Director's Note 7/1/14
In the mad dash to prepare for the many things going on at Lynden in July, it's been difficult to raise the eyes from the computer screen, but inevitably, when I do, I am greeted by the sight of people walking on Paul Druecke's "Garden Path." The path winds past my window, and rain or shine (and there's been a lot of the former) I see visitors step off the lawn and onto the mulch-covered surface, willing to follow it wherever it leads.
The path, when completed, like the mural Paul has been painting on the fence along Brown Deer Road, will be part of Inside/Outside: Nancy Popp + Paul Druecke, and I hope you'll be able to stop by for the opening on July 26, when Nancy Popp will be up in the trees, performing one of her Untitled (Street Performances). The opening will be preceded by the penultimate event in our Conversations with Sculptures series, this one an expansive, interactive, ambulatory conversation that will form a bridge between Popp's and Druecke's contemporary practices and the early work of choreographer Trisha Brown and Lynden's monumental sculptures--both created in the '60s and '70s. The final event, of course, is the performance (two, really) of the Trisha Brown Dance Company here at Lynden on July 27, a co-presentation with Alverno Presents (tickets are very limited, and available on their website). There is lots of information on the entire Conversations with Sculptures project here.
But this is to start at the end of the busy month of July. Tonight we host a picnic with artist Kyoung Ae Cho (we'll move indoors if the weather's bad). Her exhibition, One at a Time, remains on view through July 13. You can listen to Susan Bence's interview with Cho on WUWM here.
We are closed July 4, but are open all weekend and offer the first of our informal Conversations with Sculptures on Sunday. Artist-in-residence Kim Milller and Jenna Knapp will meet you at Mark di Suvero's Lover to begin their weekly explorations of movement and sculpture. We are also offering Yoga in the Garden most Sundays in July (tai chi returns in August). Next Tuesday, July 8, the Women's Speaker Series welcomes Kate Southwood, author of Falling to Earth. We've been hearing wonderful things about this novel, set in Marah, Illinois and based on the historic Tri-State Tornado.
On July 13 we open the gates for our first Free Family Sunday, thanks to the generosity of Mortara Instrument. If you have friends or neighbors who have never been to Lynden, or work with community groups that might want to take advantage of this free day (we'll be running shuttles from the #63 bus stop at Brown Deer & Port Washington Roads and the Park & Ride next to I-43), please help us spread the word.
Three more dates to consider: July 12, when Sally Duback offers Explosion of Color: Painting with Pastels; July 19 when you can make trays, tiles, and trivets with Linda Wervey Vitamvas in her latest ceramic handbuilding workshop; and July 23, when we gather in the evening for our first Midsummer Saturnalia, an evening for picnics and planet-gazing. You'll find details on these events and all of our regular activities below.
The grounds have been particularly active leading into July, despite the rain. Summer camps are in full swing, and it's not too late to sign your child or grandchild up for a mini-exploration of art and nature at Lynden. Two new temporary additions will make their appearance at Lynden in July: Brenda Baker's Seed Pod and Brian Nigus's Sightseer (see July 20, below). Baker created Seed Pod using local invasive species (buckthorn, honeysuckle, and autumn olive) for the World Ecological Restoration Conference in Madison last fall. When it was time to move Seed Pod from Monona Terrace, we decided to bring it to Lynden to slowly decompose. Baker will be on the grounds tomorrow to install. Watch for future events with Baker and Seed Pod. Beginning Monday, we host sixteen K-12 teachers for our second annual UWM Summer Art Education Institute. This year's big idea is "living matter," and we are grateful to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation for their support of this program.
