The new building at Olin Park hosts an exhibition of art celebrating Madison
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~ The City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway has selected Reflected Memories by Christopher Sweet for the 2023 Mayor's Purchase Award. The 4' x 4' painting is on display at the new Parks Department building at 330 E Lakeside St, Madison, WI 53715.

Christopher Sweet is an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and a descendant of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota. He studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and his work has been exhibited across the region. Sweet's paintings capture traditional native ways of life, both past and present, using vibrant colors and a blend of realism and abstraction. His compositions draw viewers in with inspirations from traditional regalia, storytelling and spiritual connectedness.

The new Parks building also hosts recent works by Madison-based Guatemalan artist Richie Morales. His large scale diptych Taking flight / Tomando vuelo uses saturated colors to create a vibrant and inviting work. Part of his series "The Effects of Time on Memory (Los efectos del tiempo sobre la memoria)," the paintings are composed of dozens of layers of paint that build up and reference how memories form in our minds and how we compose our histories.

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In the main lobby, an ash bench by artist Richard Judd ties into the wood trim across the room. This work was created for the 2018 exhibition "Phoenix from the Ashes" and was constructed using ash wood from trees decimated by the emerald ash borer.

In addition to these works, two pieces have been part of the municipal art collection for years: David's Boat by Marian J. Kane from 1996 hangs above the elevator while Daisaku Ueno's Cloud, a woven wood sculpture gifted by Madison-Obihiro Sister Cities in 2016 hangs above the stairs to set an inspiring and welcoming tone to the space.

On Wednesday May 24th there will be an open house from 5:00 – 7:00 pm offering guided tours of this new Parks Lakeside Offices at 330 E Lakeside Ave as well as lake views, yard games and activities from MSCR's Fit2Go plus dinner for purchase from Carts in Parks - Taquitos Marimar and Thailand in a Truck.

The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) is an 11-member citizen commission appointed by Mayor Conway to advise on matters related to arts and culture with its mission being to foster arts appreciation through partnerships, developing new audiences, sponsoring diverse artistic activities by emerging and established artists while preserving Madison's rich artistic tradition as well as championing policies that empower a just, inclusive equitable city through cultural equity practices.

Filed Under: Government, City

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