Events Calendar

Winter + Spring 2024 Session: (16 weeks) Wednesdays, January 10-May 1, 2024 (no class 3/27) | 3:30-5:30 pm | $352/$256 members per 16-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 meet 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: Group size is limited; advance registration required. Late registrations accepted. Register online now.

A Workshop with Alyx Christensen

Fee: $15/$10 members
Registration: Space is limited; advance registration required. Register online or by phone at 414-446-8794.

It’s time to start planning your vegetable garden for three seasons of harvesting. In this workshop, you will be introduced to techniques such as companion planting, intercropping, and vertical growing, as well as sustainable maintenance practices, starting seeds from scratch, and how to incorporate established plants from greenhouses. Using this information, you will design a master plan for a 4 x 4-foot garden bed that can be scaled up for larger spaces or shrink to the size of a planter. Bring your questions and ideas, garden planning materials will be provided.

About Alyx Christensen
Alyx Christensen is a member of Lynden’s land team. She oversees Lynden’s vegetable and flower gardens, designs plantings on the grounds, and hosts the monthly garden work days. She is also an artist-in-residence as part of the artist collective Open Kitchen.

Winter + Spring 2024 Session: (16 weeks) Wednesdays, January 10-May 1, 2024 (no class 3/27) | 3:30-5:30 pm | $352/$256 members per 16-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 meet 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: Group size is limited; advance registration required. Late registrations accepted. Register online now.

Fee: $100/$85 members (all materials included)
Registration: Suitable for ages 12 and up. Space is limited; advance registration required. Online registration is closed. Register by phone at 414-446-8794.

Making cartonería— papier mache sculptures—is a traditional Mexican paper-based craft. Among the varieties of cartonería are alebrijes, statues of colorful and mythical creatures. Cartonera Ceci Tejeda will immerse us in the Mesoamerican legend and traditions of the powerful Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, who was transformed into a feathered serpent. You will create your own Quetzalcoat alebrije using traditional cartonería techniques. No experience necessary; suitable for adults and children 12 and up.

Pack a lunch and some beverages, and dress appropriately if you want to walk outside during the lunch break.

About the Artist
Ceci Tejeda was born and raised in Mexico City. Her parents are from Michoacán, Mexico, which is why she has Purepecha (Indigenous) blood in her veins. Ceci has admired her culture since she was a very young girl. When she first came to Wisconsin, it was difficult to adapt, but she never lost her love for creativity. Now that she has lived here for more than 10 years, she still embraces her roots and enjoys sharing them with others. She creates her papier-mâché alebrijes and skulls with joy and love and shares her papier-mâché skills with future generations through youth workshops at schools and cultural events. Ceci advocates for immigrant rights by volunteering for and using her artistic abilities to support Voces de la Frontera, a local immigrant rights group. She also collaborates with other Latinx artists in las R.A.R.A.S, a local artist collective. This work creates a sense of home by making her feel closer to her people, her culture, and herself. Participating in events for local artists supported by her community helps her to realize that no matter where she is, she can carry her roots with her.

From February to April, we will be offering free, 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: Free (all materials included). All ages are welcome; children younger than 12 should attend with an adult.
Registration: Register online or by phone at 414-446-8794.

Sunday, February 11, 2024, 12:30-2:30 pm
Clay Magnets
Registration is closed.
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, March 10, 2024, 12:30-2:30 pm
Upcycled Wind Chimes
This session is full. Complete registration to be added to the waitlist.
Repurpose and assemble found objects and studio materials to create a wind chime that will give your outdoor space its own voice. Families are encouraged to bring objects from home to add to their piece.

Sunday, April 14, 2024, 12:30-2:30 pm
Sun Printing
Use the sun to make detailed prints from virtually any object that casts a shadow.
Cyanotype is a sun-printing process and one of the earliest photographic techniques. Discovered in 1842, it produces Prussian blue monochromatic prints. The cyanotype process is simple, flexible, magical, and fun. Stop by the studio to make your own cyanotype to take home.

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.
May 15, 2024: Soñadores/Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, read in Spanish and English by Claudia Orjuela. Archival recording.

Access prior HOME Story Time videos and activities here.

Winter 2024 Session: (8 weeks) Thursdays, January 11-February 29, 2024 | 3:30-5:30 pm | $176/$128 members per 8-week session
Spring 2024 Session: (8 weeks) Thursdays, March 7-May 2, 2024 (no class 3/28) | 3:30-5:30 pm | $176/$128 members per 8-week session

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 eight-week sessions, art educator Jeremy Stepien will engage you in 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. Registration is closed.

