MAY, 2013 - MAY, 2014
The Wisconsin Union Directorate is a student programming board at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. It provides fun and unforgettable experiences for UW students as both leaders and attendees to each event. It is made up of 11 committees. The committees include Alternative Breaks, Art, Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS), Film, Global Connections, Memorial Union Entertainment (MUE), Music, Performing Arts, Publications, and Society and Politics (SoPo).
In 2013-14, I earned the position as the Director for the WUD Art Committee. This committee is in charge of the four fine art galleries between the two student unions. Memoria Union houses Porter Butts Gallery, Class of 1925 Gallery, and Lakefront on Langdon Gallery. Union South houses Gallery 1308. As a committee, we select, install, and present contemporary artwork in these four spaces. We also collaborate with other organizations to create additional programming that recontextualizes standard approaches to the visual arts.
As the director of this committee, I lead the committee (about 20 students) in working with these galleries. I trained each new member in handling artwork, as well as installing work, marketing exhibitions/events, and communication with other members and featured artists. I was also interested in helping each member grow as individual leaders. In planning a year ahead of exhibitions for the galleries, I specifically set aside six gallery openings for students to apply to be "student curators", in which the member can apply for the position during a specific time slot, and choose an artist to take the lead on that exhibit. Working as the director I hired two Associate Directors as my wing-women, and the three of us lead the committee to a successful year of exhibition-planning.
With various methods, I always wanted more members to join the committee. As a team, the committee and I created a great marketing campaign (with candy, because that always helps!).
Prepping the walls and installing works.
Union South's Gallery 1308.
Leveling works before installation; getting the math right!
Union South's Gallery 1308.
Deinstalling works and packaging them to ship back to the artist.
Union South's Gallery 1308.
Training new committee members on prepping walls after deinstallation for a new show.
Memorial Union's Class of 1925 Gallery.
Quick small meeting before the install of a new show. Here, my Associate Director is explaining to committee members how we bring in new artists. We were planning the lineup for the following year in our galleries.
Memorial Union's Porter Butts Gallery.
Committee members debating on placements of works.
Memorial Union's Porter Butts Gallery.
Myself and the committee with our artist, Patrick Earl Hammie, at his opening reception.
Memorial Union's Porter Butts Gallery.
Our attendees at an opening reception for Emily Adam's show. I asked her to do an artist talk on her works.
Memorial Union's Class of 1925 Gallery.
Myself and the committee with our featured artist, Emily Lou Adams.
Memorial Union's Class of 1925 Gallery.
Deinstalling works and prepping for a new show.
Union South's Gallery 1308.
Myself and my associate directors teaching new committee members how to unpackage and handle artworks for a new show.
Union South's Gallery 1308.
Union South's Gallery 1308.
Committee members working together to install a new exhibition. These were heavy pieces to hang; sheet metal! Required a lot of patience and teamwork.
Memorial Union's Porter Butts Gallery.
Working as a team installing works for a new show. This space is a bit easier for us being that it's a rail system.
Memorial Union's Lakefront on Langdon Gallery.
After recruiting new members for the committee, I hosted a "mock hang", in which we could all sit down and I walk everyone through the "gallery math" to hang pieces on a wall at the proper eye height (we do 60 center), and equidistant from one another. Our newest member is so excited!
Memorial Union's Porter Butts Gallery.
