The A.V. Club’s frostbitten guide to Winter Gallery Night And Day
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The Historic Third Ward Association’s quarterly Gallery Night And Day will once again take over Milwaukee January 18 and 19 for its sprawling and overwhelming winter 2013 edition. There will be ice sculptures, party buses with live music, pizza joints with roller-derby themed art, a Victorian fashion show, and interactive media spread throughout the city. But the music, the drink specials, the curated tours, and the restaurants as galleries serve mainly as distractions from the art that is at the heart of Gallery Night. While this weekend will certainly still be an opportunity to see and be seen, The A.V. Club offers the following events as exciting sights to take in between cocktails.
“Sculptures On Ice” (Catalano Square on Broadway and Menomonee)
Winter Gallery Night’s 10th annual juried ice-sculpting show, themed “Flora And Fauna,” promises to be another family-friendly event that uses Milwaukee’s climate as part of the art. The sculptures, all created on the day of the event, will still be on display Saturday if the weather permits, making the temporary nature of the art a major part of the event. “Sculptures on Ice” will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, January 18, when the winners will be announced.
Pfister Hotel (424 E. Wisconsin Ave, 414-273-8222)
Presenting his fourth and final Gallery Night exhibition as Artist in Residence, Timothy Westbrook will be offering all of his Victorian-style gowns made from woven cassette tape and grocery bags, chronicling the life of a fictional “Mrs. Charles Pfister.” The event will conclude with a fashion show, bringing each of the pieces to life. Before the show, swing over to Gallerie M at the Intercontinental to see the finalists for next year’s Artist in Residence and to place your vote. Both shows run from 5-9 p.m. Friday. The fashion show will be at 9:30 p.m. at the Pfister. The new Artist in Residence will be announced in February.
Milwaukee LGBT Community Center (1110 N. Market St, 414-271-2656)
The LGBT Community Center offers two shows: “Art Under $200,” and an exhibition of photography by Stevens Point artist Steven Patrick Leahy and Chicago artist Andy Karol exploring transgender identities. This double feature is one of the few Gallery Night shows at the very heart of the event. By offering affordable local work in a community setting, the LGBT Center is supporting both the artists and its mission to provide a space for camaraderie and ideas. The “Facets Of Gender” photography show carries that mission further by introducing the beautiful portraits of Karol’s “Eden” series alongside Leahy’s work into the dialog of regional art. Both shows are open 5-9 p.m. Friday.
Blue Ant Gallery (338 N. Milwaukee St, 414-455-4815)
Friday’s video and interactive media event, “Mediated,” is curated by artist Joe Grennier, with assistance from Blue Ant’s lead artist Bryan Cera. Grennier’s work includes a 10-minute video of appropriated and manipulated footage from Blade Runner, along with a series of derivative digital prints. Cera’s work combines video with interactive computing, inviting the audience to become a part of the piece, which will then respond to the individual’s presence. This exploration of the relationship between artist, art, and audience is at the heart of “Mediated.” The other artists, from UWM and Milwaukee, all speak to this basic theme of media saturation through technology. “Mediated” will be presented from 4:00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Friday.
