Area residents may find parts of Take Care, a new play premiering on April 26, 7 p.m., at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County’s UW Center for Civic Engagement, surprisingly familiar.

That’s because locals have been involved with the production since UWMC first started partnering with TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater, a national touring company based in Madison, Wis., in the creation of Take Care.

The company’s producing artistic directors, Donna Peckett and Danielle Dresden, conducted workshops in the area in the spring and summer of 2011, meeting with residents and staff at Merrill’s Woodland Court, palliative care and hospice workers from Aspirus, Community Corner Clubhouse members, students in the Upward Bound summer program and UWMC students.

During these sessions, participants shared their experiences with caregiving, some humorous and others heartfelt.

Dresden, the author of Take Care, combined this material from the Wausau area with stories gleaned from workshops conducted in Dane County and Iowa counties, in Florida and in Georgia. From the real stories of hundreds of caregivers, family members and older adults, she has constructed the fictional story at the heart of this new play.

“Set in South Florida, even though some of the stories and characters have their roots in Northern Wisconsin, Take Care makes it clear that if getting old isn’t for wimps, neither is taking care of the elderly – and a sense of humor helps no matter where you are on the continuum of care,” said Dresden.

Take Care takes a personal approach to widespread social concerns, delving into everything from finding and affording care to confronting race and unresolved family issues.

Following the Wausau premiere, Take Care will travel to Madison for six performances on May 3-6 at the Overture Center, Promenade Hall. Then it will move to the Last Frontier Theater Conference in Valdez, Alaska, June 9 – 17.

According to Peckett, “Wausau area playgoers should be sure to check out the hook rug made from plastic bags seen in the second act – it’s only one of the many local contributions. Other examples include stories of impish behavior in a care facility, a dairy farmer’s rewarding life and a grandfather’s passing and how it affected a future caregiver.”

General admission tickets for Take Care are $4. For more information or to order tickets, call 715-261-6294.

For more information about TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater, go to www.tapitnewworks.org.

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County will be giving back to their community through three local service projects on April 16.

"It's important for students to be part of service activities because it draws them closer to the community in which they live," said Ian Reese, a Student Government Association senator at UWMC. "It gives students who might not have volunteer experience a chance to give back, and it's also a valuable addition to a résumé."

UWMC is partnering with The Neighbors' Place of Wausau and Marathon County Humane Society to provide volunteer opportunities to students and staff.

At The Neighbors’ Place, volunteers will work in the food pantry, sorting and shelving donations and assembling furniture from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. At Marathon County Humane Society, they will help with general upkeep of the shelter and care for animals from 8 to 11 a.m.

In addition, a group of students will be participating in a neighborhood cleanup project near Marathon Park.

"When the campus dean challenged student leaders to organize a service activity, we knew it was the right thing to do," said sophomore student John Kronenwetter.

The project was organized by UWMC's newly-created student leadership program, which provides training and support to student leaders.
For more information, contact John Kronenwetter at 715-301-0897.

Just in time for the start of motorcycle season in central Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin–Marathon County Theatre will be revving up its act this spring with the premier of Milwaukee Vibrator: The Motorcycle Musical.

More than 20 community actors and college students will sing and dance their way through seven performances April 13 – 22 at UWMC’s UW Center for Civic Engagement Theater, 625 Stewart Ave., Wausau. They will kick-start the stage-debut of Chicago-based writers Steve Sperry, Alan Marcus and Blue Miller fictional play about a small, struggling Indiana bar frequented by motorcycle lovers.

“This show offers a spirited love story and good old rock ‘n roll music,” said Sperry, who has composed and produced hundreds of radio and television commercials during his career. “The story focuses on this funky neighborhood bar that is in danger of being taken over by a cold-hearted real estate developer, who’s used to getting his way. He’ll stop at nothing to get it, tear it down and build a high-rise. But he runs into a bunch of determined bike lovers with another plan,” said Sperry, who also co-wrote eight songs for the first two seasons of NBC’s 1980s show Fame.

Milwaukee Vibrator is premiering in Wausau thanks to the networking efforts of Sperry’s niece, Brooke Sperry. Two years ago, the former UWMC student brought this show to the attention of Communication and Theatre Arts Professor Sarah Rudolph. “Brooke grew up singing the songs,” said Rudolph, who is directing the play. “Once I got a disc of the songs, I couldn't stop singing them either.

