Fall 2023 Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) Newsletter
Exhibitions, activities, education programming and more! Exhibitions, activities, education programming and more!
IN MEMORIAM A TRIBUTE TO MARIAN BOLZ, 1929-2023 The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art has suffered a great loss in the passing of longtime Trustee and friend, Marian Bolz. Knowing Marian was to know friendship, loyalty, warmth, compassion, excitement, enthusiasm, kindness, and more. For sixty years, Marian was a dedicated member of the Museum’s Board of Trustees. If she was not the chair, she was a member of the committee, helping steer projects such as Art Cart, Arts Ball, the Museum Store, Holiday Art Fair, Trash and Treasure, and Art Partners, along with lectures, travel tours, and much more. Many of these activities, programs, and events continue today. In addition, she represented the organization at international conferences of the Volunteer Committees of Art Museums (VCAM) and served as Co-Chair of VCAM’s Mid-West Regional District. Image from MMoCA Arts Ball 2006 As President of the Art League she recruited volunteers from all avenues of the Madison community who, in turn, joined her in supporting the Museum’s mission. When she was elected President of the Board of Trustees, she helped the organization transition from the Madison Art Center on Gorham Street to the current downtown Madison location on State Street. In 1986, she was named a Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Life Trustee, an honor she accepted with great pride and responsibility. She never lost sight of her commitment to MMoCA and helped guide the Museum with accountability and transparency. The loss of Marian Bolz has left a void in the cultural and non-profit Madison community and beyond. She would be pleased to know that her legacy continues.—Valerie Kazamias, Fellow Life Trustee and Friend IN MEMORY OF THEODORA “TEDDY” ZEHNER, 1944-2023 For over 30 years, Teddy was a fixture at MMoCA dating back to the days when it was called Madison Art Center. She was a regular at exhibition openings, lectures, gallery tours, fundraisers, and art fairs. Not only was the Museum a source of joy and artistic stimulation for Teddy, but it was also where she formed some of her most meaningful friendships. Teddy’s enthusiasm, passion, and generosity were influential and infectious, making her a valuable leader Image courtesy of Katie Dowling-Marcus and mentor on MMoCA’s Board of Trustees and committees. She served as president of Art League, MMoCA Volunteers, and chaired multiple successful fundraisers including Design MMoCA and Hair Affair. She was also a regular volunteer at Holiday Art Fair and Art Fair on the Square. Teddy especially valued her role as an MMoCA Docent and was part of the very first class trained in 2006. She enjoyed gaining first-hand knowledge from artists and curators in order to lead educational tours of exhibitions. The Museum benefited, and continues to benefit, in countless ways from Teddy’s time, energy, and generosity. Remembered for her sense of humor and her warm, magnetic charm, Teddy will be deeply missed by MMoCA staff, artists, her friends, and so many in our community. Per her wishes, donations can be made to MMoCA in her honor.—Katie Dowling-Marcus 8
FELINE FELICITY A Behind-the-scenes MMoCA Exhibition One of the perks of working at MMoCA is viewing contemporary artwork hanging in the Museum conference room during business meetings. These internal shows typically have a theme and are organized by staff members. At the moment, Feline Felicity is on view, including 10 objects featuring cats, wild and domestic. Organizer Marilyn Sohi, Head Registrar, Permanent Collection, shared a behind-the-scenes look at the impetus for the show. What inspired your choice of cat-focused artwork for the conference room? Via Zoom staff meetings, I noticed a number of cats in attendance. Even on the PBS NewsHour, household pets were parading. As I was solo in the Museum’s Works-on-Paper Study Center, I began to include a cat-of-the-week work of art when I reported. The Director picked up on this and asked me to put together a conference room exhibition. Was there a theme you were after? I wanted to take a less serious approach incorporating the theme of cats. I was especially pleased during the reaccreditation when an evaluator commented on how fun the show was, which was exactly what I was after! Was it easy to find the number of works you needed, or did you use all the cat-themed