop featuring Studio alumni and local professional artists ff 20+ artistic workshops ff Monthly student-led events ff Project Thrift fashion event ff Attending a performance of The Color Purple musical at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison ff Brockhampton, Big Thief, Wisconsin Singers, and Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra performances in Madison and Milwaukee thestudiouw.arts.wisc.edu 2019 Photos | 2020 Photos Videos
Pictured: The Studio Showcase group performance, January 2020. Photo by Junlin Ou.
13
14 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | ENGAGING STUDENTS
INTERNATIONAL VISITING ARTIST PROGRAM The International Visiting Artist Program (IVAP) is a three-year collaboration between the Division of the Arts and the International Division. This partnership, launched in the fall of 2019, supports short-term residences for international artists on campus. Through IVAP, the Division is able to bring visiting artists and their expertise into existing Division programs. Visiting artists expand students’ horizons and facilitate opportunities for future collaborations and careers abroad. Funding is provided by the International Division. The first residency brought Belgian dancer, choreographer, and teacher Sandra Vincent to campus September 16-22, 2019. Vincent maintains her studio in Brussels, where she conducts research in dance, voice, and performance. She is also the founder and director of Playsure Company and of ALMA, a program of artistic development that cultivates body and voice practices. Vincent collaborates with
Pictured: residents of The Studio performing during a workshop with Sandra Vincent. Photo by Benjamin Francart.
multidisciplinary artists and creates staged works with amateurs and professionals. She has also taught workshops about her research and creative process for over 20 years. Vincent’s experimental work in the lineage of Anna Halprin, a revolutionary postmodern dancer and influential alumna of UW–Madison’s Dance Department, contributed a contemporary European perspective to the creative practice taking place on campus. With musician and guest artist Benjamin Francart, Vincent taught and met with over 100 students in the Dance Department and the Studio. The two also collaboratively taught and participated in improvisational dance workshops cosponsored by IVAP in Madison and Mazomanie for local community members. In its first semester, IVAP successfully met its goals of fostering international exchange,
ENGAGING STUDENTS | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
promoting artistic collaborations that benefit current students in a variety of settings, and pooling resources to strengthen the arts on campus. Reflecting on her residency, Vincent wrote, “As an artist and dance pedagogue, the entire program has been truly inspiring, and I’m very grateful for the experience. I believe exchanges like this do broaden the field of research, while creating more connections.” In addition to hosting the fall residency, IVAP had planned to bring two female filmmakers, Fernanda Valadez from Mexico and Chiara Malta from France, to campus to participate in the April 2020 Wisconsin Film Festival. While those plans were canceled when the film festival moved online due to COVID-19, IVAP looks forward to future opportunities to collaborate with the Wisconsin Film Festival and other Division programs.
Pictured: Sandra Vincent teaches a composition class in the Dance Department. Photo by Benjamin Francart.
15
16 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | SUPPORTING CREATIVE RESEARCH
CREATIVE ARTS AWARDS Each year the Division of the Arts recognizes the achievements and service of students, faculty, and staff and provides support for future creative endeavors and research. With the assistance of the Creative Arts Awards Selection Committee, five outstanding students, faculty, and staff were recognized for awards totaling $61,500. In addition, three residents of the Studio were also recognized. Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the usual in-person ceremony was canceled and the recipients were celebrated online.
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2020 Creative Arts Awards!
Creative Arts Award Fred Stonehouse, Professor, Art Department
Emily Mead Baldwin Award in the Creative Arts Leslie Smith III, Associate Professor, Art Department
Edna Wiechers Arts in Wisconsin Award Anna Campbell, Assistant Professor, Department of Gender & Women’s Studies
Thank you to this year’s committee: Susan Zaeske, Interim Director, Division of the Arts; Lisa Gralnick, Art Department; Florence Hsia, Associate Vice Chancellor for Arts and Humanities Research and Graduate Education; Carolyn Kallenborn, Design Studies Department; Sarah Marty, Program Director, Madison Early Music Festival, Division of the Arts; Johannes Wallmann, Mead Witter School of Music; and Jin-Wen Yu, Dance Department. go.wisc.edu/artsawards
Joyce J. and Gerald A. Bartell Award in the Arts Sherry Wagner-Henry, Director and Faculty Associate, Bolz Center for Arts Administration
AWAR DS I N T HE CREATIV E ART S
2020
David and Edith Sinaiko Frank Graduate Fellowship for a Woman in the Arts Midori Samson, DMA Candidate, Mead Witter School of Music
Pictured: Awards in the Creative Arts invitation featuring painting courtesy of Leslie Smith III, recipient of the Emily Mead Baldwin Award in the Creative Arts. Design by Cathy Sheets.
