Events Calendar

October 1, 2024 - 10:30am - 11:30am

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2024 Summer Session (June 4-August 27): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2024 Fall/Winter Session (September 3-December 17): Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Register online now. In the event of inclement weather, sessions move indoors.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

October 2, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

Lynden Art Club

Fall 2024 Session: (14 Weeks) Wednesdays, September 11–December 18, 2024 (no class 11/27) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $308/$224 members for the 14-week session

Art club is a community of young artists who are independent in their art practice but value a place to exchange ideas and support ,and learn from one another. Students will design a long-term independent art project at the beginning of the session and gather for in-progress reviews, take part in creative art challenges, have conversations about contemporary artists, and discuss their work with Lynden educators and their peers. Students will present their work at our final art club meeting.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Registration is closed.

October 2, 2024 - 5:15pm - 6:45pm

Fee: $30/$25 members
Registration: Registration is closed.

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Join artist-in-residence Jenna Knapp and collaborator Sevan Arabajian as they shift to the energy of the New Hunters Moon to squeeze in one last sound bath and labyrinth walk for the season. Like a prairie after an annual burn, we are invited to see potential in the blank slate the new moon provides. Use this energy to imagine what you want to grow next from the ash. Take some time out of your week to relax into a healing sound bath and identify what can be cleansed in the flame. Then, channel your intention into the candle for a sunset candle walk through the labyrinth.

Sound baths are an ancient form of healing and deep meditation; they include various ambient sounds and frequencies playing in a space where you can hear and experience their vibrations moving through you. Everyone’s experience will be different; unique as you are, and according to what is needed most at the time. Your sound facilitator for the evening will be Milwaukee’s own Sevan Arabajian-Ries, musician, ritualist, spiritual guide, and relational counselor.

The sound bath lasts approximately 45-60 minutes. We recommend arriving 15 minutes ahead of time to give yourself time to set up and prepare. Please bring something to rest on and to cover yourself with (if you think you’ll want that) for the duration, and dress appropriately for the weather. The labyrinth walk takes place on a hill so please consider comfortable footwear as well. A little insect repellent may be in order, too. Candles are provided and you are invited to bring your own.

2024 Sound Bath Schedule
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Monday, August 19, 2024
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Wednesday, October 2, 2024

October 3, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

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Fall 2024 Session I: (7 weeks) Thursdays, September 12-October 24, 2024 | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.
Fall 2024 Session II: (7 weeks) Thursdays, October 31-December 19, 2024(no class 11/28) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.

Lynden’s Art + Nature Lab engages participants aged 7-11 in inquiry-based art and nature learning, problem solving, and creative making. Over the course of two seven-week sessions, art educator Jeremy Stepien will take you on a series of art challenges and studio projects. Art + Nature Lab will meet indoors in the studio at Lynden with occasional excursions in the garden.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration required. Register online now.

October 5, 2024 - 1:30pm - 3:30pm

Fee: FREE
Registration: Registration is closed. Complete the registration form to be added to the waitlist.

As part of Slow Growing in the Time of Trees, a C21 Collaboratory, Lynden land manager Robert Kaleta and artist-in-residence Yevgeniya Kaganovich lead a walk that explores the symbiotic relationship between trees and mushrooms.

In 2019, Kaganovich planted trees on the grounds for her tree intuits chair residency project. They have continued to grow in and out of the shape of chairs ever since. Slow Growing in the Time of Trees considers and contextualizes the time and materiality of the trees themselves, as well as the trees in relation to the human and non-human species that come into contact and engage in transformations with them. It focuses on the aesthetic possibilities of intermixing human and nonhuman processes in complex webs of entanglement inherent in durational processes. Throughout the growing season, Kaganovich and her collaborators will create speculative forms out of reused plastic bags and cardboard, inoculate grain and straw medium with three varieties of oyster mushroom spores, and situate the forms in and around the trees on the grounds of Lynden Sculpture Garden, documenting the ways in which these cultivated fruiting bodies develop and distort Kaganovich’s fabricated forms.

For the walk, Kaleta will tell the story of Lynden’s trees, discuss the physiological changes that trees go through each season, and explain how each species fits into the urban forest ecosystem. Kaganovich will identify naturally occurring mushroom species and highlight some of the growing sculptures in tree intuits chair. She will be joined by her Collaboratory collaborators, Lisa Moline, Lane Hall, and Jim Charles, who have been intervening in the tree-mushroom symbiosis by introducing fruiting myceliated sculptures in proximity to her sculptures.

About the Participants

Robert Kaleta, Lynden’s land manager, has worked for more than a decade in the field of ecological restoration, and has spent almost a lifetime enjoying what nature has to offer.

Artist-in-residence Yevgeniya Kaganovich is a Belarus-born, Milwaukee-based artist, whose hybrid practice encompasses jewelry and metalsmithing, sculpture and installation. Yevgeniya received an MFA from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a BFA in Metal/Jewelry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Yevgeniya has been an active art practitioner since 1992, exhibiting her work nationally and internationally. Her work has received numerous awards and has been published widely.