artworks in the Permanent Collection? Since I had several examples already in mind, it made it easy, plus I expanded into tigers represented in the collection. Yet, even then I did not use all the cat-themed works of art I found. To your mind, why is it important to have mini exhibitions in the conference room? It’s an ideal opportunity to illustrate the range of the collection, from various media, time periods, and artistic styles or techniques. Are you a cat person or a dog person? Either way, did any of the works resonate with you? While I lean towards Westies (West Highland Terriers), one of my favorite works in the collection is a woodcut by Kiyoshi Saito of a pair of Siamese cats. When did these conference room exhibitions begin? The history of informal, staff-selected exhibitions in the conference room began with my mentor, Janet Ela, a former Curator Emerita, who named one of her cats Goya. PAGE 9: Kiyoshi Saito, Cats (detail), c. 1950. Woodblock print on paper, 14x16 inches. Bequest of Rudolph and Louise Langer. • Richard Bosman, Bad Kitty, 2019. Woodcut and relief. 23 1/2 x 17 inches. Gift of Valerie and Andreas Kazamias. 9
- Page 1 and 2: FALL 2023
- Page 3 and 4: FLOYD NEWSUM Evolution of Sight Mai
- Page 5 and 6: EDUCATION PROGRAMS MMoCA CINEMA FAL
- Page 7: PROGRAMS& EVENTS centering on Sam G
- Page 11 and 12: BUSINESS, FOUNDATION, & GOVERNMENT
FELINE FELICITY<br />
A Behind-the-scenes <strong>MMoCA</strong> Exhibition<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the perks <strong>of</strong> working at <strong>MMoCA</strong><br />
is viewing contemporary artwork hanging<br />
in the <strong>Museum</strong> conference room<br />
during business meetings. These internal<br />
shows typically have a theme and<br />
are organized by staff members. At<br />
the moment, Feline Felicity is on view,<br />
including 10 objects featuring cats, wild<br />
and domestic. Organizer Marilyn Sohi,<br />
Head Registrar, Permanent Collection,<br />
shared a behind-the-scenes look at the<br />
impetus for the show.<br />
What inspired your choice <strong>of</strong><br />
cat-focused artwork for the conference<br />
room?<br />
Via Zoom staff meetings, I noticed a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> cats in attendance. Even on<br />
the PBS NewsHour, household pets were parading. As I was solo in the <strong>Museum</strong>’s Works-on-Paper Study<br />
Center, I began to include a cat-<strong>of</strong>-the-week work <strong>of</strong> art when I reported. The Director picked up on this<br />
and asked me to put together a conference room exhibition.<br />
Was there a theme you were after?<br />
I wanted to take a less serious approach incorporating the theme <strong>of</strong> cats. I was especially pleased during<br />
the reaccreditation when an evaluator commented on how fun the show was, which was exactly what I<br />
was after!<br />
Was it easy to find the number <strong>of</strong> works you<br />
needed, or did you use all the cat-themed<br />
artworks in the Permanent Collection?<br />
Since I had several examples already in mind, it<br />
made it easy, plus I expanded into tigers represented<br />
in the collection. Yet, even then I did not<br />
use all the cat-themed works <strong>of</strong> art I found.<br />
To your mind, why is it important to have<br />
mini exhibitions in the conference room?<br />
It’s an ideal opportunity to illustrate the range <strong>of</strong><br />
the collection, from various media, time periods,<br />
and artistic styles or techniques.<br />
Are you a cat person or a dog person?<br />
Either way, did any <strong>of</strong> the works resonate<br />
with you?<br />
While I lean towards Westies (West Highland<br />
Terriers), one <strong>of</strong> my favorite works in the collection<br />
is a woodcut by Kiyoshi Saito <strong>of</strong> a pair <strong>of</strong><br />
Siamese cats.<br />
When did these conference room exhibitions<br />
begin?<br />
The history <strong>of</strong> informal, staff-selected exhibitions<br />
in the conference room began with my mentor,<br />
Janet Ela, a former Curator Emerita, who named<br />
one <strong>of</strong> her cats Goya.<br />
PAGE 9: Kiyoshi Saito, Cats (detail), c. 1950. Woodblock print on paper, 14x16 inches. Bequest <strong>of</strong> Rudolph and Louise Langer. • Richard Bosman,<br />
Bad Kitty, 2019. Woodcut and relief. 23 1/2 x 17 inches. Gift <strong>of</strong> Valerie and Andreas Kazamias.<br />
9
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