UW–Madison Division of the Arts: Announcing the Inaugural Arts Crawl at UW–Madison from March 31-April 2, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2022

MEDIA CONTACT:
Lisa Spierer | UW–Madison Division of the Arts | lisa.spierer@wisc.edu

WEBSITE: go.wisc.edu/ArtsCrawl

MEDIA KIT: https://uwmadison.box.com/s/ekt0fd6tv4pc5dculz7dx0wal55bimif

LINK TO ARTICLE: https://artsdivision.wisc.edu/2022/03/10/arts-crawl/

Announcing the Inaugural Arts Crawl at UW–Madison from March 31-April 2, 2022

Madison, Wis. – Mark your calendars for the inaugural Arts Crawl, taking place on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus from Thursday, March 31 – Saturday, April 2.

Arts Crawl highlights a collection of arts events held over several days in the arts departments and co-curricular arts units at UW­–Madison. It is an opportunity to have creative arts experiences, which may take the form of demonstrations and workshops, as well as the chance to visit arts classes, lectures, talks, performances, exhibitions and rehearsals.

Division of the Arts student assistant Dawry Ruiz presented the concept for this event last fall. Ruiz is a third-year First Wave Scholar majoring in Community and Nonprofit Leadership and a certificate in Arts and Teaching. He says, “The Arts Crawl is a collaborative experience where the arts on campus are showcased in their most collaborative and interdisciplinary form. The Crawl is an opportunity to share what the arts community at UW can offer the surrounding communities.”

Attendees are invited to curate their own experience. Sit in on a weaving course or watch films by students in Communication Arts. See a glass blowing demonstration, walk through an immersive installation at the campus art museum or attend a performance by Grammy-nominated musicians.

Arts Crawl is presented in partnership with Line Breaks Festival (April 1-2, 2022), one of the largest annual hip hop theater festivals in the Midwest. In the fifteenth anniversary year of the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives, the sixteenth annual Line Breaks Festival will be a homecoming for UW alumni involved in multicultural arts over the last 15 years and beyond. Line Breaks Festival events are free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Many Arts Crawl events are free and open to the public. Some events require advance registration or ticket purchase. To view the whole schedule, visit go.wisc.edu/ArtsCrawl.

Arts Crawl 2022 is presented by the UW–Madison Division of the Arts in partnership with the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives and the Madison Metropolitan School District.

About the Division of the Arts

An academic administrative unit in the Office of the Provost, the Division of the Arts unifies and catalyzes the arts at UW–Madison. We support and promote the missions of the academic arts departments and affiliated partners, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, deepen the student experience, build community engagement, and advocate for inclusion, diversity, equity, and access across the arts.

About the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives

The Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives within the Division of Diversity, Equity, & Educational Achievement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides culturally relevant and transformative arts programming to promote positive social dialogue and to give cultural art forms a legitimate academic forum. By harnessing the broad cultural influence of spoken word, hip hop and emerging as well as traditional art forms, OMAI’s events and programming create learning environments that directly affect UW-Madison’s campus climate, improving retention and graduation success, preparing future leaders to reinvest in their communities. By continually refreshing this paradigm that integrates traditional academics and cutting-edge arts activism, OMAI empowers transnational leaders with new tools for inclusive community building.

One of OMAI’s most prominent initiatives is the First Wave Hip Hop and Urban Arts Learning Community, a cutting-edge multicultural artistic program for incoming students which offers a four-year full tuition scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Bringing together young artists and leaders from across the United States and beyond, the First Wave Learning Community offers students the opportunity to live, study and create together in a close-knit, dynamic campus community. First Wave is the first university program in the country centered on urban arts, spoken word and hip-hop culture.

###

UW–Madison Students: Apply Now to Lead the Wisconsin Homecoming Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2022

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director, Wisconsin Union
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-8862

UW–MADISON STUDENTS: APPLY NOW TO LEAD THE WISCONSIN HOMECOMING COMMITTEE

MADISON –  Applying for Wisconsin Homecoming Committee executive board and committee member positions means applying for the opportunity to organize one of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s longest-standing traditions, advance leadership and event planning skills, build a professional network, get involved on campus and have fun, all in one leadership experience.

