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Something for Everyone Julia Jackson is a big fan of the "buy local" movement. By Heather Rogge For the Daily News The most exciting aspect of the opening of the new Museum of Wisconsin Art gift store is "Local! Local! Local!" says Julia Jackson, MOWA gift store manager. The gift shop will support Wisconsin artists and the art community. "I like to support local and to be able to do that in the art world is exciting," explained Julia. "This store is very unique in the art world" she continued. A little about Julia. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. She obtained her master's degree in art history from UWMilwaukee. She has loved art her whole life. She started art classes as little girl. "My goal was to open a gallery so this is the perfect place for me to be. It is really exciting", she shared. The focus of the gift shop is Wisconsin art. The shop will carry handmade Wisconsin arts and crafts. To find artists to feature, Julia has a variety of resources. She partnered with the Wisconsin Designer Craft Council (WDCC). The WDCC is a not-for-profit statewide group dedicated to fostering excellence in fine crafts and making them more significant in the cultural life of Wisconsin. Their artists work in jewelry, leather, ceramics, glass, fiber, enamel, wood, metal, photography, paper, printmaking, sculpture, and mixed media. There is an artist application on MOWA's website. Exhibition artists will be featured as well. Having been immersed in the art field she also tapped into connections she had cultivated. The store will be open during regular Museum hours. There will be unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of art you can't find anywhere else. Julia emphasized that there will be something for everyone – from the serious collector to the person who just falls in love with a piece. There will be a variety of mediums available in a range of prices. Julia also is excited about special events they have planned for the store. ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ Timeline ❖ ❖ 1961: The West Bend Gallery of Fine Arts is founded by Melitta Pick and her daughters, Joan and Billa at 300 S. Sixth Ave. When first built in 1939 for the West Bend Mutual Insurance Co. the building was one-third of its present size. ❖ 1967: The Gallery of Fine Arts puts on its first addition. ❖ 1976: The Gallery of Fine Arts puts on its second addition. ❖ 1977: The museum centerpiece of an 1889 Carl von Marr painting 'The Flagellants,' on loan by the city of Milwaukee, is restored. ❖ July 1982: Thomas Lidtke becomes assistant director and his predecessor Edward Kocher retires. Attendance was 3,200 people annually. ❖ 1985: The third addition to the museum is built. ❖ 1988: The museum's collection management policy was established, resulting in the assembly of a significant vintage collection of regional art from Wisconsin's Golden Age of cultural development. ❖ 1990: The American Federation of Arts presents the museum an Award of Excellence for museum marketing materials. ❖ 1991: The American Association of Museums presents the museum an award for marketing materials. ❖ 1993: The West Bend Gallery of Fine Arts is renamed the West Bend Art Museum. That same year, the museum participated in an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. ❖ 1994: The museum undertakes a museum assessment under the auspices of the Institute of Museum Services, a federally funded program. That assessment resulted in the museum's next addition in 1995. ❖ 1995-2005: The West Bend Art Museum was home to powerhouse exhibitions, such as Reflex and Reflections, art reflecting the Vietnam War done by American, Australian, North and South Vietnamese veterans. Two exhibits were organized by the Smithsonian Institute: 'Sunlit Splendor,' which included aviation art from the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum and 'One From The Earth,' a Native American exhibit. ❖ In 2006, a museum showing of Milwaukee's panorama painters coincided with a symposium of panorama painters throughout the world. West Bend had guests from Germany and throughout the United States. The museum also organized an exhibit by Wisconsin artist David Holmes that toured a dozen museums in the United States. Holmes' work will be included in the museum's inaugural exhibition. The museum also organized Alchemic Emporium toured numerous national museums from 1990-1996. ❖ 1996: The Art Museum is involved in an exhibition at the National History Museum in Berlin, Germany. ❖ 1998: The gallery unveiled its 'Early Wisconsin Collection.' ❖ 2004: The museum co-founds the Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement Awards.❖ 2007: Capital campaign kickoff. The museum changes its name to the Museum of Wisconsin Art to better reflect its focus. ❖ 2008: The MWA becomes involved in two major exhibitions in Villa Stuck and the Haus der Kunst in Munich, Germany. ❖ May 2010: Plans for the new museum are unveiled. ❖ June 2010: Concept plan for the museum is approved by the city's plan commission. ❖ December 2010: MWA officials complete the deal with the city, acquiring the 1.5-acre Veterans Avenue property. ❖ 2011: The MWA establishes the single largest archive of Wisconsin art, with more than 9,000 Wisconsin artists. ❖ 2011: Membership for the museum grew by 33 percent, from 600 to 800. ❖ October 2011: The MWA opens its satellite Museum of Wisconsin Art On The Lake in the $83.2 million expansion of Saint John's On The Lake, a high-end senior living community on Milwaukee's east side. ❖ December 2011: The museum celebrated its 50th anniversary. MWA breaks ground on the Veterans Avenue site. ❖ April 2012: Work begins on the wedge-shaped museum at 205 Veterans Ave. ❖ November-February 2012: Director Thomas Lidtke announces his semi-retirement. The museum names Laurie Winters the third director in the museum's 52-year history. ❖ Jan. 20, 2013: The museum at 300 S. Sixth Ave. closes its doors. ❖ April 6-7, 2013: The facility will host its grand opening. 12 • Museum of Wisconsin Art • News Graphic & Daily News • March 2013