Yevgeniya’s interest in craft scholarship and pedagogy lead her to undertake curatorial projects, panel and symposium organizing, and other contributions to contemporary craft discourse. Yevgeniya has worked as a Designer/Goldsmith at Peggie Robinson Designs, Studio of Handcrafted Jewelry in Evanston, Illinois and has taught Metalsmithing at Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois, and Lill Street Studios, Chicago Illinois. Currently Yevgeniya is a Professor in the Department of Art and Design, Peck School of the Arts, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, heading a thriving Jewelry and Metalsmithing Area with a graduate and undergraduate programs.

C21 is the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Letters & Sciences Center for 21st Century Studies. C21 believes that the complex challenges we face in the 21st century are best met through collaborations across areas of expertise and experience, and that the humanities are a vital part of addressing these challenges.Collaboratory funding is an opportunity to bring together teams of scholars across disciplines, across university and community partnerships, and across emerging and established scholars (students / staff / faculty) to inspire the generation of new ideas.

October 8, 2024 - 10:30am - 11:30am

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2024 Summer Session (June 4-August 27): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2024 Fall/Winter Session (September 3-December 17): Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Register online now. In the event of inclement weather, sessions move indoors.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

October 9, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

Lynden Art Club

Fall 2024 Session: (14 Weeks) Wednesdays, September 11–December 18, 2024 (no class 11/27) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $308/$224 members for the 14-week session

Art club is a community of young artists who are independent in their art practice but value a place to exchange ideas and support ,and learn from one another. Students will design a long-term independent art project at the beginning of the session and gather for in-progress reviews, take part in creative art challenges, have conversations about contemporary artists, and discuss their work with Lynden educators and their peers. Students will present their work at our final art club meeting.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Registration is closed.

October 10, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

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Fall 2024 Session I: (7 weeks) Thursdays, September 12-October 24, 2024 | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.
Fall 2024 Session II: (7 weeks) Thursdays, October 31-December 19, 2024(no class 11/28) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.

Lynden’s Art + Nature Lab engages participants aged 7-11 in inquiry-based art and nature learning, problem solving, and creative making. Over the course of two seven-week sessions, art educator Jeremy Stepien will take you on a series of art challenges and studio projects. Art + Nature Lab will meet indoors in the studio at Lynden with occasional excursions in the garden.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration required. Register online now.

October 12, 2024 - 10:00am - 5:00pm

The Bonsai Exhibit at Lynden will be closed for a special event on Saturday, October 12, 2024.

October 12, 2024 - 10:00am - October 13, 2024 - 4:30pm

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Saturday, October 12, 2024 – 10 am- 4:30 pm and Sunday, October 13, 2024 -1 pm-4:30 pm


Fee: $170 /$146 for members. Registration is required. You may choose to attend only on Saturday, but please note that registration cannot be prorated. Add a Mora knife for $35.
Registration: Registration is closed. Email staff@lyndensculpturegarden.org to be added to the waitlist.

Sloyd, or slöjd, is a Scandinavian handcraft movement that emphasizes practical, everyday items made from natural materials. Practicing sloyd promotes self-sufficiency and an intimate knowledge of local natural resources, resulting in functional, handmade items like spoons, bowls, cups, buttons, coat hooks, and furniture.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced carver, this two-day intensive will guide you through the essential steps required to safely carve a wooden spoon from greenwood. The emphasis will be on traditional axe and knife-hold techniques.

On the first day, you will master essential axe and knife techniques. The second day includes a tree tour on the grounds with Lynden’s land manager, Robert Kaleta, to learn responsible material gathering. We will then turn to finishing carving techniques and recommendations for protective oil finishes. You’ll go home with a spoon and the knowledge to continue carving on your own. Or consider joining our Greenwood Gatherings at Lynden.

All greenwood materials are included in the workshop. We’ll provide a set of carving tools, though you are welcome to bring your own. This workshop will take place on the grounds unless the weather is inclement, so please dress for the outdoors, pack your own lunch for breaks, and consider bringing sunscreen, bug repellent, and a camp chair for added comfort.

Lynden’s tool kit supports independent makers:
• Sloyd carving knife from Morakniv 106 - Sweden
• Spoon Hook Carver from Deepwood Ventures – Minnesota, USA
• Small Carver Axe 01 from Kathoff Axes – Sweden

October 13, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:30am

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Fee: $10/$5 members. Advance registration available but not required. Click here to register.

Join poet and Wisconsin Master Naturalist volunteer Chuck Stebelton on the second Sunday of each month to bird by eye and ear with a focus on the life histories of wild birds. We’ll watch for seasonal migrants and resident bird species and seek out the best bird habitats to identify as many species as we can. Please dress for the weather and plan to walk in varied terrain. Bring your binoculars and field guides if you have them; no previous birding experience required.

Click here to listen to Chuck Stebelton discuss his 'spark bird,' the Northern Flicker, on WUWM.