UW–Madison students can apply here March 8-31 for the following Wisconsin Homecoming Committee executive board positions: president, vice president, director of marketing, or campus events chair. Students can also apply now for priority consideration to serve as a committee member.

Wisconsin Homecoming Committee leaders will serve important roles in helping guide this time-honored tradition, from recruiting committee members to determining the 2022 UW–Madison Homecoming events lineup. The 2022 Homecoming celebration will take place Oct. 17–22.

Past events have included a talk by a campus thought leader, a blood drive, a coloring contest, a yard show, a parade throughout downtown Madison, Wis., and more.

“Wisconsin Homecoming Committee executive board members build on a decades-long tradition at UW–Madison yet have the chance to determine the Homecoming event traditions of the future,” Wisconsin Union Community Engagement Director Amy Guthier said.

The UW–Madison student-run Wisconsin Homecoming Committee works with the Wisconsin Union team to bring together the Badger community to celebrate being a Wisconsin Badger or a Badger-at-heart.

Those interested in applying for an executive board member position or other Wisconsin Homecoming Committee leadership roles can apply here.

-###-

About the Wisconsin Homecoming Committee

The mission of the Wisconsin Homecoming Committee is to bring together the Badger community by providing opportunities to honor Wisconsin traditions. The Homecoming Committee reaches out to the student body, alumni, and community members to celebrate what it means to be a Wisconsin Badger. Learn more about the Committee here.

About the Wisconsin Union

The Wisconsin Union enhances the lives of members and visitors through recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities. Formed in 1907, the Wisconsin Union is a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Union and its tradition of providing experiences for a lifetime: union.wisc.edu.  

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/homecoming-committee-2022.

UW–Madison Division of the Arts: State of the Art: International Screendance Symposium Events held at H’Doubler Performance Space in Lathrop Hall from April 10-13, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2, 2022  

MEDIA CONTACT:  
Douglas Rosenberg | UW–Madison Art Department | rosend@education.wisc.edu

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

LINK TO ARTICLE

State of the Art: International Screendance Symposium Events held at H’Doubler Performance Space in Lathrop Hall from April 10-13, 2022

Madison, Wis. – We are pleased to announce State of the Art: The 2022 International Symposium on Screendance, directed by UW–Madison Art Department Professor Douglas Rosenberg. The event will be held at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from April 10-13, 2022. This year’s symposium will focus on a number of topics that are timely to the field of screendance, including, but not limited to, the Feminist roots of screendance, the generational and evolving critical landscape of the field, de-colonizing screendance, race and gender in screendance, intersectionality and facilitating new ways of knowing the cinematic body and mapping the literature of the field. All events will be free and open to the public

In the year 2000, UW–Madison held the first-ever International Dance for the Camera Symposium, which has, for the last twenty years, been a global touchstone for the field. It was a historic meeting that attracted not only scholars and practitioners of the genre, but choreographers and video/filmmakers from around the world including Latin American, the UK, Europe and elsewhere. In addition to generating dialogue on the history and theory of the field, the symposium included roundtable discussions, lectures, and a screening of selected dance film and video work from around the world. It also provided a generational bridge to the future of the art form. As an outgrowth of the symposium, a number of participants took the experience back to their own communities and continued to nurture the field through courses, festivals, workshops and other forms of audience building.

Since that time, the field has grown exponentially. There have been numerous international gatherings and symposia, new festivals and screening opportunities and new voices have emerged through both scholarship and practice. There is an International Journal of Screendance (founded at UW–Madison) and brilliantly written books, articles and chapters that focus on the practice in multiple languages by deeply thoughtful writers. As the field has evolved in the last two decades, it is a perfect time to bring together interdisciplinary artists and practitioners, scholars and historians to share new research in the field and to continue to build a welcoming international community.

For more information, including a schedule, travel accommodations, and registration, visit screendancesymposium.art.wisc.edu.

The International Screendance Symposium is generously supported by the Virginia Horne Henry Fund and is co-sponsored by the UW–Madison Art Department and UW–Madison Dance Department. Promotional support provided by the UW–Madison Division of the Arts.

