Exhibition | Wisconsin Triennial 2016 at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

Several weeks ago, after attending the last outdoor Farmers’ Market on the capitol square, I ventured into MMoCA and was pleasantly surprised by the Wisconsin Triennial exhibit. Featuring only local state artist, it opened on September 23 and will be on display through January 8, 2017. The exhibit aims to give an idea of the diverse types of art that are being created within Wisconsin. Below are a selection of photos from the exhibit, which I hope motivate you to go and see this free exhibit!

Fern Stations : On Invisibility by Meg Mitchell

Beads, Birds and Bombs series by John Hitchcock

Selections from the project Transmission Networks by Brendan Baylor

Selections from Remnants series by Amy Fichter

Blue Little Red Barn by Michael Kautzer

Manhattan Schools Pilot New Visual Thinking Strategies Curriculum

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art is an important part of Kansas State University and impacts the community by helping “individuals think anew about personal experiences, sense of place, and the world of knowledge.” As part of their mission to use art as a teaching tool, Kathrine Schlageck, the Beach’s Senior Educator, has undergone training and commenced conducting Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) curriculum sessions in Manhattan Public Schools. As an Education Department volunteer, I accompanied her as an observer this week for the first 5th grade session at Bluemont Elementary School.
This painting, Curandera (Mexican Healer), by Carmen Lomas Garza was the first image that the students were asked to discuss. Their conversation revolved around what they thought was going on in the image as a result of their visual observations – with the best part being that there were no wrong answers. I was amazed at how anxious almost all of the students were to share their thoughts with their class members. Some students took longer to form their thoughts about the images than others, but almost everyone was involved in the discussion at some point. Ideas about what was happening in the pieces varied widely and students backed up the assertions using visual clues in the artwork. I was interested in the diverse cultural interpretations that surfaced and how students collaborated to take their peers’ ideas further. Schlageck did an excellent job of fostering the conversation by moderating and echoing the students’ points without correcting or judging.

The program is being assessed and after the pilot sessions are completed, the district will use the data to make a decision about signing up for VTS. Pre and post session tests will be used to gauge the program’s outcome along with teachers’ observational notes. VTS has seen success in communities in California, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, among others. For more information grab the December 11th copy of the Manhattan Mercury for their cover story entitled “Program teaches students to draw conclusions, back them up“. Learn more about Visual Thinking Strategies from the VTS website. For additional ways to participate in happenings with the Beach Museum, check their Participate webpage.

Science Café | “The Science of Beer Making” with Jeff Gill

Last night I was fortunate enough to attend a rather packed Science Café presentation at the Aggieville Radina’s Coffeehouse and Roastery on “The Science of Beer Making”. Presenter Jeff Gill is a K-State alum and the founder of Manhattan’s own Tallgrass Brewing Company. As he explained the science behind brewing and the steps involved in creating a top-notch craft beer, samples of Ethos IPA and a yet un-canned coffee stout were passed around the room while questions and answers flowed freely. The audience included students, professors and community members who all seemed to enjoy the talk. Science topics included saccharification and fermentation, information about hops, talk of yeast strains and mutations, and of course product testing. Handouts included additional information for participants to take home – one in particular a color wheel detailing flavors and possible causes. Additional events are being held at Tallgrass Brewing later this week. Tallgrass currently distributes to 13 states from North Dakota to Mississippi and their Buffalo Sweat Oatmeal Cream Stout was listed in The 11 Best Beers of the Midwest by Men’s Health Magazine.

Science Café was started in an effort to provide accessible and engaging conversation on a range of science topics and is sponsored by Kansas Citizens for Science and Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society. Next semester’s presentations will begin with the topic of Influenza and additional upcoming talks will be listed on their webpage. For additional information see Science Cafe’s National Webpage and the page for the Kansas State Chapter of Sigma Xi.

