News

(WHITEWATER – July 6 – Whitewater Arts Alliance Press Release) – The Whitewater Arts Alliance is planning to hold three Savory Sounds Concerts at the Cultural Arts Center this summer.  All Concerts will be outside at Whitewater Arts Alliance’s Cultural Center,  402 West Main Street, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. In case of rain, concerts will be live-streamed.

July 16 – A Rose Among Thorns

                  (July 16 – Las Chicas, 1170 W. Main Street, will provide lunches with pre-orders.  Please call 262-458-2303 to pre-order lunches for pick up prior to the concert.)

July 23 – Lauren Hayes, Harpist

                  (July 23 – La Piazza Pizzeria, 162 West Main Street, will provide lunches with pre-orders.  Please call   262-458-2727 to pre-order lunches for pick up prior to the concert.)

Aug. 20 – Ken Lonnquist and Friends Family Concert – School Kick-Off Concert

                (August 20—The SweetSpot will be available to order lunches in advance to pick up and bring to the family concert – the menu will be available a week before the concert. In honor of the event, there will be special “kids packs” to order for children.  Please call 262-473-5080 x1 to order or go online at sweetspotwhitewater.com –  pick ups will be at the SweetSpot Cafe on 226 W. Whitewater Street)

July 16, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. A Rose Among Thorns

Called A Rose Among Thorns, this quartet of local musicians offers pleasing melodies, tight musicianship, and stirring renditions of songs from folk, pop, blues, country, and Celtic traditions. The foursome includes Jeff Mason on acoustic guitar, bass, and vocals; Perry Baird on vocals and acoustic guitar; Tom Cook on bass, mandolin, banjo, and a host of other stringed instruments; and Angela Martin Licari on violin and vocals. Fort Atkinson natives Jeff and Perry played as solo acts and as a duo in the mid-1980s, renewing their musical partnership about five years ago. Tom, retired band teacher at Fort High School, came on board in 2015, and a violin was added in 2016, with Angela capably taking over that duty last year. All are familiar to local audiences as members of other musical ensembles, some of which include Jeff with the Merry Horde, Expanded Waist Band, and Blue Stew; Perry with The Buzzards; Tom with Madison Brass and Guitarcheology; and Angela with Madpolecats. The Rose Among Thorns collaboration gives each a chance to contribute favorite—often eclectic—songs for interpretation by the group. Songs featuring moving stories and themes, energetic instrumentals, soothing vocals, and singable choruses are all part of typical Rose Among Thorns musical sets.

July 23, 11:30 am. – 12:45 p.m. Lauren Hayes, Harpist

Lauren Hayes, a Whitewater native, will be presenting a program of light classics and popular music. Chicago-based harpist Lauren Hayes is an avid orchestral, chamber, and solo musician, frequently performing with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Composers Orchestra, and as an Associate in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.  In addition to performing, she maintains a large private teaching studio and volunteers with the non-profit Sharing Notes. Hayes holds a PD in Orchestral Studies from Roosevelt University (2019), a MA in Harp with Distinction from the London Royal Academy of Music (2016), and a BM in Harp Performance from the University of Arizona (2014).  Lauren Hayes was born and raised in Whitewater.

August 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Ken Lonnquist and Friends Children’s/Family Concert

A funny, enjoyable songwriter from Wisconsin, Ken’s performed professionally since his college days.​  In 1982 he won a national audition to become Minstrel for the Environment, writing and performing about nature, environmental and related issues in schools and colleges. On the college circuit he honed ​his skills at improvisation and topical humor (as heard on NPR, Air America, the CBC, Pacifica Radio). A series of recordings for adults and children followed, with recognition from Audubon, Parents Choice, American Library Association, Booklist, Childrens Music Web, Parents Guide To Childrens Media and others solidifying his reputation as a children’s entertainer.  Ken’s love for musical theater found an outlet as composer for Children’s Theater of Madison, where 15 productions of his full-scale musicals were presented.  He travels with smaller shows with his musical troupe, and his charm and energy as a live performer remain the heart of his work.

Big thanks to our sponsor!