SUPPORTING CREATIVE RESEARCH | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
ALLIANCE FOR THE ARTS IN RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES (a2ru) 2020 CONFERENCE PLANNING attended a2ru’s seventh annual conference, Knowledges: Artistic Practice as Method, at the University of Kansas in November 2019. In February 2020, the Division of the Arts also sent four undergraduate students to a2ru’s annual Emerging Creatives Summit, hosted by the University of Cincinnati, where the event’s theme was “Rise Up! Risk Something Real.”
The Division of the Arts continues to support the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru), a partnership of over 43 institutions committed to ensuring institutional support for the full spectrum of arts and arts-integrative research, curricula, programs, and creative practice for the benefit of all students, staff, and faculty at research universities and the communities they serve. The Division’s a2ru conference committee worked diligently over the past academic year to plan a2ru’s eighth annual conference, Land
& Equity: The Art and Politics of Place. After planning originally to host the conference on campus, the committee moved the programming to a virtual platform due to COVID-19. Featuring four keynote speakers, including Michele ByrdMcPhee, Dr. F. Fleming Crim, Dr. Adrienne Keene, and 2019 MacArthur genius award winner Emmanuel Pratt, as well as 26 separate panel discussions, the Land & Equity conference took place online October 15–30, 2020. To prepare for hosting the a2ru annual conference, some Division staff and affiliates
We want to recognize the involvement that our colleague and friend Sherry Wagner-Henry, who passed away on May 30, 2020, had with a2ru and with the Division of the Arts overall. As the director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the Wisconsin School of Business, Wagner-Henry helped launch many initiatives with the Division. She also served on a2ru’s executive committee and was part of the conference planning committee. Her energetic support and creativity will be greatly missed. The Division’s tribute to Sherry is available at https:// artsdivision.wisc.edu/2020/06/09/sherrywagner-henry-tribute/
Pictured: 2020 a2ru conference branding. Image courtesy of UW–Madison. Design by Cathy Sheets.
17
18 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | SUPPORTING CREATIVE RESEARCH
ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS INITIATIVE stewardship collaboratively. Artists and other participants were able to submit information about environmental arts events, including art exhibitions, performances, films, and lectures, to the initiative’s community calendar. As part of the initiative, the Nelson Institute partnered with the Division’s Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program, which hosted Carrie Hanson and Ben Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez as the year’s visiting artists-inresidence. The Nelson Institute also supported the world premiere of FLOE by Hanson’s dance company, The Seldoms, at the Wisconsin Union Theater in January 2020, as well as a presentation Barson and Rodriguez made at a conference CHE hosted on campus, Environmental Justice in Multispecies Worlds: Land, Water, Food, in early March 2020. Throughout the 2019-2020 academic year, the Division of the Arts; the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the institute’s Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE); the Madison Arts Commission; the Overture Center for the Arts; and Dane Arts (the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission), along with other
campus and community partners, collaborated on the Earth Day@50 – Arts Initiative. Honoring the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the Nelson Institute, the initiative enabled artists, environmentalists, and community members to contemplate and celebrate environmental
Pictured: Earth Day@50 – Arts Initiative promotional graphic. Courtesy of the Nelson Institute.
Among other arts-related in-person events sponsored by key partners, Art & Nature: The Year of the Environment, an exhibition organized by the Madison Arts Commission, was held at the Madison Municipal Building. Curated by Dakota Mace, who earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in the arts from UW–Madison,
SUPPORTING CREATIVE RESEARCH | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
the exhibition featured the work of 20 local artists who have a connection to UW–Madison. The exhibition’s opening and artists talk were held in February 2020. As part of the Earth Day@50 initiative, the Overture Center for the Arts also held multiple exhibitions related to the environment and climate change. While some arts-related programming and initiative events were canceled due to the pandemic, other events, including the Nelson Institute’s annual Earth Day Conference and the final residency performance of visiting artists Ben Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez, moved online. The Overture Center for the Arts also moved several exhibitions planned for the spring and summer of 2020 to an online format. 50.nelson.wisc.edu/
Pictured: “FLOE” image featuring a dancer from The Seldoms for the premiere at the Wisconsin Union Theater. Photo by William Frederking, courtesy of Carrie Hanson.
