News & Events

B. Pechous writes, “Ready for the 1946 “old time” VFW masquerade ball at the Armory: Clarence Treutel Sr., and wife Janet Treutel, LuLu Billett Hunt and her son Earl Hunt, standing in front of the Treutel home on S. Whiton Street, Whitewater WI. From the late Janet Dempsey Treutel collection”

Our thanks to B. Pechous for sharing this great photo and description.

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Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Amy Wyatt (above left) presents Georgia Kestol-Bauer with the 2024 Wisconsin Historical Society Board of Curators Historic Restoration Award to Georgia Kestol-Bauer for her efforts in restoring the old Heart Prairie Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church in the Town of Richmond. Kestol-Bauer spent over 15 years on this restoration effort, completing the job last year. The presentation took place on October 6.

The old church building (above) is a fine example of a pioneer-era Greek Revival style building that served as a church from the 1850s to the 1880s. It is one of only a few buildings of its type in the area and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. According to Whitewater Historical Society President Carol Cartwright, who submitted the application for the Board of Curators award, the restoration that Ms. Kestol-Bauer accomplished for the building is “museum quality” and has preserved an important historic landmark from Wisconsin’s pioneer era.

Editor’s note: The above announcement was provided by Carol Cartwright.

Professor Emeritus Jon Werner, a pioneer in the field of management education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, recently achieved a significant milestone by surpassing 10,000 Google Scholar citations. Google Scholar tracks the number of times a researcher’s work is referenced by other scholars. This remarkable accomplishment underscores the substantial impact and influence of his research within the academic community.

Additionally, Professor Werner ranks #8 worldwide for the search term “human resource development,” #6 worldwide for “HRD,” and #12 worldwide for “workplace learning.” These rankings reflect his leading role in the field, the broad reach of his research, and the global recognition of his work.

Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Werner not only shaped the academic landscape of the University, but also significantly influenced the broader management and HRD communities. His insightful research illuminates the complexities of human behavior and interpersonal relationships within managerial settings, resonating with scholars and practitioners alike.

Jon M. Werner’s most cited article shifts the focus from how employees perceive managerial trustworthiness to the factors that promote trustworthy behavior among managers. By integrating agency and social exchange theories, the article introduces an exchange relationship framework that explores the organizational, relational, and individual elements that influence the development of trust within teams. This research provides valuable insights into the challenges of establishing trust in the workplace (Whitener, Brodt, Korsgaard, Werner, 1998).

Since starting his publishing journey in February 1994, Professor Werner consistently pushed the boundaries of the management field through his innovative research. With over 10,000 citations to his name, his work continues to serve as a beacon of excellence, inspiring future generations of researchers and educators in management studies.

As we celebrate this extraordinary achievement, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and profound gratitude to Professor Emeritus Werner for his invaluable contributions to the advancement  of management education. His tireless efforts and enduring legacy continue to shape the future of the discipline, and we eagerly anticipate the ongoing impact of his work for years to come.

“I am thrilled to have reached this citation milestone,” Werner said. “There is, of course, a form of ‘reverse ageism’ in citation counts, which favors people like me, who have been publishing academic research now for 30 years. But I am most grateful for the opportunity that my various research projects have provided me to impact current and future academics, practitioners, and students.” 

To view Professor Werner’s scholarly work please click here.

Editor’s note: The above press release was received from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater College of Business & Economics.

The city Parks & Recreation Department once again sponsored a concert series at the Cravath Lakefront Park. Four out of five scheduled concerts were held; Ladies Must Swing was canceled on August 15 due to weather. Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.

Madison Brass Band – July 25

Bonzo Squad – August 1

Palmyra-Eagle Community Band directed by Jim Neist – August 8

Piper Road Spring Band – August 22

Reflect on the connections between sound, digital art, computer programming, and AI technology at Roberta’s Art Gallery with “Resonate: An Audiovisual Interactive Experience” by artist and UW-Whitewater Media Arts & Game Development Associate Professor Nick Hwang. This exhibit challenges the relationship between sound and response to physical movement with interactive cubes that alter audio and a large digital display over time. Hwang’s exhibit will be open from Sept. 25 to Oct. 22. 

“Resonate” highlights the fusion of dynamic audio, visuals, and the art of an ever-evolving presence. This exhibit features three transformational rotation-aware boxes made of birch wood and electronic components programmed to connect movement and sound frequencies. By design, Hwang’s innovative cubes and digital display will evolve as the exhibition continues, promising its audience a collaborative and interactive, ever-changing AI experience. Hwang says “I hope that this exhibit will invite exploration amongst the Warhawk community in hopes that everyone who experiences my exhibit will be inspired to push themselves to create more innovative art.”

Hwang is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, specializing in multi-user interactive experiences. Hwang says, “This exhibit extends the work I practice and teach. I am excited to share that if Warhawks are interested in immersive audio and visual technology, they can look into the Media Arts & Game Development program at UWW, where they can discover an immense array of tools and materials to help explore curiosity.” 