"Between putting a show on stage for the first time and learning a bit about Harley Davidson and other motorcycle culture, this experience has been one for the record books. I know the audience will enjoy it immensely too,” she added.

Another potential crowd-pleaser of UWMC’s version of Milwaukee Vibrator, explained Rudolph, is that several well-known people from the Wausau area will be making cameo appearances in the play. Jim O’Connell, executive director of the Wausau Area Performing Arts Foundation (April 13); Keith Montgomery, dean and CEO of UWMC (April 14 and 19); Wausau Mayor Jim Tipple (April 15) and meteorologist Chad Franzen from WSAW (April 20, 21 and 22) will perform the role of talk show host Johnny Luna.

General admission tickets for Milwaukee Vibrator are $15 and $12 for seniors and students. However, attendees can save $2 per ticket if they purchase their tickets in advance. For more information or to buy tickets, stop by the UWMC Business Office, 517 S. 7th Ave., Wausau, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call 715-261-6226.

Dates and Show Times for Milwaukee Vibrator: The Motorcycle Musical
• April 13 and 14 – 7:30 p.m.
• April 15 – 2 p.m.
• April 19, 20 and 21 – 7:30 p.m.
• April 22 – 2 p.m.

For more information, contact:
• Sarah Rudolph, UWMC communication and theatre arts professor, at 715-261-6290 or sarah.rudolph@uwc.edu.

International journalist and human rights activist Rana Husseini will talk about honor crimes and violence against women during a free, public presentation in the Auditorium at the University of Wisconsin – Marathon County on April 2, 7 p.m. The title of the Jordanian’s talk is “Murder in the Name of Honor: Honor Crimes and Women’s Rights in the Middle East.”

Working as a reporter for The Jordan Times, Husseini’s coverage of and dedication to ending unjustified practices against women helped raise national awareness on a topic that is traditionally considered taboo in her homeland. As a result of her work, the Jordanian government has responded by introducing legal changes that will promote tougher punishments for perpetrators of such crimes.

For more on Rana Husseini, visit: http://www.ranahusseini.com/Biography2.html

For more information about her appearance at UWMC, contact:
• Jeff Leigh, UWMC associate professor of history, at 715-261-6276 or jeff.leigh@uwc.edu.

---

The University of Wisconsin – Marathon County will hold an evening information meeting on March 20 for adults who would like to learn more about what is involved in earning a UW degree. “Return to Learn” will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Sonnentag Room of UWMC’s Center for Civic Engagement, 625 Stewart Ave., Wausau.

“Current U.S. Department of Labor statistics illustrate the stark economic difference in higher unemployment and reduced earnings experienced by people who do not take their education beyond high school,” said Jim Rosenberg, Adult Student Initiative coordinator at UWMC. “Even those with a two-year degree have an unemployment rate that is 30 percent lower than those with only a high school diploma, and their average income is 22 percent higher. For those with four-year degrees, unemployment rates are nearly cut in half and earnings are 65 percent higher. These numbers clearly speak to the return on investment higher education provides.”

Twenty-eight percent of UWMC’s students are adult or “non-traditional” students. According to Rosenberg, UWMC continues to expand its offerings with evening, online and streaming video options to make it easier for working adults to fit college completion into their schedules. In addition, the university offers several collaborative degree programs that allow students to complete an entire bachelor’s degree through UWMC, which currently has the lowest tuition in the UW System.

“Adults understand that college is not just an extension of high school, but for some the thought of going back to school can be intimidating,” Rosenberg explained. “We want them to know about academic support, financial aid and everything else that we have here at UWMC to make them successful.”

For more information, contact:
Jim Rosenberg, UWMC’s Adult Student Initiative coordinator, at 715-261-6380 or james.rosenberg@uwc.edu.

For the second year in a row, a student from the University of Wisconsin – Marathon County has qualified as a finalist in a statewide essay contest involving students from all 13 colleges in the UW System.

Mai Doua Yang’s entry titled “I Little Slave Had Enriched My Liberal Education” is competing with three other student essays in the 7th Annual UW System Liberal Arts Essay Scholarship Contest. The winning entry will be chosen this spring with the author earning a $2,000 scholarship. Former UWMC student Leslie Spear took first place in the 2011 contest. Spear will graduate this spring from UW-Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in English.