About Chuck Stebelton

Chuck Stebelton is author most recently of One Hundred Patterns & Three Heuristics (Green Gallery Press, 2023). His previous poetry collections include An Apostle Island (Oxeye Press, 2021), The Platformist (Cultural Society, 2012), and Circulation Flowers (Tougher Disguises, 2005). He currently serves as Project Manager at Woodland Pattern Book Center, a nonprofit literary arts organization in Milwaukee. As a Wisconsin Master Naturalist volunteer, he has led workshops and field trips for nonprofit organizations and conservancy groups including Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters; Milwaukee Public Library; Woodland Pattern Book Center; Friends of Lorine Niedecker; and Lynden Sculpture Garden. He recently completed an ARTservancy artist residency with River Revitalization Foundation and has held residencies at Lynden Sculpture Garden in 2011, 2014, and from 2018 to 2024.

October 15, 2024 - 10:30am - 11:30am

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2024 Summer Session (June 4-August 27): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2024 Fall/Winter Session (September 3-December 17): Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Register online now. In the event of inclement weather, sessions move indoors.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

October 16, 2024 - 10:30am - 11:00am

Lynden-ClaudiaOrjuela-HOMEStorytime

FREE
This is a virtual event.

HOME Multilingual Story Time features children’s books written or illustrated by artists who have faced forced displacement as refugees, asylum seekers, or immigrants, and come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Designed for children aged 4-8, we believe that reading picture books is a way to share and discuss big ideas with young children. We end each virtual session with an art activity from Lynden art educator Claudia Orjuela.

Scheduled to screen every third Wednesday of the month from 10:30 to 11 am, HOME Multilingual Story Time is a collaboration with the Milwaukee Public Library, Alliance Française de Milwaukee, Hanan Refugee Relief Group, the Islamic Resource Center, Milwaukee African Women's Association, Milwaukee Taiko Group Hibiki, UWM Department of French, Italian and Comparative Literature - French Program, UWM Libraries, Walker's Point Center for the Arts, and Wisconsin Ukrainians, Inc.

Videos remain on view once they are posted, and can be accessed at any time. Download our resource handout for parents, teachers, and advanced readers here.

Schedule, Recordings, and Activities

January 17, 2024: Who Are We?, written by Anneke Forzani and illustrated by Maria Russo, read in Burmese and English by Mala Lue. Archival recording. View the recording here.
February 21, 2024: The Boy Without a Name, written by Idries Shah and illustrated by Mona Caron, read in Dari/Afghan Persian and English by Khatol Nazari. View the recording here.
March 20, 2024: Un Jour, Tu Découvriras.../The Day You Began, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López, read in French and English by Marie Sandra Aloka. View the recording here.
April 17, 2024: Flicts, written and illustrated by Ziraldo, read in Brazilian Portuguese and English by Cris Siqueira of Lion's Tooth. View the recording here.
May 15, 2024: Soñadores/Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, read in Spanish and English by Claudia Orjuela. Archival recording. View the recording here.
October 16, 2024 M is for Myanmar, written by Elizabeth Rush, and illustrated by Khin Maung Myint, read in Burmese and English by Mala Nan Leth. View the recording here.
November 20, 2024 El Día de los Muertos/The Day of the Dead: A Bilingual Celebration, written by Bob Barner, read in Spanish and English by Claudia Orjuela.
December 11, 2024 Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood / Quizás Algo Hermoso. Cómo el Arte Transformó un Barrio, written by Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, and illustrated by Rafael López, read in Spanish and English by Joan Luciano.

Access prior HOME Story Time videos and activities here.

October 16, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

Lynden Art Club

Fall 2024 Session: (14 Weeks) Wednesdays, September 11–December 18, 2024 (no class 11/27) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $308/$224 members for the 14-week session

Art club is a community of young artists who are independent in their art practice but value a place to exchange ideas and support ,and learn from one another. Students will design a long-term independent art project at the beginning of the session and gather for in-progress reviews, take part in creative art challenges, have conversations about contemporary artists, and discuss their work with Lynden educators and their peers. Students will present their work at our final art club meeting.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Registration is closed.

October 17, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

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Fall 2024 Session I: (7 weeks) Thursdays, September 12-October 24, 2024 | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.
Fall 2024 Session II: (7 weeks) Thursdays, October 31-December 19, 2024(no class 11/28) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.

Lynden’s Art + Nature Lab engages participants aged 7-11 in inquiry-based art and nature learning, problem solving, and creative making. Over the course of two seven-week sessions, art educator Jeremy Stepien will take you on a series of art challenges and studio projects. Art + Nature Lab will meet indoors in the studio at Lynden with occasional excursions in the garden.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration required. Register online now.

October 17, 2024 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm

January-April: No Friend but the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani.
May-September: Radiance of Tomorrow by Ismael Beah.
October-January: My American Dream: A Journey from Fascism to Freedom by Barbara Sommer Feigin.

Fee: Free.
Registration: This discussion takes place via Zoom; advance registration required. Click here to register.

The Lynden/HOME Refugee Steering Committee book discussion group, moderated by Lynden’s Kim Khaira, is for those interested in firsthand accounts of displacement. We consider works of non-fiction and fiction, including autobiographical and semi-autobiographical works, by writers who have faced or are facing forced displacement as refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. Where stories of persecution, historical trauma, and loss of livelihood are effortlessly conveyed by storytellers, journalists, and humanitarians who search out or stumble upon the lives of refugees, we seek out the words of those to whom these stories belong: the narrators who are the closest to their own stories, and the stories of their people, friends, family and, of course, refugees. Newcomers always welcome!