Corning-Painted Post third graders visit Rakow Library

CPP group working on puzzle

In addition to providing traditional library services, the Rakow Library understands the importance of inviting the local community into its home. Each spring or fall, third grade classes from the Corning-Painted Post school district visit the Museum. During the Library visit, librarians teach students why the Rakow Library is special, what types of materials it has, and what services it offers. In addition, librarians and docents work together to conduct two unique learning activities.

Children gaze in awe at a leather-bound 15th century manuscript that survived the 1972 flood. When we bring the oversized tome down to eye-level, their faces light up and a chorus of “wow” is generally audible.

De situ orbis

Two favorite activities are the glass matching game and completing the large 1882 Corning map puzzle. Using a word bank, students identify glass objects that used to be common, but today are a bit tricky. They are quick to identify the glass shoes, necktie and pen, but stumble most with small antique hair gel jars shaped like bears. Librarians explain that before hair gel became what it is today, people used to slick their hair back with bear grease. This draws comments of “ew” and “gross,” and then it’s time to move on to the map puzzle!

We use the Corning map to show what methods of transportation were available in 1882 and how they influenced the development of Corning as a glass production hub. Focusing on the railroads and Chemung River, we talk about shipping and the importance of being able to bring in raw materials and send out finished glass goods. Working in groups, children assemble the approximately three foot wide map puzzle. Upon completion, if there’s time remaining, students figure out where the Museum would be located.

1882 Corning map

Approximately 275 third graders will visit the Library this November and December, including the groups who visited us this past spring in March and April. Each librarian and docent pair covers the same material in a slightly different way. Working with the visiting school groups is an exciting part of our day that we really look forward to. This program has happened each fall and spring for the past five years, and we anticipate continuing the tradition. If you are interested in bringing a school or other group to the Rakow Library, request a program online or e-mail us for more information.

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The Rakow Research Library is open from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday
Telephone: 607.438.5300 | Email (general inquiries): rakow@cmog.org

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Great Lakes Literacy Principles

Awarded “Site of the Month” by Great Lakes Information Net-work (GLIN), Great Lakes Literacy Principles, prepared by the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, is a website that explains “essential principles and fundamental concepts for Great Lakes learning” and further matches those concepts with Ocean Literacy ones. It breaks down eight specific concepts about the Great Lakes and helps to explain the importance of peoples’ interactions with the lakes.

The eight areas which are broken down range from what are the Great Lakes and how were they formed, to the influence of climate and weather on the lakes, to the types of species that inhabit the lakes, to connections between the lakes and what can be learned from the Great Lakes. The site also has a handy pdf brochure that explains the concept of Great Lakes Literacy and the eight areas from the website. This site is endorsed by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Sea Grant and can be a helpful resource for teaching or learning about the Great Lakes.

Image from greatlakesliteracy.net/

Wisconsin’s Water Library: Outreach Storyhours

Wisconsin’s Water Library has been successful in our outreach programming to youth around the area. In addition to our Frog story hour, with real live frogs (pictured right), the library has also been working on other themes including early literacy with ABC’s and counting, fish and waterfowl. During the story-times we read a few books to the children, sing a song or play Simon Says, and usually finish up with the ever popular craft.

Previously programming has included venues such as Monona , Baraboo, Black Earth, Mount Horeb, Cambridge, and Cross Plains Public Libraries, as well as work with the Ho-Chunk Nation and Head Start Program. The Water Library is excited to announce that in the upcoming months, a new series of story hours will be taking place. We look forward to seeing some familiar faces as well as getting to meet a few new ones. The public is welcome to attend any of the public library programs.

Upcoming Events:

January 27 – Ho-Chunk Nation Head Start

March 1 – Monona Public Library

March 17 – Cambridge Community Library

April 4 – Allied Drive Learning Center

May 3 – Waunakee Public Library

More story hours will likely be added in the coming months. Watch our Facebook page for updates. To see more photos from past story hours, visit our Flickr page. For ideas and outlines of some of our past story-times, visit our website.

Photo credits: top right by Amy De Simone, middle by Anne Horjus, bottom right by Carolyn Betz.