It may not be mushroom season in Wisconsin, but mycologists now have a unique foraging opportunity at their fingertips.
Concordia’s Dr. Theresa Kenney has brought the great outdoors to the CUW Art Gallery and online with her latest gallery, “The Forest Floor,” which opened Jan. 25 and runs through March 25.
The gallery features a series of life-like and magical paintings of fungi by Kenney, and is available for viewing in person or through a virtual gallery link.
IN-PERSON VIEWING
CUW Art Gallery, Barth 109
Monday-Thursday | 4-8 p.m.
Friday and Sunday | 12-4 p.m.
No reservations are required for visiting the Barth Gallery, but guests should plan to check in at CUW’s front desk and follow standard COVID-19 safety protocols, including physically distancing and wearing a mask.
VIRTUAL VIEWING
“The Forest Floor” Virtual Gallery
About the artist
Theresa Kenney, PhD, is a professor of art at Concordia University Wisconsin and director of the CUW Art Gallery.
She has more than 30 years of experience in education, having taught at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools, University School, and Concordia University.
Kenney specializes in digital technology, drawing, composition, color theory, art history, design history, art in the humanities, and animation. She enjoys using her expertise for the benefit of various non-profits and community organizations.
Kenney writes of herself:
“While I love and cherish my long career in art education and entertainment, I also have a deep passion for learning about mycology. As a child, I grew up with parents who were both avid bow hunters and wild foragers in every sense of the word. We ate wild food gathered every day from the forest in the form of flora, fungi, and fauna. As I grew older, I had always wished my parents would have passed more of their knowledge down to me. So, when I was asked to help The Wisconsin Mycological Society (WMS) with their technology, I gladly volunteered. WMS is a well-respected science organization that has been in existence for a long time. Records go back 40 years but there are stories of WMS existing as far back as the beginning of the twentieth century. Throughout WMS’ existence, the aim of the organization has been to educate people about mycology. I thought, ‘This is a perfect fit for me.'”
Other CUW art opportunities
Three additional exhibits open at CUW this week.
- The Barth Cases feature “Inanimate Bonds: Giving Soul to Everyday Objects” by Stacy Ollmann. The exhibit runs through May 10 and may be viewed in person or via a virtual gallery found here.
- The Student Gallery exhibit will feature drawings by the students of Dr. Gaylund Stone and Professor Nemec-Kessel
- The 14 Frames Gallery exhibit will feature “Photography in Action” by the students of Prof. Paul Calhoun
— This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149.
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