October 19, 2024 - 10:00am - 4:00pm

Photo: Molly Rosenblum/Sam LaStrapes/Kodah

Visitors must adhere to our visitor guidelines.

Bring your canine friends for an afternoon of romping in the garden.

October 19, 2024 - 11:00am - 4:00pm

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Sessions:

  • Saturday, September 21, 2024, 11 am-4 pm – Wood Mallet
  • - Registration closed.

  • Saturday, October 19, 2024, 11 am-4 pm – Tree Walk and Open Carving
  • Saturday, November 23, 2024, 11am-4pm- Wood Bead Carving and Daniel Minter’s Muti


Fee: $15/$10 members. You are welcome to attend for the entire day, or for a portion, but registration is required. Add a Mora Knife for $35.
Registration: Space is limited; advance registration required. Register online or by phone at 414-446-8794.

Join us for the fall session of Lynden’s Greenwood Gathering, an open-ended carving event where both new and returning participants can bring their current or finished carving projects to share with fellow woodcarvers. Gather around the campfire to carve, exchange ideas, share techniques, and draw inspiration from each other’s work. The gatherings will include occasional themed demonstrations and relevant garden tours.

Enjoy a day in Lynden’s back acres to carve, share, and connect. We’ll take a break from carving to eat lunch (please pack your own) and make tea from foraged plants. Dress for the outdoors and consider bringing sunscreen and bug repellent. While we’ll provide some green wood for starting new projects, please bring your own carving tools (Mora knives will be available for purchase, or order yours, above). We have tree stumps around the fire for seating, but if you prefer something more comfortable seat, bring a camp chair. Suitable for ages 16 and up.

You might also be interested in:
Spoon Carving: A Sloyd Intensive with Jeremy Stepien, October 12 & 13, 2024

October 19, 2024 - 2:00pm - 4:00pm

ChrisSalas

Fee: $45/$38 members
Registration: Space is limited; advance registration required. Click here to register online.

Chris Salas, intermittent guest of Lynden artists-in-residence Open Kitchen and part of their OK, Sss (Self-seasonsing Symposium) series, returns for Part 2 of his residency, a ceramics workshop. Pinch Pot Meditations focuses on growing connections between intuition and the making process. Participants will build pottery and sculptural forms using a single piece of clay. Participants are invited to join a pit-firing on Sunday, October 27, where they will learn about and take part in one of the earliest ceramic firing methods.

OK Sss is a seasonal residency + food-related programming. Part 1 of Salas’s residency aligned with OK’s Cultural Garden expansion at Lynden. This second residency coincides with the garden’s final harvest.

More about Part 1 of Chris Salas’s residency here: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/open-kitchen-ok-sss-chris-salas-pt-1

About the Artist
Chris Salas (they/them) is an artist and educator primarily working in ceramics. Their studio practice is a search for a particular mental state – the engaged and unconscious divergence and convergence of ideas that imbue themselves into objects. These objects become abstracted forms of personal experiences, relationships, conversations, research – all of which currently revolves around time, place, momentum, with a pervasive presence of the history of colonization of the Americas. Chris received a BA in Chemistry from Michigan State University and an MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art. They have completed residencies at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota; at Ceramics School in Hamtramck, Michigan; at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine; and at Starworks Ceramics in Star, North Carolina. In 2023, Chris will be attending a residency at Township10 in North Carolina. They are a Visiting Artist at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago through the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship.

About OK Sss
Self-seasoning symposium (Sss) is a conceptual framework for building sustainable and ethical land relationships. The framework entwines ideas of self-organizing, seasonality, and a collective effort to identify an individual’s “sense of seasoning” by way of cookery. It is a field of food-related correspondences between artists and their ecological entanglements. A conceptual stone soup made of meaningful ideas that perform as ingredients for guests to repurpose in their food excursion (upon their tasting/finding). This collective project aims to influence a critical organizing process that strategizes ecological reciprocity.

Project support provided by The Open Fund, through the Poor Farm with funding from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Ruth Foundation for the Arts and by the Lynden Sculpture Garden.

October 19, 2024 - 7:00pm

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A Walk with Claudia Orjuela

Sessions:
Snow Moon, Saturday, February 24, 2024, 6 pm
Worm Moon, Sunday, March 24, 2024, 7 pm
Pink Moon, Friday, April 26, 2024, 7:30 pm
Flower Moon, Friday, May 24, 2024, 8 pm
Hunter's Moon, Saturday, October 19, 2024, 7 pm
Beaver Moon, Sunday, November 17, 2024, 5:30 pm

Fee: $10 per session/$5 per session for Lynden members. Children under 6 are free.
Registration: Space is limited; advance registration required. Register online or by phone at 414-446-8794. We will make a final decision about running each moon walk after checking the forecast on the morning of the walk. High winds, extreme temperatures, and precipitation beyond a light drizzle will lead to the cancellation of a walk. If we cancel a walk due to weather conditions, you will receive a full refund.

Come walk Lynden's grounds with art educator and naturalist Claudia Orjuela, who will introduce you to the mysteries and unique features of outdoor life after dark. Discover the sights and sounds of the night in Lynden’s back acres and observe our monumental sculptures beneath the light of the moon. A bonfire and treats await at the end.

