News & Events

ROBERTA’S ART GALLERY PRESENTS VIBRANT TEXTILE ARTWORK OF HMONG AMERICAN ARTIST GER XIONG/NTXAWG XYOOJ 

Explore colorful Hmong textile artwork at Roberta’s Art Gallery with “Re/connections” by artist Ger Xiong/Ntxawg Xyoo. This is a must-see exhibit for anyone interested in contemporary art, Hmong culture, or beautiful works of art that hold deep meaning. “Re/connections” is on display from August 17 to September 15, with a reception on Thursday, September 14. The reception will feature a guest panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Organization and the Office of Global Experiences. The discussion will cover topics such as how artwork and design play a role in the preservation of culture. There will also be an open house during the reception from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., where guests can meet the artist and enjoy complimentary refreshments. 

“Re/connections,” by Xiong/Xyooj, is a unique exhibit that utilizes processes and patterns from both Hmong and American iconography. He explores themes of resilience, displacement, and adaptation through the lens of a mother raising her eight children in an unknown land in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Despite statelessness, the Hmong culture and identity have been preserved through artwork and design. Xiong/Xyooj says, “My artwork explores how stateless and displaced people can reconnect to their culture and history.” He says, “This exhibit helps to show how stateless and displaced people navigate identity within dominant spaces.”  

Xiong/Xyooj is a Hmong refugee who immigrated to the United States from Thailand during the Vietnam War. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Metals and Jewelry from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and his Master of Fine Arts from New Mexico State University. His work has been exhibited nationally throughout the United States and published internationally in Australia. He is a Fulbright Scholar who researched and collaborated with Hmong artisans in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 2019 to 2020. 

Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 800 W. Main Street, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists in coordinating and sponsoring exhibits. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday, and is closed on Saturday and Sunday during the summer. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and is closed on Saturday and Sunday during the academic year, which starts on September 5. 

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 or visit our website for any questions or inquiries and be sure to follow our Instagram at uww_rag.  

Editor’s note: The above press release was received from UW-Whitewater. Those needing a parking permit may wish to view this information.

Here is a clickable link to make an appointment.

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

On August 3 UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt announced that major staffing changes would be needed in order to address an “unprecedented” $18 million annual structural deficit. He referred to a “perfect storm” that includes declining numbers of high school graduates attending college and declining state support of the UW System, resulting in increasing reliance on tuition, which had been frozen for in-state students for ten years until the coming school year.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Leavitt indicated that the university plans to cut about 200 non-faculty staff and administrators, while requiring many other employees, including faculty, to take furlough days. “The cuts amount to about 20% of university employees,” according to the paper.

In response to the Oshkosh announcement, UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey A. King issued a statement later the same day to the university community indicating, “The purpose of my message to you today is to ensure that you have the facts about our fiscal picture at UW-Whitewater and to underscore my continued confidence in our budget moving forward.”

King stated that the structural deficit for the 2022-23 year had been anticipated to be $8.5 million, but, “Due to prudent fiscal management and annual savings strategies, we reduced the actual 2022-23 deficit to less than $4.5 million by the end of the year.” While acknowledging that there is still much to be done, the chancellor stated that the goal is to balance the budget within five years; meanwhile, reserves will cover the shortfalls. One positive note is that enrollment for the upcoming fall semester is anticipated to exceed projections on both campuses.

The UW System had asked for a $262 million increase in operating budget funding for the 2023-25 biennium, and Gov. Evers had recommended a $305 million increase. The legislature actually cut the system budget by $32 million in the document that the governor ultimately signed.

Chancellor King’s message is reproduced below.

Message from Chancellor King

Dear UW-Whitewater colleagues,

Earlier today, UW-Oshkosh announced layoffs and furloughs as part of a plan to address an “unprecedented” $18 million structural deficit that the university is facing. As you know, higher education institutions across Wisconsin have been navigating financial challenges in recent years. Our thoughts are with our colleagues at UW-Oshkosh during what is an extremely difficult time.

This news is prompting questions about the finances at other universities. The purpose of my message to you today is to ensure that you have the facts about our fiscal picture at UW-Whitewater and to underscore my continued confidence in our budget moving forward.

Like most UW campuses, UW-Whitewater has a structural deficit, which means a university needs to use its financial reserves to balance out the budget at the end of the year. We communicated this figure to the UW System as part of our annual budget submission. 

As we communicated in past budget town halls, we planned our structural deficit to be $8.5 million at the beginning of the 2022-23 fiscal year. Due to prudent fiscal management and annual savings strategies, we reduced the actual 2022-23 deficit to less than $4.5 million by the end of the year.

