Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Center
Woodland Pattern Book Center and artist Jill Sebastian collaborated in 1998 to create an installation called “Portals and Writings Celebrating Wisconsin Authors. “The installation was created for the opening of the then-Midwest Express Center, now known as the Wisconsin Center, and soon to be the Baird Center upon completion of its renovation. The installation featured a 150-foot wall adorned with poetry and prose from 48 Wisconsin writers, including literary works dating back to Ojibwe pictograms from the state’s Indigenous peoples. Doorway-encircling portals were also displayed, showcasing 400 years of Wisconsin writing.
The Wisconsin Center District, however, has decided to deaccession the installation during the center's renovation. In response, Woodland Pattern and Sebastian are working to reclaim and preserve the installation and the stories of Wisconsin authors that it features. They have completed photography and documentation of the space and have negotiated a $20,000 grant from the WCD district toward a publication.
The upcoming publication will collect the photographs and original writings from the installation, along with critical essays, to celebrate the installation’s 25-year tenure within the Wisconsin Center. Copies of the publication will be made available to Wisconsin libraries, literary arts institutions and to the contributing writers or their estates. The publication will also be available for purchase through Woodland Pattern.
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“The Portals and Writings Celebrating Wisconsin Authors” installation holds significant cultural and historical value, showcasing the literary contributions of Wisconsin authors spanning hundreds of years. The efforts of Woodland Pattern and Sebastian to preserve the installation’s legacy through photography and publication will ensure that these stories continue to be shared and celebrated for years to come.