October 20, 2024 - 12:30pm - 2:30pm

From September through December, we will be offering monthly, drop-in workshops for families. Stop by for engaging, hands-on activities that bring art and nature to life. Whether you make a quick visit or stay the entire two hours, count on spending some quality creative time with family and friends.

Fee: $15/$10 members per session per family (all materials included). All ages are welcome; children younger than 12 should attend with an adult.
Registration: Click here to register online.

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Sunday, September 22, 2024, 12:30-2:30 pm
Clay Magnets
Drop into the art studio to create a sculptural magnet to hang on your refrigerator. Get creative with shapes, patterns, and colors to make your magnet truly unique. Let your imagination fly as you work with air dry clay and a variety of materials and methods.

Sunday, October 20, 2024, 12:30-2:30 pm
Leaf Printing
Celebrate the beauty of autumn by gathering leaves from the trees of Lynden and using them to create nature-inspired prints. Design a card for a friend or a loved one.

Sunday, November 10, 2024, 12:30-2:30 pm
Make a Woolly Wish
Drop into the art studio to explore the art of wet felting with a creative twist: we’ll write a personal wish or something we’re grateful for on a rock before encasing it in layers of soft wool. The process of felting around the rock is a way of embracing what we’re grateful for and nurturing our hopes and dreams for the future.

Sunday, December 8, 2024, 12:30-2:30 pm
Bird Seed Ornaments
Show our feathered friends some love this cold season. Create your own unique, edible (to birds) ornament using found objects, seeds, and other bird-friendly treats. This is a nuts-free workshop.

October 22, 2024 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

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Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration encouraged. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

Join the Lynden land team—Alyx Christensen, Robert Kaleta, and Esther Portnoy--for a volunteer work day on the grounds. The Lynden Sculpture Garden is transforming its natural habitats and formal landscapes into sustainable and diverse ecosystems that highlight the natural beauty inherent in them. The Lynden's goal is to steward healthy habitats for an array of native plants and wildlife while adding a vibrant mosaic of color and texture to this sculptural landscape through every season.

With over 40 acres and more than half a dozen specialized garden spaces, the Lynden provides many volunteer and learning opportunities, from removing invasive species to planting new trees and plugs, weeding, pruning, collecting, and spreading seeds. If you or someone you know has a few hours or are looking for regular, ongoing volunteer work that keeps you outside, you are welcome to join us. With a small land staff, volunteer help is essential to the evolution and restoration of the Lynden grounds.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring their favorite gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them)! Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided.

Schedule

April 23, 10 am-12 pm
In April, help us control invasive garlic mustard within the forested ravine. Learn about invasive species control and leave with a handful of garlic mustard and a recipe for Garlic Mustard Pesto as a thank you for your time.

May 21, 10 am-12 pm
In May, we are back in the ravine to control garlic mustard and the now-blooming dame’s rocket. As we move through the season, we will be tracking different species of plants as they pop up around the grounds. Catching these plants at the correct time will help prevent them from seeding and spreading next year. While we may not want dame’s rocket in our landscapes, the leaves are edible; some compare them to a "sweeter arugula" (also known as rocket) or spinach.

June 25, 10 am-12 pm
In June, we're on the lookout for white sweet clover in Lynden's prairies and savannas. This clover tends to outgrow ecologically significant species, shading out the sun-loving plants we are working to cultivate in these microhabitats. While sweet clover is not so desirable in the landscape, it can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable or dried and used for vanilla flavoring in sweets and tea.

July 23, 10 am-12 pm
In July, we're still on the lookout for white sweet clover in Lynden's prairies and savannas. This clover tends to outgrow ecologically significant species, shading out the sun-loving plants we are working to cultivate in these microhabitats. While sweet clover is not so desirable in the landscape, it can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable or dried and used for vanilla flavoring in sweets and tea. We will also be watching for wild oregano, particularly in and around the labyrinth. Help us remove this vigorously spreading but pleasantly pungent plant to make way for native Wisconsin prairie. While we prefer to not keep this oregano in our natural areas, it can be a good companion in the form of fresh tea or when dried and used as a spice. Wild oregano is also thought to have some properties that are beneficial to human health.

August 27, 10 am-12 pm
In 2019, artist Jenna Knapp and the Lynden land team created a five-circuit walking labyrinth, 69 feet in diameter. Thoughtfully “nestled away from Lynden’s formal lawn, this labyrinth is carved into the tall grasses of the native prairie and evolves with the seasons, peaking in the early fall when the field is bright with goldenrod." In
August, we will spend some reflective time in Lynden’s labyrinth while also encouraging the native prairie plants to fill out by removing competitors like wild oregano, Queen Anne’s lace, Shasta/oxeye daisies, turf grass, and smooth bromegrass.

September 24, 10 am-12 pm
Lynden’s back areas are not open to the public, but they are home to heritage oaks and other unique tree species, ephemeral and native herbaceous species, and many land restoration projects. In September, we will take you behind the scenes to clear paths to ensure that staff can continue to traverse these landscapes, tending to projects and plant life.

