Greetings,
Attached and below are details great programs for all ages at the Woodson Art Museum during new exhibitions that open Saturday - "Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland by Maggie Taylor" and "Mad About Teapots: From the Racine Art Museum." A Mad Hatter's tea party with children, Mad Happenings by teens, and a partnership with Wausau Dance Theatre are just a few of the highlights.
Thank you for helping to spread the word so all can take advantage of what's offered - always changing, always free admission!
Best regards,
Amy

Amy Beck
Marketing & Communications Manager
Woodson Art Museum
700 N. 12th St.
Wausau, WI 54403-5007
715.845.7010 - office
715.845.7103 - fax
abeck@lywam.org

Luminous, mysterious digital images offer a surreal reimagining of Lewis Carroll's classic tale in "Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland by Maggie Taylor," on view April 9 through June 19, 2011.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      Contact: Amy Beck                                                                                                                                                                715-845-7010
                                                                                                            abeck@lywam.org
                                                                                                            April 8, 2011

Image URLs for "Almost Alice" and "Mad About Teapots" are listed at the end of this release.

Whimsical Woodson Programs Usher All into Artistic Wonderland

Wausau, Wisconsin: Whimsical programs for all ages kindle imaginations and usher participants on a fantastical journey through two new exhibitions, "Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland by Maggie Taylor" and "Mad About Teapots: From the Racine Art Museum," on view April 9 through June 19 at the Woodson Art Museum.
      The slate of programs designed to complement the richly layered digital images in "Almost Alice" and wonky teapots fit for a Mad Hatter tea party begin with tea. Adults learn how to make a perfect cup of tea from Dave Jones of Rishi Tea, a Milwaukee-based purveyor of specialty teas. During Tea 101, Saturday, April 9, 1-2 p.m., Jones shares insights into importing tea and fair trade varieties during this free, drop-in program.
      The tea party theme runs throughout children's programs in April. Little ones, 2-4 years, celebrate unBirthdays, the Queen of Hearts, and gardens galore with hands-on art activities during Toddler Tuesdays, 10:30-Noon, April 19, May 17, and June 21, respectively.
     The littlest ones enjoy "Almost Alice" and teapot-themed hands-on art activities and play in Art Park during Art Time for Tots (2-4 years), on Thursdays, April 28 and May 19, 9:30-10:30 a.m. and during Art Babies (birth-23 months), on Fridays, April 29 and May 20, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Call 715-845-7010 to register for each of these free, monthly programs.
      Children, ages 5-12, gather to make a mad hat of their own and wear it to a topsy-turvy tea party during Little Masters & Young Artists: Mad Hatter Tea Party, Thursday, April 21, 4:30-6 p.m. Expect the unexpected with visits from Wausau Dance Theatre and members of the Museum's Teen Art Council - all decked out for this very important date. Call 715-845-7010 to register for this free, monthly program.
      As part of the Woodson's partnership with Wausau Dance Theatre, teens see what it takes to bring spectacular sets and costumes to life during Alice in Wonderland: Teens Go Behind the Scenes, at the Grand Theater, Saturday, April 30, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Participants can receive a special ticket price of $10 for the 1:30 p.m. matinee performance of "Alice in Wonderland," Saturday, April 30, by calling the Central Wisconsin School of Ballet at 715-842-4447.
       In May and June, the focus shifts to surreal landscapes - both tangible and imaginary.
       During Night Out @ the Woodson, the Museum stays open until 7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month for gallery strolling, learning about a new artist, and art-making for all ages during free, drop-in programs. Adults explore the life, eccentric collages, and found-object shadow boxes of Joseph Cornell, often referred to as America's first surrealist, during Art History 101 After Dark: Joseph Cornell, Thursday, May 5, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Participants create their own miniature worlds within a hand-held box during Hands-on Art: Cornell-esque Shadow Boxes, Thursday, May 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
      For June's Night Out @ the Woodson, adults explore Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" with literature scholar Terry Scheid, Thursday, June 2, 5:30-6:30 p.m. That same night, all ages imagine gazing down a rabbit hole while sketching, using a one-point perspective approach during Hands-on Art: Surreal Landscapes, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Each Art History 101 program is repeated during the noon hour on the third Wednesday of each month.
      Expect a bit of impromptu theater during Art Park Open Studio in May and June. All ages can experiment with provided materials during this free program offered on the first Saturday afternoon of the month - May 7 and June 4, 1-3 p.m. Members of the Museum's Teen Art Council, in costume, present a tea-party related Mad Happening in May and a wacky chess game in June. The Teen Art Council - TAC, for short - plans Museum events for teens and wants representation from all area high schools. Interested teens are invited to attend TAC meetings, Sunday, April 17 and June 19, 3:30-5 p.m. or call 715-845-7010 for more information.
      Children, teens, and families coping with the death of a loved one express their feelings during Treasuring Memories: Garden Stepping Stones, Thursday, June 16, 12:30-2:30 p.m., presented in conjunction with Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services. Call 715-845-7010 to register for this free program.
    Individuals with memory loss and their care partners view and converse about art in the galleries and engage in a hands-on art project during SPARK!, on Wednesdays, April 27, May 25, and June 22, 2-3:30 p.m. Call 715-845-7010 to register for these free, monthly programs.
      "Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland by Maggie Taylor," organized by the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida, Gainesville, is toured by Curatorial Assistance, Pasadena, California.
     "Mad About Teapots" is a Woodson Art Museum project organized by curator of exhibitions Andy McGivern in conjunction with Bruce Pepich, director, Racine Art Museum, and drawn from its collection.
      A Creation and Presentation Grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts sustains exhibitions and programs. Education program support comes from Brenda K. Ashworth and Donald Welch.
Woodson Art Museum

Hours:                   Tuesday - Friday                                                                                9:00 am - 4:00 pm
                                First Thursday of each month                                                          9:00 am - 7:30 pm
                                Saturday - Sunday                                                                             Noon - 5:00 pm
Closed Monday and Easter Sunday
Admission:           Always Free Admission
Phone:                   715.845.7010
Fax:                       715.845.7103
Email:                   museum@lywam.org
Location:              Franklin and 12th Streets, Wausau, Wisconsin 54403-5007
                                (700 N. 12th Street)
Online:                  www.lywam.org

Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland by Maggie Taylor
April 9 - June 19, 2011
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Maggie Taylor, "Birds of a Feather," 2007
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Maggie Taylor, "The Dormouse," 2006
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Maggie Taylor, "It all seemed quite natural," 2006
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Maggie Taylor, "These strange adventures," 2006
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Maggie Taylor, "Will you walk a little faster?," 2008

Mad About Teapots: From the Racine Art Museum
April 9 - June 19, 2011
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Jeff Perrone, Plum Blossom Prawn, 1987, earthenware
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David Regan, Pot Belly Stove Teapot, 1990, porcelain
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Michael Corney, Teapot, Dice with Cup, 1991, porcelain
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Cindy Kolodziejski, Tilted Teapot, 1990, whiteware
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Leslie Rosdol, Untitled, 1996, porcelain and rhinestones