Arrival of The Ghost Train is still a ways off, but it’s not too early to get excited about the forthcoming “artistic sensory experience.” The installation will recall the round-trip journey of the Twin Cities 400, a celebrated passenger train that ran between Chicago and Minneapolis from 1935-1963. The train derived both its name and its popularity from its unprecedented ability to traverse its 400-mile journey in 400 minutes.
The Ghost Train is being designed by Marty Peck of Creative Lighting Design and Engineering, a Germantown-based firm that specializes in enhancing architecture through creative use of light. With innovative light and sound technology, the installation will create the illusion of the Twin Cities 400 hurtling by twice a night on a historically accurate schedule and at a historically accurate speed. Like the Twin Cities 400, the Ghost Train will cross Capitol Drive at the Oak Leaf Trail Bridge.
“This will be a first-of-its-kind experience that blends art, history and technology, and we believe it will draw interest not only in Shorewood but throughout Wisconsin and beyond,” said Village President Guy Johnson. A tentative timeframe has the Ghost Train operational for Halloween 2016—the perfect way to inaugurate Shorewood’s 100th anniversary celebration the following year.
Mary Lee Agnew Photography Exhibition
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
1111 E. Brown Deer Road
Milwaukee photographer Mary Lee Agnew trains her viewfinder on the surprisingly diverse array of wildlife that populates urban Milwaukee. With a knack for finding furtive fauna, Agnew’s photos feature foxes, snowy owls, cormorants, mink and loons (“You must be mistaken. There are no loons inside the breakwater,” the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology erroneously told her before being compelled to consume one of their crows.) The 185-acre Schlitz Audubon Nature Center will be exhibiting Agnew’s photographs in the mezzanine gallery through May 22.
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‘Embrace Your Normal’ Special Needs Art Class
Bay View Library
2566 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Six-year old Maceo Meier was born with cerebral palsy, which confines him to a wheelchair and limits his motor control. One summer day when his artist father, Todd, hit a dead end with work, he offered a sharpie to Maceo who eagerly embellished the work with scribbles. Subsequent collaborations confirmed Todd’s suspicion: Art is a powerful way for children with special needs to express themselves and build bonds with loved ones. From 12-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, Todd Meier will be leading an art class geared toward families and children with special needs, encouraging them to “embrace their normal” through self-expression. The event is free.