“Although I don’t know if I’ll win the final prize, I’m still very proud of my accomplishment and how far my essay has gone,” said Yang, a 2005 graduate of Wausau West High School. The UWMC sophomore came to the United States with her family at age three. Although English is her second language, Yang also works as a tutor in the university’s writing center. She plans to major in nursing.

To advance to the state finals, Yang first had to win a campus-wide writing competition, sponsored by the UWMC Foundation, this past winter. In her first-place essay, Yang shared her feelings about what she learned after attending a Lecture & Fine Arts book presentation by Dr. Bounsang Khamkeo. In “I Little Slave”, Khamkeo describes his imprisonment in Laos after the Vietnam War. Yang won $250 for her efforts.

“The way Dr. Khamkeo approached his sufferings made me realize that I can learn something about myself and my love for others,” Yang explained in her essay. “Having a liberal arts education helps me develop social responsibility, such as making the decision to be engaged in my community and to be active in local and global issues.”

Other winners in UWMC’s 2012 essay contest were freshmen Patrick Alcantara and Amy Hoffman, graduates of Wausau East High School. Alcantara took second place and won $150 for his entry: “Tutoring Teaches New Tricks”. Hoffman finished third and won $100 for her essay: “From the Court to the Classroom”.

For more information, contact:
Jill Stukenberg, UWMC senior lecturer in English, at 715-261-6277 or jill.stukenberg@uwc.edu.

Former Athens High School standout Taylor Literski will be transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County next fall to continue her college education and play volleyball for the Huskies.

Literski currently attends Marshalltown Community College in Iowa. This past fall, as a freshman, she led the Marshalltown volleyball team with 357 kills and was named All-Conference Honorable Mention. She was named to the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference’s All-Academic Team.

While at Athens High School, Literski earned Honorable Mention All-State and All-Conference volleyball honors all four years she played. She also was a unanimous Marawood Conference first-team choice her junior and senior seasons.

“UWMC volleyball is fortunate to have a player of Taylor’s ability coming this fall,” said coach Matt Greenberg. “She’s a very dynamic player and fun to watch. She was a strong player in high school, and I’m sure that she’s only continued to improve.”

Literski’s decision to transfer to UWMC “is a testament to the great educational and athletic opportunities that we have to offer our student-athletes,” Greenberg said.

Taylor Literski is the daughter of Dale and Marianne Literski, Athens.

The University of Wisconsin – Marathon County Foundation will host the 29th Annual EATS (Educational Assistance Through Scholarships) event on Saturday, March 3, 7 – 9 p.m., on the UWMC campus.

“This one-of-a-kind event provides a wonderful opportunity to support students seeking the advantages of higher education while also enjoying gourmet food, live music and a silent auction,” said Brad Zweck, executive director of the UWMC Foundation. More than 400 people attended last year’s event, which raised nearly $27,000 in support of scholarships for students attending UWMC.

EATS 2012 will feature more than 35 area chefs and restaurants, who will be sharing a wide variety of appetizers, soups, entrees and desserts. Newcomers will be Allister Deacon and The Wright Place. EATS is open to the public and advance registrations are suggested. Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door.

Attendees will be treated to a few other new features, including:
• The wine selection from Trig’s Cellar 70 and John Newburg will be more diversified than past years.
• Bull Falls Brewery will return with its locally-brewed favorites.
• The silent auction will offer a wide variety of new items, highlighted by:
o A $1,000 gift certificate for a high school senior photo package from Junion Photography.
o A $1,000 gift certificate for a family photo package from Junion Photography.
o A two-night, group-stay valued at more than $1,000 at a seven-bedroom lodge near Menominee, Mich.

“We’ll have some great musical groups, too,” Zweck said. “The night will be topped off by a post-event performance at nine o’clock by Hometown Harmony, a popular country, rock-n-roll band with a strong following in central Wisconsin.”

Major sponsors of EATS are: Liberty Mutual Insurance, Charter Communications, Midwest Communications, Ministry Health Care, Trig's Cellar 70, Peoples State Bank, Bremer & Trollop Law Firm, Wipfli LLP, Delta Dental, Evolutions in Design and Wausau Paper.

For more information, visit www.uwmcEATS.com or contact Brad Zweck at 715-261-6280 or brad.zweck@uwc.edu.

The Tournées Festival, featuring five French films, will be back at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County (UWMC) campus this month for the third straight year.