The mission of the Whitewater Arts Alliance is to promote the visual and performing arts through an alliance of artists, individuals, educational resources, and organizations to promote creativity and diversity that will serve to educate and enrich the lives of the residents of the Whitewater community and surrounding areas.

PELLA, IA (07/01/2020)– Nash Christian, a Central College student from Whitewater, WI, has been named to the dean’s list for the Spring 2020 semester.

The honor is awarded to full-time students who achieve a 3.5 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale while taking 12 or more graded credit hours for the semester.

Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, four-year liberal arts college. Central is known for its academic rigor, leadership and character development, global experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and sustainability education, athletics and service. For more information about Central College: www.central.edu.

On the morning of the 4th, a “walk around the block” was led off by several Harley riders, followed by children on foot, riding bikes, motorized toy vehicles, or a wheelchair. Residents of Pleasant St., Satinwood Ln., Woodland Dr., and Walworth Ave. sat on their lawn or driveway to enjoy the mini-parade, which was organized and publicized by Sarah Josten. Ian Stone and his mother Sandra added to the festivities as they played patriotic songs in harmony on their trumpets; “I haven’t mastered playing while walking yet,” joked Sandra. It was a fun way to start off Independence Day.

(This letter was provided to the parents of all WUSD students.)

Schools are the center of connection in our community. We know the transition to distance learning this past March was difficult for everyone and we applaud our students, families and staff for working together to manage such challenging experiences.

As we prepare for the 2020-2021 academic year, there are several different scenarios our School Board has approved us to consider to ensure we provide a safe and equitable learning environment for our students in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

We would greatly appreciate your input and assistance with this important task. We, therefore, invite you to participate in this process by:

• Completing a parent/guardian survey: https://forms.gle/DZQ4KyE7g7TgBjuX9 (active Thursday, June 25 through Friday, July 17)
• Attending one or more of the following focus group meetings: 

Tuesday, July 7 at 6:00 p.m. at Whitewater Middle School (Students welcome to attend with parents) 

Wednesday, July 8 at 1:00 p.m. via Zoom Online
URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81111476884?pwd=bVpQQXZJN0tXdk1rUGp0UkRKQjdSZz09   
Meeting ID: 811 1147 6884
Password: 3wsXFR
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Dial-in: +1 312 626 6799 US 
Meeting ID: 811 1147 6884
Password: 174674

Wednesday, July 8 at 4:00 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School

Tuesday, July 14 at 6:00 p.m. at Whitewater High School (Students welcome to attend with parents) 

Wednesday, July 15 at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom Online for Staff members only

Friday, July 17 at 10:00 a.m. at Lakeview Elementary

The focus group will be a listen, learn and feedback session. We will review some of the best practice models for opening of schools in the fall, demonstrate a classroom level social distancing protocol so you can help to support your students, and we will open the session for parent feedback. 

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this most important task.

Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty
WUSD District Administrator

_______________________

Las escuelas son el centro de conexión en nuestra comunidad. Sabemos que la transición a la educación a distancia el pasado mes de marzo fue difícil para todos y aplaudimos a nuestros estudiantes, familias y personal por trabajar juntos para manejar tales experiencias desafiantes.

A medida que nos preparamos para el año académico 2020-2021, hay varios escenarios diferentes que nuestra Junta Escolar ha aprobado considerar para asegurar que proporcionemos un ambiente de aprendizaje seguro y equitativo para nuestros estudiantes en vista de la pandemia COVID-19.  

Apreciaríamos enormemente su aporte y asistencia en esta importante tarea. Por lo tanto, los invitamos a participar en este proceso al:

• Completando una encuesta de padres/tutores: https://forms.gle/DZQ4KyE7g7TgBjuX9  (activo desde el jueves 25 de junio hasta el viernes 17 de julio)
• Asistir a una o más de las siguientes reuniones de grupos de discusión: 

Martes 7 de julio a las 6:00 p.m. en la Middle School de Whitewater (Los estudiantes pueden asistir con sus padres) 

Miércoles, 8 de julio a las 1:00 p.m. vía Zoom Online
URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81111476884?pwd=bVpQQXZJN0tXdk1rUGp0UkRKQjdSZz09   
ID de reunion: 811 1147 6884
Contrasena: 3wsXFR
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Llamar: +1 312 626 6799 US 
ID de reunion: 811 1147 6884
Contrasena: 174674

