Celebrate with us! We are so excited to share Governor Evers' proclamation making October 2020 Arts and Humanities Month in Wisconsin. This recognition invites us all to remember the power of arts and humanities, especially in challenging times. We believe, as the Governor says, that we need the arts and humanities more than ever. We encourage you to find ways to express yourself creatively and engage with some of the wonderful things happening around the state this month.
→ Read the Proclamation!
Humanities events around the state, with funding from Wisconsin Humanities grants:
Fermentation Fest - A Live Culture Convergence
Through October 4th in southwestern Wisconsin
Wisconsin Humanities is proud to have awarded Wormfarm Institute a grant for a new feature of the Farm/Art DTour this year called "The Land Remembers." Look for the quotes inspiring reflection along the 50-mile route through Sauk County, as well as large-scale artworks, roadside poetry, pop-up music, and opportunities to mingle with farmers, artists, chefs, fermenters, and eaters.
Latino Wisconsin - A documentary film screening and town hall meeting
October 7, 6PM - A free virtual event
Join Milwaukee PBS for a preview screening of a portion of 'Latino Wisconsin,' a documentary film funded in part with a grant from Wisconsin Humanities. It is the story of the aspirations, struggles, and journeys of Wisconsin’s Latino community. After the screening, moderator Andrea Rivera de Vega will talk with 'Latino Wisconsin' producers Georgia and Ralph Pabst on the making of the documentary, the impact, influence, and importance of the state’s fastest growing population.
Animal Vegetable Mineral...and Digital
October 13, 6-7:30PM - A free virtual panel discussion
In this era of rapid environmental change, the animal, mineral, and plant specimens preserved in natural history collections offer a crucial window into the past. Around the world, natural history curators are digitizing their collections to offer scientists greater access for specimen-based research and the development of long-range datasets. Wisconsin Humanities is proud to have given the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters a grant to make it possible for the public to learn from curators Ken Cameron, Laura Monahan, Craig Brabant, and Carrie Eaton, and artist Martha Glowacki, co-curator of Collections & Connections: 150 Years of the Wisconsin Academy.
Dia de los Muertos Ofrendas Exhibit and Events
October 14 - November 2, events presented by Latino Arts, Inc.
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican celebration that includes making alters, preparing special foods in honor of those who have departed, decorations in streets and cemeteries, and parades. Latino Arts in Milwaukee is hosting a special exhibit this year and was awarded a Wisconsin Humanities grant for a series of both virtual and in-person events.
Talking Spirits Cemetery Tours
Starting October 15 - Free virtual tours on demand
This annual event presented by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum is now accessible to everyone. Like the in-person tour at Forest Hill Cemetery, there will be four featured vignettes this year performed by actors who bring the tales of some very interesting people to life. In addition to these riveting tales of Wisconsinites from the past, museum staff guides will share accounts of unique points of interest on the grounds, such as the Caitlin Chapel, Union Rest, Confederate Rest, the effigy burial mounds within the veterans section of the cemetery, stories from the 1918 Pandemic, and more.
Siena Retreat Center Racial Justice and Cultural Awareness Program: Thea Bowman
October 19, 10:00 - 11:15AM and 6:30 - 7:45PM - Free virtual presentations
Sr. Thea Bowman (1937-1990) was a transformative figure in church history in the United States. A member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the only African American sister in her congregation, Sr. Thea worked tirelessly to promote the gifts of peoples of African American descent in the Catholic Church. She once said, "When we understand our history and culture, then we can develop the ritual, the music, and the devotional expression that satisfy us in the Church." This presentation, funded with a Wisconsin Humanities grant, will be facilitated by Dr. White, who knew Sr. Thea and will share personal stories and more.
Wisconsin Funnies: Fifty Years of Comics
Exhibit on view at Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend through January 10
We are proud to support Wisconsin Funnies, the first exhibition to present the rich history of comics in Wisconsin. The nearly two hundred works by twenty-five artists illustrate the major themes, innovations, and publications that characterize the state’s past half-century of comic art. The exhibition pairs hand-drawn original art with printed material such as comic books, alternative weekly newspapers, and other collectibles and ephemera. Wisconsin Funnies is on view at both the Museum of Wisconsin Art’s “mother ship” in West Bend and MOWA | DTN, located in downtown Milwaukee at Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel.