The two-week festival will begin Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. with Queen to Play, a story about Hélène, a dutiful, middle-aged wife and mother and hard-working maid at an exclusive Corsican resort who undergoes a transformation when she discovers a love of chess. It will end Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. with Farewell, a Cold War spy thriller based on the little-known true events that helped bring down the Soviet Union.

“This year’s festival promises to have something for everyone, including romance, drama, family and spy films,” said Julie Bunczak, UWMC associate lecturer in French. “Several of them feature familiar faces in unfamiliar settings, including academy award winners Kevin Kline in Queen to Play and Juliette Binoche in Certified Copy. They also include great cinematography, highlighting scenery from France, Corsica, Algeria, Tuscany and Moscow,” she explained.

Also being shown this year are:
• The Illusionist, Feb. 12, 1 p.m., an animated family film based on an unproduced script by the French comic Jacques Tati.
• Of Gods and Men, Feb. 16, 7 p.m., a sublime tale of faith and doubt based on real incident involving eight French Trappist monks living in an impoverished Algerian village.
• Certified Copy, Feb. 19, 1 p.m., plays with the question of what is fake versus what is authentic and centers on the relationship between an English writer and an anonymous woman.

All of the movies are free and will be shown in the UW Center for Civic Engagement Theater on the UWMC campus, located at 625 Stewart Ave. in Wausau; they will be in French with English subtitles.

“One of the plusses of being able to show these films locally has been the UWMC faculty-led discussions that have followed,” Bunczak said. “This year, James Powell will lead a discussion following Of Gods and Men. Eric Giordano will do so for Farewell, and I’ll be leading discussions for the other films.”

The Tournées Festival is made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture. Locally, the festival is sponsored by the UWMC Department of World Languages and the UWMC French Club, with funding from the Student Government Association.

“Each year, the grant for this festival is awarded to approximately 85 colleges and universities in the United States,” noted Bunczak. “UW-Marathon County is one of a very few two-year schools to receive the grant.”

Ohio native and artist Luke Ahern describes his work as blurring the lines between images, surfaces and objects. “My studio practice involves breaking down barriers between the past and present and constantly questions my role as an artist involved in contemporary culture.”

The University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate art student will be displaying his works Feb. 6 -24 in the Ahnsbrak Room at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County (UWMC). Ahern also will explain how he uses multiple media, including visual art and music, when he gives a free lecture on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in Room 180 at UWMC.

“By experimenting and improvising with multiple mediums, the work infiltrates my everyday life and questions what is art and how it reflects upon my life,” said Ahern, whose work has also appeared in national exhibitions. “I keep the work constantly on the border between humorous and pathetic, just like I find life.”

His appearance in Wausau is part of UWMC’s Lecture & Fine Arts program. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to come to Wausau,” said Ahern, who earned his bachelor’s degree in art from Bowling Green State University. “My work is very dependent on space, and it is rare for artists to have such an accommodating atmosphere in which to create. I am hopeful the show and lecture will leave the viewers with more questions than concrete answers.”

More than 150 students at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County have been named to the Dean’s List for Academic Honors for work they completed during the fall 2011 semester. Nearly 1,400 students currently attend UWMC on a full- or part-time basis.

Full-time honor students carry a minimum of 12 credits and earn grade point averages ranging from 3.50 to 4.0. Part-time students carry a minimum of three credits with a 3.50 grade point average or higher and must have earned at least 15 credits on campus.

Full-time students receiving Highest Honors for 4.0 grade point averages: Antigo – Jacob S. Fermanich and Sarah L. Kryka; Edgar – Rachel J. Bargender; Hatley – Cassandra M. Resch; Marathon – Lisa J. Krautkramer and Tyler D. Seehafer; Mosinee – Mark Lambrecht and Alexander J. Otte; Phillips – Terry S. Woldt; Prentice – Lauren A. Arndt; Ringle – Joshua J. Graf; Schofield – Emily E. Case and Derek A. King; Tomahawk – Brittany Shotwell; Wausau – Weeden J. Bauman, Shannon S. Bootz, Amy P. Hoffman, Austin R. Husband, Josiah M. Juedes, Laura C. Lukens, Shawna L. Munguia, Drew D. Porter and Gao H. Yang; Weston – Scott M. Staszak.