Our goal is to eliminate annual deficits within the next five years. We are making strong progress to that goal, and will utilize reserves to cover the deficits.

In the meantime, we are making strategic reinvestments back into the university, including new recruitment and retention efforts. We are hitting or exceeding the benchmarks that we normally use to track our enrollment. Current projections indicate a larger student population for Fall 2023 at the Whitewater and Rock County campuses, which would result in even higher tuition revenue than budgeted. 

Additional strategies we have undertaken to stay on pace to eliminate our deficit include: 

• Using an institution-wide position vacancy review to determine which vacant positions (particularly those that have remained vacant for some time) can be eliminated from the budget, reallocated to drive growth, or combined with other positions to obtain budgetary savings.
• Utilizing fully the General Purpose Revenue fringe pool to achieve annual savings.
• Partnering with the UW-Whitewater Foundation to identify opportunities for external funding of existing programs/positions.
• Reviewing facility usage to ensure efficient and effective use of spaces with the expectation of cost savings.

As you can see, the efforts to strengthen our fiscal picture are university wide, and I want to express my gratitude to all faculty and staff who have creatively, diligently and thoughtfully collaborated to get us to this point. We still have much work to do. Reducing our budget deficit remains a top priority. It will take all of us to actively strive toward continuous improvement as we reach a balanced budget.

Corey A. King, Ed.D
Chancellor

Editor’s note: 930 W. Walworth is between Prince St. and Whiton St.

On Tuesday, August 15, the street department will be closing W. Walworth Ave. in the area of 930 W. Walworth to dig out for asphalt installation on Wednesday, August 16. Homes will be accessible from either side of the closure. The street will remain closed overnight Tuesday and reopened on Wednesday after completion.

If you have questions, contact Brad at 262-473-0139.

Grab your family, dinner, and chairs to join us for a free concert at Cravath Lakefront Park on Thursday, August 17th, starting at 7 p.m.
Smooth, Soulful, Beautiful, Melodious—all words to describe the spot-on vocal harmonies produced by Michelle and Todd of Indigo Canyon. Whether playing as a Duo or with the Full Band, the energy is always upbeat. Hailing from the Kenosha area, Indigo Canyon has built a strong reputation for creating grooves and drawing crowds into dancing frenzies. If you don’t believe it, come see for yourself!

(EDGERTON, WI) – Edgerton Hospital and Health Services is celebrating 100 years of providing quality and compassionate care, on August 26^th, and everyone is welcome!

The hospital and its team invite patients, supporters, community members, family, and friends to join them in the Edgerton Hospital healing garden for food, fun, and to celebrate the organization’s history and commitment to the community.

This free public event will feature:

• Food Trucks & Booths, with food sales, including: Eat at Joe’s, Steve’s Deli Dog House, Ember Foods, Lily’s Magical Treats, Quick Chef, and Maria’s Taco Truck
• Prize Drawings
• 100 Year Edgerton Hospital T-Shirt give away – (first 200 attendees)
• A display of the hospital’s 100-year history
• Special “I was born at Edgerton Hospital” pins
• And more…

Event details:
Who: Edgerton Hospital and Health Services

What: 100 Year Anniversary Celebration – (Open to the public)

Where: Edgerton Hospital Healing Garden, 11101 N. Sherman Road, Edgerton, WI
When: Aug 26, 2023, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

This is a FREE public event, with food sales. In case of inclement weather, the event may be moved indoors. For more information visit www.edgertonhospital.com.

Edgerton Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital. The hospital serves the communities of Edgerton, Milton and surrounding communities.  Founded in 1923, the facility offers inpatient, outpatient, surgical, diagnostic, emergency, urgent care and rehabilitation services.  It is an affiliate of SSM Health. For additional information about Edgerton Hospital, please visit www.edgertonhospital.com.

The Walworth County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) will offer “Welcome to Medicare” workshops on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. This popular educational session will provide information about Medicare for individuals turning 65 years of age, those over 65 and planning to retire, or individuals with disabilities that have received Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months or have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

“It is vitally important that individuals eligible to receive Medicare are aware of the different parts of Medicare, including Part A and Part B, as well as the prescription drug coverage,” says Elder Benefit Specialist Julie Juranek. “Being knowledgeable about premiums and penalties for not having creditable prescription drug coverage will help people make sound choices when exploring available plans.”

The Welcome to Medicare workshops will be held at the Walworth County Health and Human Services building, 1910 County Road NN, Elkhorn. RSVPs are highly recommended by calling (262) 741-3366.

About the Walworth County Aging and Disability Resource Center: The ADRC provides information and assistance to older and disabled adults, their friends, family, caregivers, and the public. We can assist by evaluating your current needs and providing options available to meet the needs of your personal situation.