October 22, 10 am-12 pm
This fall we hope to add about 30 new trees to the Lynden landscape. While much of our 40 acres consists of sculptures on mowed lawn and landscaped gardens, we also have a robust tree catalog of nearly 100 different species. With so many trees, there is constant maintenance and replenishing to be done, as some trees age or get sick and new ones get planted, strengthening the various ecosystems. Tasks that will be completed consist of digging holes, moving and planting trees ranging from 3-5 feet in height, and mulching them in to protect their roots.

November 12, 10 am-12 pm
Winter is a critical time for managing buckthorn, one of the most persistent and prolific plant species that competes against diverse plant ecosystems. Buckthorn has characteristics that allow it to outcompete other plant species; it grows and matures much faster than other plants and rapidly colonizes, leaving little time or room for the growth of anything else. In November, we will be on the eastern side of the grounds, tending the understory of our, within the understory of our paper birch island by manually removing buckthorn using the “cut-stump” method. This will clear the area and relieve competition for future native plantings.

October 22, 2024 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

Sessions:
Tuesday, October 22 – 10 am-12 pm
Thursday, October 24 – 10 am-12 pm
Saturday, October 26 - 10:30 am-1:30 pm

Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration encouraged. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

The Lynden land team has been hosting monthly volunteer work days for several years, but occasionally we have larger projects that fall outside that structure.

This fall we hope to add about 30 new trees to the Lynden landscape. While much of our 40 acres consists of sculptures on mowed lawn and landscaped gardens, we also have a robust tree catalog of nearly 100 different species. With so many trees, there is constant maintenance and replenishing to be done, as some trees age or get sick and new ones get planted, strengthening the various ecosystems. Tasks that will be completed consist of digging holes, moving and planting trees ranging from 3-5 feet in height, and mulching them in to protect their roots.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them). Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided!

You may also be interested in our tree-ring planting days.

October 22, 2024 - 10:30am - 11:30am

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2024 Summer Session (June 4-August 27): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2024 Fall/Winter Session (September 3-December 17): Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Register online now. In the event of inclement weather, sessions move indoors.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

October 23, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

Lynden Art Club

Fall 2024 Session: (14 Weeks) Wednesdays, September 11–December 18, 2024 (no class 11/27) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $308/$224 members for the 14-week session

Art club is a community of young artists who are independent in their art practice but value a place to exchange ideas and support ,and learn from one another. Students will design a long-term independent art project at the beginning of the session and gather for in-progress reviews, take part in creative art challenges, have conversations about contemporary artists, and discuss their work with Lynden educators and their peers. Students will present their work at our final art club meeting.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Registration is closed.

October 24, 2024 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

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Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration required. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

Join the Lynden land team—Alyx Christensen, Robert Kaleta, and Esther Portnoy--for a volunteer work day on the grounds. The Lynden Sculpture Garden is transforming its natural habitats and formal landscapes into sustainable and diverse ecosystems that highlight the natural beauty inherent in them. The Lynden's goal is to steward healthy habitats for an array of native plants and wildlife while adding a vibrant mosaic of color and texture to this sculptural landscape through every season.

With over 40 acres and more than half a dozen specialized garden spaces, the Lynden provides many volunteer and learning opportunities, from removing invasive species to planting new trees and plugs, weeding, pruning, collecting, and spreading seeds. If you or someone you know has a few hours or are looking for regular, ongoing volunteer work that keeps you outside, you are welcome to join us. With a small land staff, volunteer help is essential to the evolution and restoration of the Lynden grounds.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring their favorite gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them)! Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided.

Schedule

April 25, 10 am-12 pm
In April, we will assist artist-in-residence Kim Khaira with seeding and spring cleanup in her tinctorial garden (a garden of plants that can be used in natural dyeing). Work alongside Khaira and the land team to continue with the removal of any remaining invasive species, as well as spreading seed for new dye plants to grow. Khaira will introduce the native plants she has chosen for the garden, including the significance of the seeds chosen, and talk about their many uses beyond their role in natural dyes.

May 23, 10 am-12 pm
Lynden’s two forested ravines are treasures: shady oases in the summer, home to many species of tree and plant life. Unfortunately, some of the older transplants are crowding out native species. In May, we will be removing daylilies from the upper ravine and learning about how to replace this fast-spreading plant with other, pollinator-friendly options.

June 27, 10 am-12 pm
Now that the fragrant lilac bloom has ended, it's time to prune all the dried-up buds. Pruning spent lilac buds helps promote the growth of more flowers next year. Spend a couple of hours in the formal gardens with us sprucing up the lilacs and learning about blending native and non-native plants to enhance the beauty and pollinator value of the aesthetic gardens here at the Lynden.

July 25, 10 am-12 pm
Upon your arrival at the Lynden Sculpture Garden, you are greeted by a picturesque waterfall and formally landscaped hill, home to an array of unique shade-loving perennial species, evergreens, and shrubs. Waterfall Hill has undergone many changes as we work to incorporate this small ecology into the larger Lynden landscape and to create a design that serves as an introduction to the tranquillity and the excitement that unfolds across the grounds. One month into summer, we are knee-deep in peak growing season and could use your help keeping Waterfall Hill tidy.