Full-time students receiving High Honors for grade point averages between 3.75 – 3.99: Abbotsford – Ryan P. Beran; Aniwa – Lucas A. Raduechel; Antigo – Jack A. Blaker; Athens – Thomas A. Ellenbecker and Kelly J. Wirkus; Birnamwood – Abigail R. Wellhoefer; Edgar – Meranda I. Berndt, William S. Reiche and Reese M. Werner; Gresham – Hiram G. Lau; Madison – Sean P. McLaughlin; Marathon – Seth A. Beaty, Rebecca A. Dahlke, Michael R. Lampe and Ryan P. Lenard; Medford – Carolyn C. Everhard and Brandon L. Homeyer; Merrill – Michelle H. Gervais, Briah L. Kaldunski, Myria L. Kludy and Ethan M. Worlin; Mosinee – Casandra L. Giles, Devon R. Gorman, Mariah L. Seubert and Erika E. Wicklund; Oshkosh – Pa C. Moua; Rib Lake – Joel A. Hebda; Ringle – Justine C. Luetschwager; Schofield – Hannah M. Hill; Wausau – Curtis J. Aderholdt, Patrick G. Alcantara, Christina M. Ast, Archie J. Becher, Joseph T. Frieberg, Amy E. Hasenberg, Cody A. Horne, Mitchell P. Krautkramer, Trisha L. Miller, Beth M. Murkowski, Rachel L. Popelka, Elizabeth M. Porter, Heather R.Troiber, Kimberly M. Wenzel, Jeffrey P. Wergin, Alan A. Wiltzius and Samantha Wischmeyer; Westboro – Sadie E. Brehm; Weston – Brock C. Rainville; Wisconsin Rapids – Christine M. Huotari.

Full-time students receiving Honors for grade point averages between 3.50 – 3.74: Athens – Ashley M. Albrecht and Olivia C. Carlson; Brokaw – Michael T. Sullivan; Eland – Brigid E. Hanke; Kronenwetter – Alexander M. Stuplich; Marathon – Ashley H. Butalla and Sheree R. Wilichowski; Merrill – Olivia S. Adamec, Rebecca A. Blakeslee, Ian D. Burt, Jennifer A. Mathis, Taylor V. Utecht and Kathleen Zeitz; Mosinee – Tyler J. Klos, Evan K. Walters, Mai D. Yang and Janelle Zebro; Nekoosa – Travis Steckbauer; Polar – Jade E. Bricco; Ringle – Kassandra M. Davidowski and Jaimie L. Schuster; Shawano – Nathan W. Milner; Thorp – Katrina R. Baker; Tomahawk – James M. DeHart, Colleen E. McCluskey and Lindsay L. Terkelsen; Wausau – Chris J. Bandura, Justin P. Behling, Charles R. Branigan, Trisha C. Brown, Nick G. Bush, Ashley R. Cybula, Adam P. Fandre, Caitlin M. Garrett, Katherina R. Hale, Tomeyiend Her, Charlotte Koch, Theresa L. Kondzela, Patrick M. Malone, Ethan Massey, Adam J. Nichols, Dylan J. Rindo, Joseph M. Shelton, Katie L. Siewert, Daosamay Sitdamlong, Adam J. Stankowski, Jenna L. Strebig and Crystal L. Witt-Whybrow; West Bend – Susanna E. Campbell; Weston – Malana T. Gehrke, Adam R. Knowles, Jeremy K. Schillinger, Jennifer T. Stubbe and Randall Wilk; Wisconsin Rapids – Dan P. Klonowski.

Part-time students earning Highest Honors for 4.0 grade point averages: Antigo – Camio L. Reseburg; Athens – Christopher R. Ewan, Merrill – Julia I. Hernandez and Tarrah J. Kaldunski; Mosinee – Scott Kauzlaric and Joseph P. Mattson; Schofield – Emma V. Cauley and DanLyssa A. Urmanski; Waupaca – Todd Fenske; Wausau – Jody A. Christensen, Daniel Gould, John F. Kronenwetter, Timothy C. McAuliffe, Jordan J. Pike, Amy L. Plier and Malinda C. Suprise.

Part-time students earning High Honors for grade point averages between 3.75 – 3.99: Merrill – Ian F. Midgorden; Wausau – David M. Crooks and Emilee F. Thomson.

Part-time students receiving Honors for grade point averages between 3.50 – 3.74: Edgar – Hannah Holbach; Merrill – William J. Koepke, Jr.; Rhinelander – Craig A. Siebert; Schofield – Megan L. Meissner; Wausau – Amy J. Miller and Joshua G. Rice.

