News & Events

Join the WHS Players for Agatha Christie’s, “A Murder is Announced,” February 23 – 25 at 7:00 p.m. or February 26 at 2:00 p.m. in the WHS Auditorium.

Tickets are $7 per student and $10 per adult. Reserve your general admission tickets by calling the box office at 262-472-8178.

Article Submitted by Jim McCulloch
WUSD Theater Director
jmcculloch@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Tom Ganser

The UW-W Department of Music invites the community to join faculty members and guest artist Anna Hersey for an evening of Scandinavian music on Saturday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m. This program features repertoire for voice and piano by Scandinavian composers including Elfrida Andrée, Edvard Grieg, Agathe Backer Grøndahl, Ture Rangström, and Sigurd von Koch. Performers include Karen Boe, piano; guest artist Anna Hersey, soprano; Brian Leeper, baritone; and Rachel Wood, mezzo-soprano. All proceeds from this and other concerts in the Music Mosaics series go directly towards scholarships for Department of Music students. 

The venue for this event is the Light Recital Hall in the Greenhill Center of the Arts, located at 950 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190. Tickets are available in advance and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for those age 65+, and $8 for under age 18. There is a $2 surcharge if purchased at the door at the time of the event.     

A free weekly drawing class is getting under way Thursday, Feb. 2, at Wisconsin Makers in Whitewater. Taught by Mike Alvarez of Whitewater, the class will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Wisconsin Makers, 200 E. Clay St. Interested area residents of all ages are welcome to attend.

The class is the first activity set by the newly formed Whitewater Art Club at the makerspace. “This club is for people interested in arts and crafts in general, from drawing and painting to paper art, pottery, woodcarving and pretty much anything art-related,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez is the owner of Handy Mike LLC, a handyman service. He particularly enjoys drawing, painting, woodcarving, woodworking and pottery. He eventually plans to hold classes in those subjects, as well. “I want to integrate every part of the community, from the seniors to the little kids, so everyone can come and participate,” he said. Being bilingual, Alvarez hopes to generate interest from the Latino community, as well.

Club members need not join Wisconsin Makers to participate. However, donations toward paying utilities would be greatly appreciated.

Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace that creates an affordable, collaborative and educational environment that inspires people of all ages to becoming innovators within their communities by unlocking their skills through continual training. It has members from Jefferson, Walworth, Rock and Waukesha counties and beyond, and all have access to the workshops around the clock. The facility houses machine, welding/fabrication, electronics, automotive, 3-D printing, laser engraving and woodworking shops. It also offers pottery, ceramics, metal art, quilting, fabric arts, matting/framing and more. The building is accessible and has off-street parking, WiFi, and many other amenities.

For more information about the makerspace, contact Chris Spangler at (920) 728-2960.

For more information about the drawing class, contact Alvarez at (920) 397-1022 or whitewaterartclub@gmail.com.

Editor’s Note: The following was provided the Roberta’s Art Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Experience works of art inspired by the unsung artists of the Harlem Renaissance with Jerry Jordan’s exhibit “Life in Light and Shadow” through February 16, with the reception on February 7. His artwork, which consists of oil on canvas, gives a different perspective of African Americans, outside of constant struggle and pain. Most of Jordan’s paintings are about freedom to be who you want to be, and they express how life is full of endless possibilities. Jordan is changing the representation of African Americans with his artwork in the realm of Contemporary Realism.  

Jordan is an alumnus from UW-Whitewater with a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in art education. While studying in college, Jordan noticed that African Americans were largely underrepresented in art, and after discovering the Harlem Renaissance, it gave Jordan the belief that he could be a successful artist. Jordan carries a sketchbook with him all the time. “I just never know when the inspiration will hit,” Jordan states, “A simple doodle could turn into an idea for a painting.”  

Alongside his canvas paintings, Jordan is a muralist and children’s book illustrator. “Art is a part of who I am and it’s something that I always wanted to do all throughout my life,” Jordan states. “The paintings talk to me. I listen to them, and they tell me which way to go.” His murals are on display at the Madison College Goodman South Campus, at the American Family Insurance SPARK building, and at UW-Whitewater in the University Center. Jordan is currently working on illustrating three children’s books including, “Marching for the Vote: the Story of Ida B Wells and the Women’s March of 2013” by Dinah Johnson; “Unstoppable John,” a biography of Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis by Madison-based author Pat Zietlow Miller; and “Johnny Tunes and the Ganndy Dancers” by Pamela M. Tuck and Joel Tuck.  

Join us for the exhibit reception on Tuesday, February 7 at 6 p.m. where we will have an artist meet-and-greet and an opportunity for audience questions. Light refreshments will be provided.  

Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at UW-Whitewater. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations and community artists in coordinating and sponsoring exhibits. In semester, hours are Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closed Saturday and Sunday. 

Roberta’s Art Gallery prides itself in all exhibits being free and open to the public. Attending certain events can earn students class credit. To be featured in Roberta’s Art Gallery, 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.