Leopold Center Art Discovery Day

Save the Date for Art Day 2010: Saturday, October 30th!

Call for artist proposals now open! Deadline for applications is August 15th. Download an application form now.

The Aldo Leopold Foundation is beginning to prepare for this year's Art Day event. We invite proposals from new local and regional artists and artisans whose work reflects Leopold's land ethic philosophy. Leopold Art Discovery Day 2010, which will take place at the Leopold Center on Saturday, October 30th, will feature presentations, demonstrations, and time for individual interaction with each artist. With these talented artisans as a guide we hope to inspire people to think more critically about the ways their lives impact the natural world, and how art inspires them to deepen that connection.

• Applications due August 15th. Download an application here.
• A selection committee will review proposals, and selections will be made by August 31st.
• Artisans are encouraged to bring samples, do demonstrations, propose interactive workshops for the public, and bring original work to exhibit and sell on Leopold Art Discovery Day.
• Each participating artisan will receive a small honorarium.

The Leopold Center Art Discovery Day is supported by a grant from the UW Extension Arts and Culture Committee.

Glasswork by Renee Miller Knight adds visual interest throughout the Leopold Center.

Aldo Leopold is most famous for his work A Sand County Almanac, based upon his experiences returning a degraded Sauk County farm back to health. His "Good Oak" essay begins : “There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace”. While Leopold could not have foreseen the extent to which our nation’s demographic shift might impact cultural values and individual health, he certainly understood that separation from the natural world impaired a person’s ability to think critically about his or her connection to land and reliance upon natural resources.

Steve Hackbarth created a series of 14 different door pushplates inspired by the diversity of the natural world.

Art has the unique ability to combat this loss of connection and facilitate a stronger connection between people and the land by the very nature of the process. Artists intimately connect with the techniques and the materials they use throughout the creation of their work, fostering deep understanding and respect. Meanwhile the artwork itself changes its audience’s perspective by slowing people down and challenging the way one views the world by creating an emotional connection. Ultimately art can serve as the lost link between the “spiritual danger” of not owning a farm and the land ethic.

Meeting hall chair by David Ogren, made from site-harvested maple and cherry.

With Leopold’s philosophy guiding the way, the Aldo Leopold Foundation set out to build its headquarters just a mile away from where the now famous Leopold Shack stands. Within the project, architects and engineers worked to create a sustainable building incorporating alternative technologies, design features that cut down on energy consumption, and use of local materials. This definition of “local” includes not only local materials but local craftspeople as well. A number of local artisans were enlisted as an integral component of the sustainable design.

Each artisan who has been involved with the Leopold Center and the Aldo Leopold Foundation has a unique connection to the Leopold legacy, land ethic, and their unique story to tell. In 2008, ALF sponsored the first Leopold Center Art Discovery Day to showcase the work of these talented artists. It was so successful that we've decided to make it an annual event, bringing in new regional artists each year whose work reflects Leopold's idea of a land ethic.

Past Art Day Celebrations

Art Day is in its third annual year. Each fall it draws a growing crowd of community members to the Leopold Center for a day of viewing and discussing art and inspiration with a wide range of talented artists and artisans from across the Midwest. We are honored to have hosted the following artists for past celebrations at the center.

2009 Artists:

Janet Flynn (watercolor painter)
Kristin Gjerdset (painting and drawing)
Karen Ann Hoffman (Iroquois beadwork)
Kevin Moll (metal sculpture)
Katie Schofield (recycled materials art)
Dwayne Sperber (furniture maker)

Slideshow of Art Day 2009 photos:

2008 Artists:

Alan Anderson (furniture maker)

Homer Daehn (wood carver)

Julia Gilmore (land artist)

Steve Hackbarth (blacksmith)

Renee Knight (glass artist)

Jill Metcoff (photographer)

David Ogren (furniture maker)

Todd Persche (water color artist)

Nolen Wallenfang (wood worker)

The Leopold Center Art Discovery Day is supported by a grant from the UW Extension Arts and Culture Committee. Thank you!