###

Wisconsin Union Theater to Host Music and Health Talk, Music Studio Class and Recital With Legendary Soprano Renée Fleming in April

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 28, 2022

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu 
Phone: (608) 262-8862

WISCONSIN UNION THEATER TO HOST MUSIC AND HEALTH TALK, MUSIC STUDIO CLASS, AND RECITAL WITH LEGENDARY SOPRANO RENÉE FLEMING IN APRIL

MADISON, Wis. — People will have multiple opportunities to experience the talent of Renée Fleming as the world-renowned soprano, educator and advocate for health and well-being takes up residency at UW–Madison for three days leading up to her performance in the Wisconsin Union Theater’s Shannon Hall on April 30. Tickets for all events featuring Fleming will become available on March 1 at 2 p.m. CST.

Fleming’s time in Madison will include:

• “Music and the Mind” talk, April 28, 7 p.m.: The talk “Music and the Mind,” featuring Fleming, will explore how music can benefit many aspects of health, such as childhood development, chronic pain, communication disorders, memory disorders, mental health and movement disorders. Tickets range from $10 for current UW-Madison students with a valid Wiscard to $50 for other patrons. Discounted tickets are available to Wisconsin Union members and UW–Madison staff and faculty. Click here to purchase a ticket.
• Performance studio class, April 29, 4 p.m.: Fleming will provide professional guidance to five UW–Madison student musicians, who will perform in front of Fleming. This event is open to the public. Click here to register for a free ticket.
• Recital, April 30, 7 p.m.: Fleming will perform a variety of pieces from her wide-spanning repertoire at Shannon Hall in Memorial Union. Tickets range from $30 for current UW–Madison students with a valid Wiscard to $120 for other patrons. Discounted tickets are available to Wisconsin Union members and UW–Madison staff and faculty. Click here to purchase a ticket.

The Wisconsin Union Theater team invites patrons to purchase craft cocktails, beer or non-alcoholic beverages at Memorial Union’s Shannon Sunset Lounge from 6-7 p.m. on April 30 before Fleming’s performance. This cash-only bar will include a to-be-announced signature cocktail inspired by Fleming’s performance and Shannon Hall.

Hailed as America’s reigning diva, the people’s diva, and the world’s beloved diva, Fleming performs and embraces a vast music repertoire, from the music of Baroque Era composer George Frideric Handel to contemporary Broadway tunes.

Fleming moves seemingly effortlessly among music genres, taking audience members’ breath away with her operatic prowess and bringing audiences through a journey of emotions with rock and pop.

The fullness, warmth, and velvet quality of this world-class artist’s voice, her critically acclaimed acting ability, and her flawless technique have garnered her fans and awards across decades and throughout the world.             

Fleming has won four Grammy awards, received the U.S. National Medal of Arts, and can claim many firsts throughout her career, including being the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to solo headline an opening night gala and being the first and only opera singer to sing at the Super Bowl.

Fleming’s passion for music also extends to music’s impact on mental and physical health, which patrons can learn more about during the talk “Music and the Mind” on April 28. She will share insight into the transformative power of music and how music intersects with health and neuroscience. She has shared her fascination with how music memory is the last memory to leave someone and the implications of that fact on memory disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

“Renée Fleming’s Wisconsin Union Theater performance is a history-making moment for the Theater,” Wisconsin Union Theater Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “Her name will be among a list of talented artists and their unforgettable performances, joining a list that includes Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and Gil Shaham. From the intimate setting of a performance studio class to the awe-inspiring recital in the revered acoustics in Shannon Hall, there are multiple ways to experience this legend during her time in Madison.”

The Wisconsin Union Theater originally scheduled Fleming’s performance as part of the 2019-20 season. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of Fleming’s original performance date. Two years later, Fleming will make her Wisconsin Union Theater debut.

Generous support from Robert and Linda Graebner and Stephen Morton helped make the long-awaited recital possible.

The Wisconsin Union Theater presents “Music and the Mind” in collaboration with John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Institutes of Health, in association with the National Endowment for the Arts. “Music and the Mind” is presented with support from Karen Pridham in honor of former Wisconsin Union Theater Director Ralph Russo.

The performance studio class is made possible in part with support from Thomas J. Gulick, who provided funding in honor of former Wisconsin Union Theater Director Ralph Sandler.