The University of Wisconsin – Marathon County (UWMC) will host a campus event honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) and his work in the promotion of human rights on Mon., Jan. 16 at 6:30 p.m., Sonnentag Hall in the UW Center for Civic Engagement on UWMC campus, located at 625 Stewart Ave. in Wausau.

The free program will not only focus on the writings of MLK but readings on international civil rights. UWMC staff, faculty and students will perform the readings.

• Dean Keith Montgomery – Welcome and Introduction
• Video – “I Have a Dream” speech (MLK, 1963)

Readings:

• Student Women’s Initiative Committee Chair Rachel Samuelson: “Aren’t I a Woman?” (Sojourner Truth, 1851)
• Student Services Advisor Liberty Heidmann: “On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City” (Sherman Alexie, 1990)
• Assoc. Professor of History Brett Barker: “Proclamation to the Great White Father and to all His People” (Amer. Indian Movement, 1969)
• Forum Editor-in-Chief John Kronenwetter: “Letter from Delano” (Cesar Chavez, 1969)
• Asst. Dean for Student Services Franklin Taylor: “Walking with the Wind” (excerpts) (John Lewis, 1999)
• Adult Student Initiative Recruiter Jim Rosenberg: “Letters from Birmingham Jail” (excerpts) (MLK, 1963)
• Musical interlude: Fables of Faubus (Charles Mingus, 1959)
• Video – “I’ve been to the mountain top” (MLK, 1968)
  

An audience discussion will follow the presentation.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke in Wausau at the Marathon Park Youth Building on May 12, 1967. Click HERE to see photos and listen to his speech.

 

Music will fill the air for three nights this December on the campus of the University of Wisconsin Marathon County, as the UWMC Music Department presents its 2011 Winter Concerts & Performances. People attending any or all of these free concerts in the UW Center for Civic Engagement Theater will be treated to a variety of musical styles and cultures.

The Winter Instrumental Concert, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m., will kick off the musical menu. It will feature the Jazz Ensemble, directed by Ryan Korb, who joined UWMC this year. The ensemble will be performing works from jazz icons Count Basie and Duke Ellington to contemporary artists Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny. Selections will highlight America’s jazz heritage, including African folk songs and pieces from the Big Band or Swing Era to fusion and funk. “The music will be high energy, swinging and lots of fun,” Korb said. The second half of the evening will feature a performance by UWMC’s Concert Band, under the direction of Chad Premeau.

The Concert Chorale & Vocal Show Ensemble will take center stage on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. The Choral Department will start the Winter Choral Concert by singing a variety of selections from folk music to spirituals to traditional and religious Christmas songs. “We have many strong male voices, making it possible to do challenging pieces with extreme low and high ranges,” said director William Day. The second half of the show will feature the Vocal Ensemble, which will sing choreographed pieces, along with jazz, Broadway and Christmas selections. The vocal ensemble also will narrate Robert Frost poems set to music. “The concert will be a musical smorgasbord,” noted Day. “There will be something for everyone.”

The Music Majors Recital will be held on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Coordinated by Music Department Lecturer Ann Applegate, the recital will feature performances by UWMC music majors.

For more information, contact:
• Ryan Korb, associate lecturer, at 715-261-6247 or ryan.korb@uwc.edu
• Chad Premeau, concert band director, at 715-212-4181 or chad.premeau@uwc.edu
• William Day, choral director and professor emeritus, at 715-261-6246 or william.day@uwc.edu
• Ann Applegate, lecturer, at 715-261-6207 or ann.applegate@uwc.edu

The University of Wisconsin – Marathon County (UWMC) Lecture & Fine Arts Series will present the EveryPeople Workshop Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. in the UW Center for Civic Engagement on the UWMC campus at 625 Stewart Ave. in Wausau.

The Chicago-based artists’ group EveryPeople Workshop (EPW) will be hosted by UWMC for a residency and performance featuring EPW founder and Artistic Director Mikel Patrick Avery and Creative Director and UWMC alumnus Nicholas Gajewski. They will be joined by Aaron Shapiro (guitarist/composer), Mary Lawson (vocalist/poet) and John Sutton (cellist). EPW will be working with UWMC drawing and painting students from the Art Department to create an original collaborative piece that they will include in their Dec. 1 public performance. The students will join EPW for the performance, which will also include three films: “Micro Macro Minute Minute”, “Gee OL’ Metricks” and “Four For Three”.