19
20 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | SERVING THE COMMUNITY
WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL STREAMING & OUTREACH
Presented by
WFF outreach over the 2019–20 academic year included contacting area educators who reserved seats for the 2020 Big Screens, Little Folks student matinees and received a study guide designed to help them integrate film studies into
Pictured: 22nd annual Wisconsin Film Festival poster. Design by Cathy Sheets.
Background photo by Jeff Miller / UW–Madison
The modified Wisconsin Own’s program, running from April 2 to May 2 under the rubric Stay at Home with Wisconsin’s Own, streamed 23 films made in Wisconsin or by Wisconsinites. Each film was introduced by festival staff and streamed for 24 hours. Programmers were pleased to discover that the films attracted a total of 10,665 viewers, many more than the festival would have been able to accommodate at traditional in-person screenings alone.
Separately, the Big Screens, Little Folks program, running this year under rubric Big Streams, Little Folks, offered 13 short films and one featurelength film for children. Films in the Shorter and Sweeter program series were appropriate for ages 4 – 8, while films in the Short and Sweet program series were suited for ages 8 – 11. One short film, My Brother Luca, was offered in both English and the original Spanish. Most of the children’s films streamed for one week. Big Streams, Little Folks films attracted 2,857 viewers during the festival’s online run and provided welcome entertainment, education, and excitement for children and parents who were working and schooling from home at the time. Background photo by Jeff Miller / UW–Madison
In early March 2020, the Wisconsin Film Festival (WFF) was poised to offer over 150 films that would air on seven screens across Madison during the festival’s scheduled eight-day run in early April. However, after the traditional in-person WFF was canceled on March 13 in response to COVID-19, programmers chose to make two of the festival’s regular programs— Wisconsin’s Own and Big Screens, Little Folks— available for online streaming.
In collaboration with
Presenting
Leadership
BUY TICKETS: 2020.WIFILMFEST.ORG,
Sustaining + Additional Support
VISIT THE CAMPUS ARTS TM
Anonymous Fund | Brittingham Trust | Destination Madison | Goethe-Institut | Inventiva Works | MGE Foundation | Wildwood Productions
TICKETING BOX OFFICE, OR CALL 608-265-2787
The Wisconsin Film Festival is presented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts in collaboration with the Department of Communication Arts. To request accommodations, please contact venue@wifilmfest.org or 608-262-9009. WFF2020-poster.indd 1
2/25/20 7:57 AM
SERVING THE COMMUNITY | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
their curricula. Additional resources for exploring the themes and subjects of the children’s films were posted on the WFF website after the festival moved online. The 2020 WFF also reached out to enlist the time and talents of more than 250 volunteers who participated in a general orientation session before the festival’s programming moved online and eagerly await the opportunity to assist WFF when it returns to its traditional in-person format. The festival is proud that the 2020 online program attracted many longstanding and new viewers, creating a valuable sense of community and continuity at a time when people were feeling isolated and anxious. The Wisconsin Film Festival remains committed to big screen cinema viewing, but it is fully prepared to launch an online program again if it is still not safe to
gather in theaters during the festival’s next run scheduled for May 2021. E-communications: 15,445 subscribers : 11,468 followers : 60,857 views wifilmfest.org 2020.wifilmfest.org
21
22 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | SERVING THE COMMUNITY
MADISON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL STREAMI NG
Pictured: 2020 MEMF promotional poster. Design by Cathy Sheets.
The Madison Early Music Festival (MEMF) was created in 1999 to provide an opportunity for musicians, scholars, teachers, students, and music enthusiasts to study medieval, Renaissance, and baroque music in its social, cultural, and political contexts and to present concerts by acclaimed artists who specialize in historically inspired performance of early music. Since 2015, the Division of the Arts has presented MEMF in partnership with the Mead Witter School of Music.
program notes, while faculty provided videos of lectures on our planned theme, “Musical Life at the Burgundian Court.” Other MEMF faculty members created a virtual ensemble, the Pastyme Players, which performed throughout the week. The festival’s final night culminated with a Zoom singalong with the Pastyme Players that served as a farewell to MEMF 2020 Online!
Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the festival moved its planned in-person workshops and performances to its website and a social media platform hosted by Facebook Premier. The festival shared videos of past performances and workshops, as well as MEMF Spotify playlists, through June and July, then, from July 11–18, 2020, hosted MEMF 2020 Online! Guest ensembles participating in this year’s virtual concerts submitted performance videos and digital
ff Piffaro, The Renaissance Band
Guest Artists ff Orlando Consort ff Trefoil ff Nota Bene Viol Consort
SERVING THE COMMUNITY | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
Key Highlights ff 18 videos of performances and lectures ff 1 virtual ensemble created by MEMF faculty ff 8 video statements from MEMF board members and staff ff 30 guest artists, faculty, and lecturers ff 9,220 Facebook Premiere views E-communications: 2,300 subscribers MEMF Website: 1,145 visitors from July 10–20, 2020 : 1,325 followers madisonearlymusic.org memf.wisc.edu/annual/online-program/
Pictured: Pastyme Players musical compilation screenshot from the online 2020 Madison Early Music Festival. Photo courtesy of artists.
23
24 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | ILLUMINATING THE ARTS ON CAMPUS
ARTS ON CAMPUS COMMUNICATIONS Arts on Campus Arts on Campus is a multiplatform ongoing promotional campaign for the arts at UW– Madison designed to promote the wealth of campus arts programming and opportunities to students, faculty, staff, and community members. During the 2019-20 academic year, the Division of the Arts collaborated with and promoted numerous campus units via communication channels on campus and throughout the state including advertising, marketing, outreach, and resource fairs. The Division had a long-standing advertising relationship with Isthmus, a local alternative weekly newspaper. Every month, arts units provided information to the Division for inclusion in a full-page print ad. The monthly Arts on Campus ad frequently received optimal placement on the inside back cover of Isthmus. However, Isthmus ended its print publication during the pandemic, and the final Arts on Campus ad ran in the paper’s March 5, 2020 issue. Since then, the Division has been providing alternative support for campus arts departments, such as increased email and social media marketing.
Pictured: Arts on Campus print ad, courtesy of Isthmus.
ILLUMINATING THE ARTS ON CAMPUS | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
Threads: React The Division’s Integrated Marketing & Communications (IMC) team provided support to School of Human Ecology students enrolled in the Threads fashion show practicum course. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 student fashion show went online for the first time. IMC advised students on branding, marketing, and outreach efforts. IMC also collaborated on a 26-minute video that premiered on the Threads Facebook Page in early May. E-communications: 15,819 subscribers : 6,195 followers : 40,824 views arts.wisc.edu
Pictured: 2020 Threads fashion show promotional graphic. Courtesy of Threads.
25
26 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | ILLUMINATING THE ARTS ON CAMPUS
THE CREATIVE CAMPUS TOUR & ARTS RECRUITMENT SUPPORT Arts Recruitment The Arts Recruitment Initiative was launched in 2017 with the goal of boosting enrollments in academic arts programs. During the past year, in consultation with arts departments, the Division extended a multiplatform campaign to promote academic arts programs and our vibrant community of excellence in the arts. Through coordinated online and printed materials, social media, tabling, promotional items, email campaigns, and direct mailings, the Division connected with students at all points of their decision process. Students staffing the Division’s SOAR table connected 1,380 incoming students with fine arts courses and programs. In partnership with the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, the third Admitted Students Day for the Arts was held on April 27, 2020, with a Zoom panel for an audience of admitted students.
Pictured: Creative Campus Tour textiles tour stop. Photo by Angela Richardson.
ILLUMINATING THE ARTS ON CAMPUS | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
Creative Campus Tour Starting on September 3, 2019, the Division of the Arts presented the Creative Campus Tour for a second year. The tour is an introduction to the fine arts programs on campus and is supported by numerous campus partners, including Campus and Visitor Relations. The goal of the tour is to showcase the wide range of arts offerings on campus and to attract new students to campus programs. Led by UW–Madison students, the tour engages with and appeals to prospective and incoming students.
seven tours took place during the Fall 2019 semester, giving 53 participants the opportunity to learn more about the range of arts offerings on campus. go.wisc.edu/creativecampustour
After the new Hamel Music Center opened in October 2019, the tour route, developed with input from Division staff and other campus partners, featured a stop at the new music venue. This project marks the first cross-campus collaborative effort to highlight UW–Madison’s creative spaces. Though tours planned for 54 participants during the Spring 2020 semester were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Pictured: Creative Campus Tour. Photo courtesy of Angela Richardson.