August 29, 10 am-12 pm
On the western edge of Lynden’s formal gardens, leading up to and embracing The Bremen Town Musicians, is our annual display garden. This traditionally styled garden plays with symmetry, structure, and color using annually grown plant species—species that don’t survive the Wisconsin winter--and it changes each year. Annuals play an important role in feeding pollinating insects because they bloom throughout the growing season. This is also a garden that accentuates a sculptural focal point, making an impact on visitors. In addition to acknowledging that flowers play an important role in pollination and visual engagement, we also like to understand and encourage the many functional uses of the plant communities we engage with. As we weed, prune, and deadhead the annual garden, we will be collecting the plant detritus to create floral teas or bath soaks to take home.

September 26, 10 am-12 pm
The stone path leading up to the patio is nestled between an evolving native shade garden and a sprawling beech tree that is more than 100 years old. In September, we will be removing thistles and dandelions and sprucing up this welcoming walkway. We will also let you in on our new plans for this area. While standing under such majestic trees as the beech or the neighboring elms is always awe-inspiring, over time our steps have been compressing soil and root structures, leaving little space for them to breathe. In 2024 we plan to extend the walkway garden to encircle the beech tree. This will minimize traffic under the tree, and adding plants will help support the beech tree's roots by regulating water availability and giving the soil a chance to recover through herbaceous plant root development. Not to mention adding plant diversity for the other living species we host at the Lynden. It will be a healthier and more beautiful environment for all, and we look forward to including you in that growth next season.

October 24, 10 am-12 pm
This fall we hope to add about 30 new trees to the Lynden landscape. While much of our 40 acres consists of sculptures on mowed lawn and landscaped gardens, we also have a robust tree catalog of nearly 100 different species. With so many trees, there is constant maintenance and replenishing to be done, as some trees age or get sick and new ones get planted, strengthening the various ecosystems. Tasks that will be completed consist of digging holes, moving and planting trees ranging from 3-5 feet in height, and mulching them in to protect their roots.

November 14, 10 am-12 pm
In November, we shield the soil from the harsh winter conditions by spreading fallen leaves and tucking in all the bare spots within the gardens. This leaf mulch—which we will till into the ground next spring before planting--will protect the top layers of soil, reintroduce nutrients, and boost fertility for next season’s barrage of flowers. Join us for one last garden work day as we say goodnight to the gardens until spring, jump in crisp piles of leaves, and enjoy the musty scents of autumn.

October 24, 2024 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

Sessions:
Tuesday, October 22 – 10 am-12 pm
Thursday, October 24 – 10 am-12 pm
Saturday, October 26 - 10:30 am-1:30 pm

Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration encouraged. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

The Lynden land team has been hosting monthly volunteer work days for several years, but occasionally we have larger projects that fall outside that structure.

This fall we hope to add about 30 new trees to the Lynden landscape. While much of our 40 acres consists of sculptures on mowed lawn and landscaped gardens, we also have a robust tree catalog of nearly 100 different species. With so many trees, there is constant maintenance and replenishing to be done, as some trees age or get sick and new ones get planted, strengthening the various ecosystems. Tasks that will be completed consist of digging holes, moving and planting trees ranging from 3-5 feet in height, and mulching them in to protect their roots.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them). Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided!

You may also be interested in our tree-ring planting days.

October 24, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

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Fall 2024 Session I: (7 weeks) Thursdays, September 12-October 24, 2024 | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.
Fall 2024 Session II: (7 weeks) Thursdays, October 31-December 19, 2024(no class 11/28) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.

Lynden’s Art + Nature Lab engages participants aged 7-11 in inquiry-based art and nature learning, problem solving, and creative making. Over the course of two seven-week sessions, art educator Jeremy Stepien will take you on a series of art challenges and studio projects. Art + Nature Lab will meet indoors in the studio at Lynden with occasional excursions in the garden.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration required. Register online now.

October 26, 2024 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

Sessions:
Tuesday, October 22 – 10 am-12 pm
Thursday, October 24 – 10 am-12 pm
Saturday, October 26 - 10:30 am-1:30 pm

Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration encouraged. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

The Lynden land team has been hosting monthly volunteer work days for several years, but occasionally we have larger projects that fall outside that structure.

This fall we hope to add about 30 new trees to the Lynden landscape. While much of our 40 acres consists of sculptures on mowed lawn and landscaped gardens, we also have a robust tree catalog of nearly 100 different species. With so many trees, there is constant maintenance and replenishing to be done, as some trees age or get sick and new ones get planted, strengthening the various ecosystems. Tasks that will be completed consist of digging holes, moving and planting trees ranging from 3-5 feet in height, and mulching them in to protect their roots.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them). Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided!

You may also be interested in our tree-ring planting days.

October 29, 2024 - 10:30am - 11:30am

IMG_8975

2024 Summer Session (June 4-August 27): Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am
2024 Fall/Winter Session (September 3-December 17): Select Tuesdays, 10:30 am-11:30 am

Tuesdays in the Garden, designed for children aged 1-3, provides a nurturing environment where children’s curiosity and wonder are extended through play and exploration, and children and their caregivers learn and discover side-by-side. Join art educators Claudia Orjuela and Denice Niebuhr for hands-on art making and all-senses-engaged exploration of the outdoor world at Lynden. We’ll consider different themes, each designed to connect Lynden’s environment with children’s interests. We will encourage experimentation and the manipulation of art and natural materials to tell stories, solve problems, and develop relationships.