Miércoles 8 de julio a las 4:00 p.m. en la Escuela Primaria Lincoln

Martes, 14 de julio a las 6:00 p.m. en la Middle School de Whitewater (Los estudiantes pueden asistir con sus padres) 

Miércoles, 15 de julio a las 2:00 p.m. vía Zoom Online para los miembros del personal solamente

Viernes 17 de julio a las 10:00 a.m. en la escuela primaria de Lakeview

El grupo de enfoque será una sesión de escucha, aprendizaje y retroalimentación. Revisaremos algunos de los mejores modelos de prácticas para la apertura de escuelas en el otoño, demostraremos un protocolo de distanciamiento social a nivel del salón de clases para que pueda ayudar a apoyar a sus estudiantes, y abriremos la sesión para la retroalimentación de los padres. 

Gracias de antemano por su ayuda en esto tan importante.

Dra. Caroline Pate-Hefty
Administradora de Distrito de WUSD

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (July 2, 2020) – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced its Chancellor’s List, honoring those with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the spring 2020 semester.

A total of 467 students earned the honors at the three campuses: UW-Platteville, UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Platteville Richland. Those students earned the highest honors while making the quick transition from in-person classes to alternative delivery in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UW-Platteville, founded in 1866, has been named the best public institution in Wisconsin for annual return on investment for the fifth consecutive year by Payscale and the best value in the state.

For more information on the university, located in Southwest Wisconsin, visit uwplatt.edu.

Students from this area who earned the 4.0 grade-point average include:

Whitewater, WI

Emily Heckert, Whitewater High School, Animal Science

(WHITEWATER – Whitewater Arts Alliance Press Release)  From July 3-26 the Whitewater Arts Alliance will be hosting the annual Fran Achen Photography Competition and Exhibition both virtually at whitewaterarts.org/fran-achen-2020 and at the Cultural Arts Center on 402 West Main Street.  The Cultural Arts Center will be open July 3-26 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.:  Fridays (for at risk individuals only – age 65 and over or with immunocompromised health conditions), and Saturdays and Sundays for all others.  Visitors will be asked to participate in health and safety measures in light of COVID-19, to include wearing a mask at all times (masks will be provided), entering via the elevator and exiting via the front door (unless they require the elevator), and keeping six feet apart.  There will be a ten-person maximum in the building at all times.

Jeff McDonald, Whitewater Arts Alliance Board Member and Fran Achen Chair, said: “The Fran Achen show is truly one of the highlights of the year. Fran Achen was an exceptional photographer and his catalog of images continues to inspire. This show, organized in his honor, is an excellent opportunity to showcase the outstanding work created by both established and aspiring area photographers. Viewing each year’s collection is a real treat. It is fascinating to see the many ways these artists interpret the world through their images. I hope the needed changes in this year’s format will be well-received by everyone.”

Voting for the Viewer’s Choice Award can be done online at whitewaterarts.org/fran-achen-2020-vote throughout the run of the show until Saturday evening, July 25. The winner will be announced on the last day of the show, July 26.  

Fran Achen was a longtime Whitewater resident, teacher, and local photographer. He is most remembered for his photographic collection which chronicles the history of Whitewater.

Born in Kenosha in 1916, his interest in photography began after high school. He spent almost two years delivering cars for the Nash automobile factory. “It seemed like such fun to explore America, so that started my interest in photography and geography, which became my major in college,” he said.

In 1938, when Fran enrolled at Whitewater State Teachers College, it was the first year enrollment went over one thousand. Fran remembered being the last one to register, making the enrollment that year 1,008 students. While an undergraduate student at the college, he served as a photographer for the Royal Purple and the former Minneiska yearbook, as well as working as a freelance photographer for the Janesville Gazette, making “a buck a picture” which helped to pay his way through school.

While attending college, Fran met his wife, Lydia. They were married for 55 years and had three children – Chap, Randi, and Jim.

Jeff McDonald Photography Display

On simultaneous display in the Cultural Arts Center Gallery with the Fran Achen Photography Competition In-Gallery show is a cross-section of photographic work by Jeff McDonald, representing his work in black & white, macro/close-up, pinhole, and creative photography.