Beginning March 1 at 2 p.m. CST, patrons can obtain tickets to “Music and the Mind,” the performance studio class, and the recital online, by phone at (608) 265-2787, or at the Memorial Union Box Office.

Patrons can learn more about upcoming Wisconsin Union Theater events featuring Fleming here.

-###-

About the Wisconsin Union Theater

For more than 75 years, the Wisconsin Union Theater has served as a center for cultural activity in the heart of the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. The Theater hosts performances in multiple locations, including Memorial Union, and has an extensive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is part of the Wisconsin Union, a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

[Click here to download photos of Renée Fleming.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/fleming-2022.

UW–Madison Division of the Arts: 8th Biennial Conney Conference on Jewish Arts: Supporting and Encouraging New Narratives of Jewish Identity in the Arts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 24, 2022

MEDIA CONTACT:  
Douglas Rosenberg | UW-Madison Division of the Arts | rosend@education.wisc.edu

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

LINK TO ARTICLE

8^th Biennial Conney Conference on Jewish Arts: Supporting and Encouraging New Narratives of Jewish Identity in the Arts

Madison, Wis. – The Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies presents the 8th biennial Conney Conference on Jewish Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, from March 27-30, 2022. All events are free and open to the public.

The Conney Conference on Jewish Arts will address themes of interdisciplinarity, diversity and intersectionality in the changing landscape of the Jewish Arts. In a moment in which we are experiencing a generational shift among Jewish-identifying artists to a more inclusive and polyvocal, fluid understanding of Jewish identity, the politics of Jewishness are foregrounded in astounding new ways. From graphic novels to digital art and highly charged dance and performance, to theater, music and literature, we see both a return to ritual and a search for new narratives of the contemporary Jewish experience. The 8th iteration of the Conney Conference on Jewish Arts will focus on the remarkable evolution of the field as it has expanded into the future while acknowledging its own histories.

Curator, writer and artist Aimee Rubensteen is the featured keynote speaker. Professor Ori Soltes will deliver a special lecture titled “Transcendent and Interdisciplinary: Butterflies in Holocaust and Post-Holocaust Imagery” on Tuesday, March 29 at 11:00 a.m. at the Pyle Center (702 Langdon Street) in honor of Marv and Babe Conney, for whom the conference is named.

For more information, visit conneyproject.wisc.edu/2022-conney-conference/.

The Conney Conference on Jewish Arts is directed by Professor Douglas Rosenberg and is generously made possible through the Mildred and Marv Conney Fund and the UW–Madison Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies. Promotional support provided by the UW–Madison Division of the Arts.

About

The Conney Conference on Jewish Arts supports the multiple ways in which historical narratives concerning Jewish identity in the arts are both fluid and contested and how, throughout history, those practices are culturally inscribed. We are interested in new interpretations, new theorizing and new ways of thinking about and visualizing Jewish culture through the arts and throughout history to the present and into the future. The Conney Project on Jewish Arts looks at all aspects of Jewish identity across multiple disciplines and through its biennial conference. We are interested in broadening this discourse to include any and all historical periods as well as geo­graphical locations and expanded notions of inclusive Jewishness. We seek to open up new discussions that inspire critical debate around both traditional and contemporary approaches to creating and circulating work of Jewish content in literature, theater, the visual and performing arts as well as in art-related scholarly writing and research. We are interested in expanding the field of discourse surrounding Jewish identity in the histories and visual cultures of artmaking, scholarship, literature, music and other art related practices in which Jewishness exerts a significant presence. We welcome all models of presentation from artists and scholars ranging from the traditional to the performative and all people who wish to participate in this dialog are welcome.

Biographies

Aimee Rubensteen | aimeerubensteen.com

Aimee Rubensteen is a curator, writer and art historian. With an interdisciplinary approach, Aimee curates physical and virtual spaces for viewing, but also, for touching, smelling, listening, eating and questioning. She is the founding art editor of PROTOCOLS, a cultural and political journal cultivating art and writing from across the global Jewish diaspora. Previously, she worked as an acquisitions curator for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and she co-founded Rojas + Rubensteen Projects. Aimee earned her master’s degree at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She is based in Miami, FL.

Ori Soltes

Dr. Ori Z. Soltes is Goldman Professorial Lecturer in Theology and Fine Arts at Georgetown University. He is the former director and curator of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

###