The exhibit reception will be held on Oct. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m., with an artist talk and an audience Q&A from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by an open house with refreshments from 7 to 8 p.m. Additionally, there will be a “Design Your Own Light Box” workshop in collaboration with UC Live in the Warhawk Connection Center from 7 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 8. 

Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 190 Hamilton Green Way, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists to coordinate and sponsor exhibits. Our hours are Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The gallery is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

At Roberta’s Art Gallery, we pride ourselves in providing free and open exhibits to the public, and attending certain events can earn students class credit. If you are interested in being featured in the gallery, please contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or 262-472-3193. Visit our website for any questions or inquiries, and follow our Instagram @uww_rag. For more information about Hwang’s work, see his website https://nickhwang.com/. 

Editor’s Note:  The following was written by Marjorie Stoneman about Studio 84’s Dance Program.
Update: Photos from the Studio 84’s performance at the Multicultural Heritage Showcase are added to the bottom of the article.

Joy and laughter dances at Studio 84.  Many know Studio 84 as a place for people of all abilities to come to paint, draw, and work with clay and ceramics.  A new program offered is dance. 

And what a wonderful dance it is.  An incredibly talented dancer herself, Margaret Wheeler donates her time each week to bring joy, laughter and dance to Whitewater’s Studio 84 at 121 West Center Street. Stuart Nagy and Steven Paprocki benefit from her talents each week.  They are regular dancers and artists at Studio 84.  Each Tuesday they travel from Hales Corners to spend the day creating art and dancing.

Margaret Wheeler brings an enthusiasm that brightens the studio and makes everyone happy, including visitors.

Dancers Stuart and Steven are definitely joyful as they dance choreographed pieces that are meaningful and fun.  One of the recent performances was danced to “Invisible” by Hunter Hayes.  The anti-bullying theme was powerfully put into dance and featured each dancer’s personal experiences.  Margaret asked each of the dancers to take what could be considered a negative and turn it into a positive.  They danced and used posters to share their messages.  For Stuart, “Hiding” was converted to “Being Seen.”  For Steven, “Shy” was converted to “Quiet Confidence.”  One of the other students created “Autism is Amazing.” 

People with all abilities are invited on Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. to join the dance class.  Each dancer pays $15 per hour to participate and all proceeds are donated by Margaret to Studio 84.  More information and sign-up information can be found at:  www.studio84inc.org.

“We pick songs that feature fun, positive, non-bullying, and even awe-inspiring themes,” said Margaret.

The class begins with warm-up stretches and then they proceed to choreographed dance segments.

Margaret said, “I love the people, the atmosphere, to be there with all of the art.  The people I meet are so creative…and dance adds to that.”

Margaret Wheeler earned a Master’s Degree in Dance from Mills College, Oakland, CA and has taught and choreographed since the 1980’s.  She has a Certificate of Adaptive Dance from the Boston Ballet and from the American Dance Festival. Previously, she was Director of the Dance Program at Fisk University, Nashville, TN and she created the Parabolic Dance Company in Helena, MT in which all proceeds from concerts were donated to nonprofit organizations.

When she isn’t donating her time dancing, she spends her time as an International Employment and Immigration Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Her dance class has performed at the Multicultural Event through the Whitewater Unified School District and is available for other venues.   Anyone interested in having a performance at their location or event should contact Studio 84 at info@studio84inc.org.

Margaret said, “Being in this space makes me happy – but mostly the people.  People can do anything.”

Dance is just one of the arts featured at Studio 84.  Stuart can often be found at the Whitewater City Market selling his pottery to help raise funds for Studio 84.  He has been involved in Studio 84 for about seven years and said, “I just love doing the arts.” And of dance he said, “It’s fun.  And it gets me energized.”

Benjamin Kelly, a director at Studio 84, said, “I would like to see the studio continue and expand – reaching more people.”  Studio 84 services much of Southern Wisconsin.

Volunteers like Margaret are crucial to the group to sit with artists as they create, help with administration, and assist with other tasks.  Donations also keep the doors open, help with supplies, and more.  Funds are welcome and so are art supplies. 

Their website says, “Studio 84 is a nonprofit art studio, gallery and store.  We specialize in the creative and vocational development of people with disabilities including those with Autism, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities, cognition delays and mental illness.  We believe in creating an environment of inclusion. Open to all ages and all abilities.”

Margaret is also working with the City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Department to offer evening classes at the Whitewater Armory. More information about Studio 84 and the dance programs can be found at www.studio84inc.org or by calling 262-473-9845.

Studio 84 will be exhibiting art at the Whitewater Arts Alliance Gallery in downtown Whitewater through October 27.  There will be an opening reception on Saturday, October 12, Noon to 4 p.m. with a brief gallery program introducing the exhibit at 1 p.m.  The exhibit can be viewed during the following open gallery hours as well: Thursday-Sundays, Noon to 4 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 W Main St. Whitewater. 

Update: Photos below from Studio 84’s performance at the Multilingual Heritage Showcase on May 11 are courtesy of Tom Ganser.