McDonald is a Whitewater Arts Alliance board member, chairs its annual Fran Achen Photography Competition, and offers free photography workshops at the Cultural Arts Center. His photography has been recognized with awards at international photography exhibitions in the US, Australia, Canada, Europe, and Asia. His photographic interests include black and white, long exposure, landscape, architecture, street, and still-life photography.

“My objective as a photographer is to produce remarkable images. Motion, unusual visual perspectives, and interesting light intrigue me, as do the found elements of a scene that challenge one to frame them into an interesting composition.”

McDonald’s diverse artistic influences include photographers Michael Kenna, Susan Burnstine, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastiao Salgado, Saul Leiter, Tom Till, Fan Ho, David Brookover, Arthur Meyerson, and Alexey Titarenko, and the painters Wolf Kahn and Albert Bierstadt.

He has been developing a new body of work, creative interpretations and re-interpretations of a selection of his photographs spanning a 15-year period.

The embodiment of this project is the book “Interpretations: Photographs by Jeff McDonald”, which is well-represented in the CAC exhibit and available online at his website, jmacpix.com.

“My goal in developing this collection has been to explore alternative methods of storytelling through photography.”

“It occurs to me, as I make more and more photographs, and as I look seriously at more and more images made by photographers whom I respect, that: Mood, feeling, emotion, warmth, vagueness, and mystery are often not part of the story line in tack-sharp, technically perfect photographs. To be sure, those images are frequently inspiring in other ways. But, at least to me, as you inch away through selective-focus, soft-focus, out-of-focus images, and maybe mix in a little abstraction for good measure, these subjective, interpretive elements sometimes show up. Not for everyone and not for every image, but some images speak in downright visceral ways.”

“Taking inspiration from the subject and composition of photography, the sharpness and precision of illustration, the soft focus of mild abstraction, and the rich textures and washes of color found in painting, in this case mainly watercolor painting, I set off to crystallize a vision, practice techniques to use in realizing that vision, and, ultimately,
to create a body of work centered on that vision.”

“The ‘Interpretations’ photographs come from different times and locations and they depict various subjects. What brought them together is how well they lent themselves to this approach.”

As he is the Fran Achen Show’s chair, Jeff McDonald’s photographs are separate from the Fran Achen exhibition and are not in competition in that show.

Big thanks to our sponsor!

The mission of the Whitewater Arts Alliance is to promote the visual and performing arts through an alliance of artists, individuals, educational resources, and organizations to promote creativity and diversity that will serve to educate and enrich the lives of the residents of the Whitewater community and surrounding areas.

MADISON, Wis.—As Tommy Thompson takes office today as President of the University of Wisconsin System, his transition team is announcing creation of the “Listening Post” for Wisconsin residents and UW students, faculty, and staff to ask questions and offer ideas.

The Listening Post, and a message from Thompson, is available on the UW System website president’s page.

“Tommy Thompson will begin his tenure as UW System’s ‘Listener-in-Chief,’” said Tom Loftus, the former Wisconsin Assembly Speaker, Ambassador to Norway, and Board of Regents member who co-chairs the transition team. “He will collect ideas, feedback, and questions from the people the UW System serves.”

Scott Neitzel, former Department of Administration secretary who is the other transition co-chair, said Thompson has already begun preparing for the job.

“Tommy is ready to lead the UW System,” Neitzel said. “He will be collaborative, yet decisive.”

Thompson took over from Ray Cross, who will remain with UW System as an advisor for 90 days.

A native of Elroy, Wis., Thompson earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from UW-Madison. He was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 1966 and became minority leader in 1981. He won election as governor in 1986 and won an unprecedented four terms, which makes him the longest-serving governor in Wisconsin history. As governor he remained committed to a strong university system, faculty research, and the Wisconsin Idea. He stepped down during his fourth term to become HHS secretary under President George W. Bush, a role where he oversaw an increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health and enhanced local public health preparedness. He chairs the UW System Business Council and helped lead a public-private campaign to fund UW-Madison’s BioStar Initiative with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

The University of Wisconsin System serves approximately 170,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System universities also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.