EPW performs “shared art experiences” through multimedia and interdisciplinary art forms combining music, video, visual art and dance. The group was founded in 2009 by Avery, Gajewski and Nick Mazzarella to promote art awareness via artistic collaboration, create new art works not confined by genre, and engage diverse audiences. EPW provides cross-generational collaboration to “encourage growth, communication and new perspectives in… artistic dialogue” to Chicago artists of all ages as well as artists of any host locality. EPW has produced three albums, 60 commissioned compositions, collaborated with over 20 artists, scored A Bronzeville Ballet, made four short films and have performed nearly 50 live concerts.

For more information, visit: www.everypeopleworkshop.org or contact
Diana Budde, associate professor of Art, at 715-261-6300, diana.budde@uwc.edu, or Jean Greenwood, Lecture & Fine Arts coordinator 715-261-6234, jean.greenwood@uwc.edu.

Internationally recognized landscape and eco-artist Patricia Johanson will be bringing her passion for art and the environment to Wausau this month. Her hands-on involvement will not only benefit students from several of Associate Professor Diana Budde’s art classes at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County (UWMC), but it’s likely to help a popular Central Wisconsin botanical garden, too.

During her Nov. 14-18 residency at UWMC, Johanson will be critiquing students’ conceptual drawings and paintings of a tree house, a bridge and a memorial sculpture, all enhancements that the board of directors for The Robert W. Monk Gardens’ is considering for the 20-acre site located at 1895 N. 1st Ave. in Wausau.

“Patricia Johanson has been a pioneer in ecological art – art that considers the impact we make and the relationship we have to our environment,” said Budde, who recruited Johanson to come to UWMC. “She was ‘green’ before that ideology reasserted itself in our contemporary social consciousness. Her work is architecture, design, fine art, good science and engineering,” explained Budde.

As part of UWMC’s Lecture & Fine Arts series, Johanson also will be giving a free, public presentation on Nov. 17, 7 p.m., in the UW Center for Civic Engagement theater located at the corner of Stewart and S. 7th avenues in Wausau.

Johanson’s presentation will feature a slide show highlighting some of her most successful work, including Fair Park’s Leonhardt Lagoon in Dallas, Texas, and an underpass expressway that mimics a Utah canyon in Salt Lake City. Throughout her career, the New York-state resident has worked with engineers, city planners, scientists and citizens’ groups to turn environmentally degraded property, such as sewers and parks, into functional areas. Her talk also will focus on some of the work students created on behalf of The Robert W. Monk Gardens during her residency.

For more information, contact:
• Diana Budde, UWMC associate professor of Art, at 715-261-6300 or diana.budde@uwc.edu
• Jean Greenwood, UWMC Lecture & Fine Arts Series coordinator, at 715-261-6234 or jean.greenwood@uwc.edu
• Patricia Johanson’s web site – www.patriciajohanson.com

Jeffrey Leigh, associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County (UWMC) will be honored as the 2011 Society Fellow at UWMC’s Distinguished Faculty Society’s annual reception and lecture on Nov. 16, 6 p.m., at the UW Center for Civic Engagement on the UWMC campus in Wausau. The reception, with hors d’ oeuvres and cash bar, will start at 6 o’clock with the program to follow in the main theater at 7:15 p.m.

Leigh, who began teaching at UWMC in September 2000, will be the eleventh faculty member to receive this honor.

Hamid Milani, professor of economics, also will be recognized at this year’s event. He will be presented with the Professional Community Service Award for the volunteer work he has done locally, including his most recent efforts on behalf of the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce. Milani has taught at UWMC since August 1982.

Associate Professor of History Brett Barker will be the keynote speaker. “The Campaign to Abolish the Death Penalty in 1850s Wisconsin” will be the topic of his presentation. Barker was last year’s Distinguished Faculty Society inductee.

The Distinguished Faculty Society was established in 2001 through a financial gift from Wausau residents Dr. D. Joe and Mary Clare Freeman. The society, with 87 contributing members, provides an annual monetary award to a UWMC faculty member to pursue research or other significant professional development.

The event is open to DFS members and others who may be interested in becoming financial sponsors of DFS. There is a $15 charge for Distinguished Faculty Society members to attend the reception. Prospective members may attend at no charge, but must RSVP first. For more information on the Distinguished Faculty Society and this year’s annual reception and lecture, contact Brad Zweck, executive director of the UWMC Foundation, at 715-261-6280 or brad.zweck@uwc.edu.