March 9 through March 16 at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau.
March 12 Thursday 10:30 a.m. – Noon
SPARK!
Bring a friend or loved one with memory loss for a social outing in soothing.surroundings. “The Passion for French Posters” sparks one-on-one conversation between participants and an accompanying friend or family member. Social interaction is followed by a hands-on art activity. Call 715-845-7010 to register.
On View through May 31
“L’Affichomania: The Passion for French Posters”

Be transported for a sense of Paris this springtime through the remarkable work of five master printmakers – Jules Che?ret, Alphonse Mucha, Euge?ne Grasset, The?ophile Alexandre Steinlen, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec – which conveys the exuberance of the spirited Belle E?poque era. During an artistic proliferation from 1875 to 1910, these pioneering artists reigned in Paris and defined a never-before-seen, and never forgotten, art form.

Peppering the walls and kiosks of Parisian boulevards, colorful posters – a brilliant fusion of craft and commerce – advertised cigarette papers and milk, immortalized stage stars and bohemian cabarets, and won the adoration of passersby and art collectors. Although ephemeral, these posters sparked a passionate craze for collecting them called affichomania – whether acquired via special-edition purchases or stealthy pilfering from public spaces. Explore varied depictions and styles, from caricatures of Montmartre’s nightlife to the sinuous lines and expressive subjects that characterize Art Nouveau.

Melissa Sweet, The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon, © 2004, watercolor and color pencil on watercolor paper

Some Illustrator! Pictures by Melissa Sweet 

Buoyant children’s book illustrations by Melissa Sweet, created in her signature watercolor and found-object collage style, comprise this exhibition of her acclaimed biographical work. The title of Sweet’s recent, award-winning book “Some Writer! The Story of E.B. White” riffs on White’s Charlotte’s Web and “Some Pig.”

Sweet, based in Portland, Maine, has illustrated more than 100 books, created toys, puzzles and games for eeBoo, and her work has been recognized with multiple awards. She received two Caldecott Honors for “A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams” and “The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus.”

During her visit to the Woodson Art Museum, April 16-18, Sweet will lead programs for area students, workshop participants and visitors.
From the Museum’s Collection
“Collection Classics”
Mining the museum’s holdings yields an array of significant and masterful works. Spanning the 18th through 21st centuries and encompassing a range of mediums from watercolor to oil and metal to wood, “Collection Classics” comprises work by John James Audubon, Martin Johnson Heade, Andrew Wyeth, and others along with work by contemporary artists, including Robert Bateman, Tony Angell, James Morgan, and more.
“Deceptive Surfaces”
Carved and painted with a keen eye for ornithological details that convey the behavior, personality and coloration of birds, these decorative wood sculptures often fool the eye, appearing real. From John Scheeler’s pale-colored mourning doves to Ma Hai Feng’s brilliant yellow and green budgerigar, these realistic sculptures seem poised for flight.
“Cast, Carved & Cut”
Small-scale sculptures from the museum’s collection populate a specially designed case located in the lower level of the 2012 addition. A custom-bound volume provides background information on each of the 20 sculptures.
“In Touch with Art: Tactile Sculpture”
The Woodson Art Museum’s inaugural tactile art exhibition debuts with five avian sculptures, available on a “touch table” in the Decorative Arts Gallery. This touchable artwork installation – the first in an ongoing series – provides ready access to original artwork for visitors with low vision or blindness, also encouraging sighted visitors to experience a new way to “see” via the mind’s eye – visualizing artwork though touch.

The Woodson is at 700 N. 12th St., Wausau. Visit lywam.org.

Photos courtesy Woodson Art Museum.