27
28 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | APPENDIX
STAFF
(AS OF JUNE 30, 2020)
* denotes part-time staff
Office of the Director
Programs
Susan Zaeske, Interim Director*
Faisal Abdu’Allah, The Studio Faculty Director*
Rachel Niles, Assistant to the Director
Cheryl Bensman-Rowe, Madison Early Music Festival Artistic Director*
Administration Kate Hewson, Interim Associate Director Emilie Schada, Sponsorship, Grant and Development Manager
Dominique Haller, The Studio Program Coordinator* Terry Kerr, Wisconsin Film Festival Volunteer Coordinator*
Lisa Spierer, Interim Director of Operations
Sarah Marty, Madison Early Music Festival Program Director*
Integrated Marketing & Communications
Heather Owens, Interdisciplinary Arts Programs Manager
Aaron Granat, Videographer* Kate Lochner, Integrated Marketing & Communications Strategist
Ben Reiser, Wisconsin Film Festival Outreach & Community Engagement Manager* Angela Richardson, Academic Programs Manager*
Cathy Sheets, Creative Director* Amanda Sweno, Digital Marketing Specialist* For a current list of staff, visit: artsdivision.wisc.edu/people/staff
APPENDIX | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
COMMITTEES
The Division of the Arts supports and develops its community by sponsoring cross-campus committees, which encourage connections within the arts community and create broader engagement with the Division. artsdivision.wisc.edu/committees/
Academic Affairs Committee The Academic Affairs Committee members oversaw the Integrated Arts course subject listing, reviewed proposals for the Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program, and consulted on shared academic concerns affecting the arts across colleges.
Creative Arts Awards Selection Committee The Division of the Arts recognizes students, faculty, and staff achievements and professional service along with providing support for future creative endeavors and research through the Creative Arts Awards. The Selection Committee members juried the applications and nominations for the Creative Arts Awards.
Pictured: students perform during the final fall 2019 Carrie Hanson Interdisciplinary Arts Residency event at the Chazen Museum of Art. Photo by Mats Rudels.
29
30 University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20 | APPENDIX
2019–20 CONTRIBUTORS
(July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020)
The Division of the Arts appreciates the support of the financial and in-kind contributions that make our programs and initiatives possible. To help support excellence in arts teaching, research, and public service contact: development@arts.wisc.edu
* In-Kind Gift ** Partial In-Kind Gift
$25,000+ ARTS RESEARCH Emily Mead Baldwin Bassett Foundation Evjue Foundation, Inc. MADISON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL William J. Wartmann Endowment
$10,000–$24,999 MADISON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL Jane Graff Bequest WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL AMC Artisan Films* Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Great Dane Pub & Brewing** Isthmus* Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club*
$5,000–$9,999 ARTS RESEARCH Anonymous Fund The Joyce J. & Gerald A. Bartell Family
MADISON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL Anonymous Fund Evjue Foundation, Inc. Robert & Wendy Erb WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL Anonymous Fund Brittingham Trust Cafe Hollander* Hilldale Madison** International Division Livingston Inn* Springhill Suites* SSM Health Steep & Brew Coffee**
$1,000–$4,999 ARTS RESEARCH John Thompson & Jane Bartell David & Edith Sinaiko Frank Glenn & Edna Wiechers MADISON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL Carol Adams & David Fraser Gail Geiger James & Jennifer Lattis Karen Owen Robert Perry Judyth & Richard Swingen Patricia Weiler William Stark Jones Foundation
WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL ARTS for ALL Wisconsin* Bar Taco* Center for East Asian Studies Chocolate Shoppe* Cinematheque* Destination Madison* Inventiva Works* Madison Gas and Electric Foundation Madison Public Library* Mosse / Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies PBS Wisconsin* Wisconsin Public Radio* Wisconsin Union Directorate*