Fee: $16/$12 members for one adult and one child.
Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration is required. Register online now. In the event of inclement weather, sessions move indoors.

To view a list of the session themes, click here.

October 30, 2024 - 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Sessions:
Wednesday, October 30, 1-4 pm
Thursday, October 31, 1-4 pm

Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration encouraged. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

The Lynden land team has been hosting monthly volunteer work days for several years, but occasionally we have larger projects that fall outside that structure.

This fall we will be planting rings of vegetation around the bases of two of our legacy trees—a beech and a maple—on our front lawn. We will release the root crowns by removing the sod that grows around the trunk. This will allow the roots of the trees to breathe while introducing new plants to create a healthy soil microbiome to replace the grass. These rings protect the roots from compaction by keeping pedestrians at a slight distance, and they also look quite beautiful. Tasks will include planting small plugs of native perennials, newspapering, and mulching.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them). Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided!

You may also be interested in our tree planting days.

October 30, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

Lynden Art Club

Fall 2024 Session: (14 Weeks) Wednesdays, September 11–December 18, 2024 (no class 11/27) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $308/$224 members for the 14-week session

Art club is a community of young artists who are independent in their art practice but value a place to exchange ideas and support ,and learn from one another. Students will design a long-term independent art project at the beginning of the session and gather for in-progress reviews, take part in creative art challenges, have conversations about contemporary artists, and discuss their work with Lynden educators and their peers. Students will present their work at our final art club meeting.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Registration is closed.

October 30, 2024 - 7:30pm

Schedule:
NINA GHANBARZADEH
Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at 7:30 pm
***VIRTUAL***
For information: https://uwm.edu/arts/event/artists-now-guest-lecture-series-nina-ghanbarzadeh/
Nina Ghanbarzadeh (Afkhamian) is a visual artist whose work is informed by the geometric and biomorphic patterns, colors, and textures of her Persian cultural traditions. Ghanbarzadeh emigrated from Tehran, Iran in 2001. She earned her BFA in painting, drawing and graphic design from the UW-Milwaukee in 2013 and completed a two-year Artist in Residence Program with Redline Milwaukee in 2015.

JOVANNY HERNANDEZ CABALLERO
Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at 7:30 pm
***VIRTUAL***
For information: https://uwm.edu/arts/event/artists-now-guest-lecture-series-jovanny-caballero-hernandez/
Jovanny Hernandez Caballero is a community artist and photographer based in Milwaukee. He is a first-generation American and descendant of Mixtecs, an Indigenous people based in present-day Mexico. His work centers around themes of cultural heritage and identity. Jovanny documents the beauty of Milwaukee’s South Side and his family’s native land of Oaxaca, Mexico. He completed his BFA in Photography & Imaging at UW-Milwaukee in 2023, and is a 2024 Mary L. Nohl Emerging Artist Fellow.

NICHOLAS PERRY
Wednesday, December 6, 2024, at 7:30 pm
***VIRTUAL***
For information: https://uwm.edu/arts/event/artists-now-guest-lecture-series-nicholas-perry/
Nicholas Perry is a painter and 2024 Mary L. Nohl Emerging Artist Fellow based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He received a BFA from UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts in 2018. Nicholas makes figurative paintings that draw on art-historical influences, personal photography, and other visual languages.

October 31, 2024 - 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Sessions:
Wednesday, October 30, 1-4 pm
Thursday, October 31, 1-4 pm

Fee: Free.
Registration: Advance registration encouraged. Click here to register online. Work days are weather dependent.

The Lynden land team has been hosting monthly volunteer work days for several years, but occasionally we have larger projects that fall outside that structure.

This fall we will be planting rings of vegetation around the bases of two of our legacy trees—a beech and a maple—on our front lawn. We will release the root crowns by removing the sod that grows around the trunk. This will allow the roots of the trees to breathe while introducing new plants to create a healthy soil microbiome to replace the grass. These rings protect the roots from compaction by keeping pedestrians at a slight distance, and they also look quite beautiful. Tasks will include planting small plugs of native perennials, newspapering, and mulching.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring gardening gloves and digging tools (if you have them). Water, snacks, and additional tools will be provided!

You may also be interested in our tree planting days.

October 31, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:30pm

IMG_0015

Fall 2024 Session I: (7 weeks) Thursdays, September 12-October 24, 2024 | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.
Fall 2024 Session II: (7 weeks) Thursdays, October 31-December 19, 2024(no class 11/28) | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | $154/$112 members per 7-week session. Registration is closed.

Lynden’s Art + Nature Lab engages participants aged 7-11 in inquiry-based art and nature learning, problem solving, and creative making. Over the course of two seven-week sessions, art educator Jeremy Stepien will take you on a series of art challenges and studio projects. Art + Nature Lab will meet indoors in the studio at Lynden with occasional excursions in the garden.

To view our Safety Guidelines for Parent-and-Child, Youth Workshops, click here.

Registration: Group size is limited; advance registration required. Register online now.


©2024 Lynden Sculpture Garden