Fee: $20/$16 members
Registration: Space is limited; advance registration required. Register online or by phone at 414-446-8794.

Join horticulturist Justine Miller on a plant walk through Lynden's grounds with a primary focus on Wisconsin native spring ephemerals. These plants are the earliest flowers to bloom but keep their growing season brief, taking advantage of full sun before the canopy leafs out. Participants will learn about their ecology, cultivation, and how they can promote these beautiful species in their own yards.

About Justine Miller
Justine Miller is a horticulturist with a background in landscape design and public gardens. As a designer her emphasis is on the utilization of Wisconsin-native plants, recreating natural communities or in combination with nonnative specimens, to create beautiful and ecologically functional gardens. She currently works as the Desert Dome Horticulturist at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory.

Fee: $20/$15 members. Scholarship assistance available.
Registration: Space is limited; advance registration required. Register online or by phone at 414-446-8794.

Join artist in residence Jenna Knapp and poet KP Kaszubowski for an afternoon of walking and writing together during their third interactive poetry workshop at the garden. As Earth Day approaches, we will continue to honor and celebrate the life of the Norway maple that long provided shade and shelter at the top of the hill overlooking the labyrinth.

April invites us to celebrate the earth and take notice of all the slow and beautiful moments in nature that are always waiting for us, despite our fast-paced lives. In this third iteration of Actively Missing You we will continue to explore themes of grief, change and loss--this time through the lens of our relationship to the places that make us and how their ever-changing landscape changes us.

During the workshop, we will discuss the labyrinth's history, silently walk its winding path, and use poetry prompts to generate more written material. There will be time to share and reflect together as a group, and you'll have the option to contribute your writing to be engraved into the logs at a later date, allowing the Norway maple's history to live on.

Everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of writing experience. We will spend part of this workshop in the labyrinth and part inside the studio. Wear comfortable clothes for the spring weather, and bring your own writing materials, beverages, and snacks for the afternoon.

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
October is for seed collecting and dispersing in our prairie areas. We use many tools to revitalize these areas and encourage high plant diversity--controlled burns, the ever-popular goat visits—and seed collection is one more step we take to encourage these plants to spread and outgrow unfavorable plant species, leading to a high-quality, rich prairie ecosystem. Come learn about our restoration projects and take a few seeds home for your backyard garden.

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.

Winter + Spring 2024 Session: (16 weeks) Wednesdays, January 10-May 1, 2024 (no class 3/27) | 3:30-5:30 pm | $352/$256 members per 16-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 meet 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: Group size is limited; advance registration required. Late registrations accepted. Register online now.

Winter 2024 Session: (8 weeks) Thursdays, January 11-February 29, 2024 | 3:30-5:30 pm | $176/$128 members per 8-week session
Spring 2024 Session: (8 weeks) Thursdays, March 7-May 2, 2024 (no class 3/28) | 3:30-5:30 pm | $176/$128 members per 8-week session

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 eight-week sessions, art educator Jeremy Stepien will engage you in 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. Registration is closed.

Fee: $15/$10 members. You may purchase a Mora sloyd knife to take home for $35.
Registration: The workshop is full. To be added to the waitlist, call 414-446-8794 or email staff@lyndensculpturegarden.org.

Sloyd, or slöjd, is a Scandinavian-based handcraft movement and educational system. It falls under the umbrella of green woodworking--woodwork that starts with "green" (still wet) wood. Sloyd items are meant to be functional, designed for everyday use around the home: spoons, bowls, cups, buttons, coat hooks, furniture. Practicing Sloyd encourages self-sufficiency and an intimate knowledge of the local natural resources.

Our green woodworking experience starts at 11 am with a carving-specific tree walk. You'll discover which trees are perfect for greenwood carving and gain insight into the unique forest management practices implemented at Lynden.

We’ll take a lunch break and at 12:30 pm we’ll gather around a campfire for an afternoon of hands-on carving. Sip tea made from foraged plants as you try your hand at carving a jam spreader, wooden bead, or spatula. The workshop will move indoors if the weather is inclement.

This workshop, suitable for ages 16 and up, covers carving fundamentals, including safe axe and knife techniques, responsible material gathering, finishing, and tool maintenance. Whether you're a beginner or experienced carver, all are welcome. Bring your own carving tools, or we'll provide sloyd knives for beginners. You can also purchase a Mora sloyd knife as part of the workshop package.