$500–$999 MADISON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL James & Ina Heup Kathleen Hornemann Bruce Bush in memory of Kathryn & William Hoyt Cynthia & Andrew Johnson Thomas Baylis & Theresa Kelley Frederic & Mary Mohs Deborah Malamud & Neal Plotkin Anton Ten Wolde & Marcia Smith Judy Walker Jane & Glenn Watts
WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA) Gender and Sexuality Campus Center German, Nordic and Slavic Studies Wildwood Productions*
$250–$499 ARTS RESEARCH J Michael & Diann Allsen Diane Duesterhoeft & Michael Phillips MADISON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL Jeffrey & Elizabeth Bauer Theresa Kelley & Thomas Baylis Barry Seifert & Szu-Yueh Chien Neal Deunk Alan & Jean Feraca Annemarie Foltz David Grindrod Stefanie Moritz & Vincel Jenkins Roderic & Diana Lakes Wendy Fearnside & Bruce Meier Judith & Daniel Nystrom Judith & Robert Tuttle Judy Walker Max Yount WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL Edgewood Highschool Gigi’s Cupcakes*
APPENDIX | University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts | Annual Report | 2019–20
Middle East Studies Program William Zarwell & Robin Chapman Betty & Vance Kepley Jr. Tyson Mueller Doren Sterne Nancy Worcester Liz Zelandais & Scott Zimmermann
$100–$249 MADISON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL Elizabeth & Jeffrey Bauer Bobbye Baylis Mary Ellen Bell Diane Mayerfeld & Michael Bell Don & Carola Breckbill Faye Bruggink Kristin Bryan Reeves Smith & Glenna Carter Linda & Keith Clifford Christina & Michael Drouet Sandra Erickson Karen & Gregory Fischer David & Nancy Good Mary Grinde Joan & Richard Harmet Paul Patenaude & Peter Hoff Linda Hogle Chiwei Hui Frances Ingebritson Beverly Inman Andrew & Cynthia Johnson Joan Kimball James & Jennifer Lattis Dale & Barbara Lenz Elsa Leverington Annette & Peter Mahler DeAnn McAllan
Marjorie & Peter Marion Barbara Martin Frederic & Mary Mohs Jane Vea & Barry Owens Peter Hoff & Paul Patenaude Ernest J. Peterson Ronnie & Monroe Rosner Monica Jaehnig & William Schrader Ellen Louise Schwartz Andrew Sigel Catherine & Mark Smith Glenn Steffen Donald & Joanna Thompson Barry Owens & Jane Vea Dianne Sattinger & Randall Wilkins Susan Williams in memory of RaleighJay Williams Teresa Lau & John Yin WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL Center of African Cultural Studies Department of French and Italian Goethe-Institut Willy Street Co-Op* Shaun Abshere John Benninghouse Paul Berkbigler Aaron Bibb Randall Blumenstein Ruth Brill Randi Christensen Larry Martin & Martha Cranley Lauren Cunningham Department of French and Italian Judith & Michael Dereszynski Kathleen Massoth & Marshall Edmonson Sheila Faulkner Julie & Douglas Fiers Phil Fisher
Warren & Sharon Gaskill Goethe-Institut Alexis & John Gransee Anna Biermeier & Roger Hanson Dennis & Vicki Hill Julie Kotschevar & Kenneth Hunzicker Julie Hunter & Keith Johnson Jonathon & Rebecca Kaiser Joseph Beyler & Kristine Koenen Donal & Carolyn Knorr Merriel Kruse Susan Lloyd Kathryn & Lyman Lyons Dorla Mayer James Menting Thomas & Dana Merker Mary Sarnowski & Jon Miskowski Kirsten Moore Tyson Mueller Dale Murray Jane Lewis & Paul Nelson Thomas & Julia Nicholas Agatino Balio & Mary Pinkerton Ryan Randall Diane Reiser Kathleen Ricci Daniel & Elizabeth Roman John Schroeder & Margaret Ruoff Ricki & Patrick Sajbel Niklas Schmidt Jo Ann & David Schoengold Michael & Linda Slavney Jerome Steinhauer & Sandra Hagerson-Steinhauer Steven & Jacqueline Suleski Laurie & Peter Swimm Philip Thomas Barbara Lockwood & Dennis Wagner
Diane Perris & Charles Weidenbach Geri West Nicholas Wootton
Thank you to all financial and in-kind partners.
31
Pictured: Interdisciplinary artists-in-residence Ben Barson and Gizelzanath Rodriguez with Associate Professor Peggy Choy and students participating in their Spring 2020 Artivism class. Photo by Mats Rudels.
artsdivision.wisc.edu | arts.wisc.edu |
: @uwmadisonarts
