The work of university professors who have spent a lifetime inspiring new talent while nurturing their own becomes the basis of two exhibits opening at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MWA) in West Bend.
"D.V. Holmes and His Mad Mechanical Menagerie," which opens Jan. 7 in the Main Gallery, features inventive sculptures by UW-Parkside art professor David Valentine Holmes. These sculptures, incorporating found objects and mechanical recyclables, resemble fantastical human forms or imagined beasts that center on Holmes' satirical view of human nature-a maniacal menagerie with meaning. Holmes' welded creatures often appear amusing, yet they raise deeper questions about mankind's struggle to exist in tumultuous environments.
Opening the same day is "Multiple Masters: Wisconsin Prints," which displays the work of past professors from UW-Madison. This homage to Wisconsin's illustrious printmaking heritage shows that printmaking can be a vehicle for expressing social and political protest. The intaglio images displayed in the Focus Gallery provide an opportunity to view the masterworks of "Madison School" artists, including Dean Meeker, Warrington Colescott, Ray Gloeckler, Bill Weege, Al Sessler and Santos Zingale.
The MWA hosts opening receptions for both exhibitions on Sunday, Jan. 11, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. In addition to a lecture by D.V. Holmes, several of the artists will attend the opening. A lecture by MWA Assistant Director Graeme Reid on Friday, Jan. 7, at 10:30 a.m. offers an opportunity to take a sneak peek at these collections. Be sure to also visit the MWA's "One from Wisconsin" gallery. The featured artist is Madison's Kelli Hoppmann, who delves into surreal worlds and theatrical settings through brilliantly colored paintings.
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Also this week the Oriental Theatre hosts a fashion and film extravaganza to kick-start the new year. The Jan. 15 event begins with a fashion show by local designer Areka Ikeler's fresh and edgy Fashion Ninja. It will be followed by a screening of Mark Escribano's The Super Noble Brothers, a documentary charting the rise of Milwaukee DJs and LotusLand Records owners Andy, Davey and Tommy Noble.
