Departments

Please check in with individual galleries and museums before you visit to ensure you have the most updated information and hours.

Appleton Historical Society Museum. www.appletonhistory.com

Vulcan Hydroelectric Replica

By appointment. The Appleton Historical Society, in partnership with the City of Appleton, has the 1932 replica of the 1882 hydroelectric generator open to the public by private tour (call for appointments) or during the warmer months (May to October) on Sunday afternoons from 1-3 p.m.  The replica features an original Edison K generator, drive belts, water wheel, & gearing system that created electricity using waterpower from the Fox River.  The Replica 

is marked by the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) for being the world’s first electric central station.

Then and Now

Ongoing. This photo display of modern day images next to historical photographs gives a retrospect on what used to be where in Appleton. New display of major department stores in Appleton including Prange’s, Sears and more, as well as a five-cent to a dollar store display.

Jimos Hat Cleaners and Shoe Shine

Ongoing. In the Langenberg Room, find a recreation of the Jimos Hat Cleaners and Shoe Shine store which was the longest running business based on College Avenue. It chronicles the Jimos story from penniless immigrant to successful building and business owner.

Art Connective, De Pere. www.artconnective.org

Group Juried Show “Black & White”

Through September. Solo Exhibit by Ginny Laukka and Solo Exhibit by Ellen Raines

Group Juried Show “Rejected”

Through November. Solo Exhibit Kelly Yeoman and Solo Exhibit Zach Mory.

Group Juried Show “Critters 5”

Through December.

The Art Garage, Green Bay. www.theartgarage.org

Elements: WIND

Sept. 7-Oct. 29. Wind reminds us that there is much more to this world than what we can see. We can feel the wind touch our skin, but how can we show this movement of air in a visual format? From observing how the wind moves the clouds or trees to the patterns of ripples wind forms in sand and water, it teaches us to not underestimate what we can’t see and to grow and change as the world does.

Youth Summer Art Workshops Student Exhibition

Sept. 7-Oct. 1. Designed for ages 6 to 16, The Art Garage Youth Summer Art Workshops program encourages young students to discover their inspiration and express themselves in new ways. Workshops stimulate inquisitiveness, inspire the pursuit of creativity, and encourage self-expression. 

Second Annual: A Year in Review

Nov. 9-Dec. 31. Join us as we continue this side gallery tradition for a second year! The Second Annual: A Year in Review exhibition reflects on the previous year through art and will feature work exploring various subjects and mediums all inspired by, or created in, the year 2022.

Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass. www.bmmglass.com

Vessels from the Vault
Through Dec. 31. The vessels on exhibit in the Mabel R. McClanahan Memorial Study Gallery represent collections outside of the museum’s general scope. Many of the vessels included in this exhibition were created in the Art Nouveau style (1890-1910) and feature undulating, colorful forms created by applying metal oxides to the artwork while in the furnace.  

Between Seeing and Knowing
Oct. 9-Feb. 5, 2023. Comprised of hundreds of objects fabricated using multiple glass processes, Between Seeing and Knowing is a large-scale, site-specific installation by artists Anna Boothe and Nancy Cohen. 

The Building for Kids Children’s Museum, Appleton. www.buildingforkids.org

Construction Junction
Ongoing. Operate the crane to move the construction blocks. After building you can recycle the blocks and use the bobcat to gather them back to the pit! Then check out the different construction vehicles in the Big Dig. Sponsored by The Boldt Company.

da Vinci Studio
Ongoing. da Vinci Studio is sponsored by School Specialty. Just like Leonardo da Vinci, we encourage curiosity! Stop by da Vinci and do an activity or explore your creativity at an easel. Activities are always changing, so every visit will be different!

Move It
Ongoing. Physics, engineering and air pressure come together in what would likely be Newton’s favorite exhibit. Use levers, pulleys, and ramps to change air flow and the path of bright balls shooting through clear tubes in this simple machines exhibit sponsored by AZCO Inc.

Elisha D. Smith Public Library, Menasha. www.menashalibrary.org

Paper Cut and Printmaking Exhibit by Emmalie Engle

September. Menasha local youth artist. Emmalie Engle shares her works on paper, silhouettes, mixed media, and printmaking. Emmalie recently had the great opportunity to exhibit during the Art at the Park 2022.

Jonna Rae Brinkman Exhibit

October and November. Enjoy a unique visual experience with the art and inspiration of Jonna Rae Brinkman. A versatile artist with oil, acrylics, and pastels; Jonna Rae expresses her feelings about the natural world around her, always balanced by her sheer delight in the physicality of the paint and the joys of putting it onto surfaces. 

The Hardy Gallery, Ephraim. www.thehardy.org

Focus on Five: Printmakers from the Vox Populi Print Collective
Sept. 3-Oct. 9. A print show curated by Christine Style. Featuring a deeper view of prints by five artists from the “Devils Dictionary” Vox Populi printmaking exchange project. Exhibiting artists include Barry Carlsen, Mary Hood, Rachael Griffen, Andy Ruben, and Jayne Reid Jackson. Vox Populi Print Collective seeks to elevate, celebrate, and promote fine art printmaking in the U.S. and abroad. 

Hearthstone Historic Museum, Appleton. www.hearthstonemuseum.org

Lewis Latimer: Self-Made Renaissance Man

Ongoing. An inventive genius who worked alongside some of the most famous names in American history—Alexander Graham Bell, Hiram Maxim, Thomas Edison—before gaining his own fame as an inventor and educator, Lewis Latimer is the subject of a new permanent exhibit at Hearthstone. It features artifacts and video presentations covering not only Lewis Latimer but also his parents’ fight for freedom from slavery.

America’s Electrical National Treasure
Through Dec. 31. Hearthstone celebrates its singular place in America’s history with this major exhibit focusing on the museum’s priceless collection of original fixtures. The exhibit also features a collection of original Edison bulbs and new hands-on exhibits. It is a cell phone-based (no download necessary), self-guided tour through Hearthstone (in lieu of the regular guided tour).

History Museum at the Castle, Appleton. www.myhistorymuseum.org

DaVinci The Exhibition
Through Sept. 19. DaVinci The Exhibition is a hands-on exploration of the life and work of the original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci. Featuring over 60 inventions and machines brought to life from da Vinci’s Codices, advanced anatomical studies, world-renowned paintings and so much more!

AKA Houdini

Ongoing. AKA Houdini lets you experience Harry Houdini’s tricks of the trade and see handcuffs, keys, and a straitjacket used by the famous magician. It is great fun for the whole family! See why the world renowned magician called Appleton his hometown.

Fox Cities ABCs
Ongoing. Enter the story of Fox Cities history in this alphabet-themed exhibit. Iconic artifacts will take you on a storybook adventure through time.

National Railroad Museum, Green Bay. www.nationalrrmuseum.org

The Milwaukee Beer Line: From Grain to Glass Exhibit

Through Dec. 31. The Milwaukee Beer Line was the specific section of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad that ran north of Milwaukee’s downtown area. Freight trains transported the needed grains to the breweries and then exported the finished beer. Featured photos show different areas of the Milwaukee Beer Line, which serviced the Pabst, Blatz and Schlitz breweries, among many other industries in Milwaukee. Visitors also will enjoy seeing beer memorabilia from these lines ranging from the 1950s through 1970s. 

The Bauer Drumhead Gallery Exhibit

Through Dec. 31. Among railroad memorabilia, drumheads are extremely rare. As trains were removed from service, drumheads often were scrapped along with unwanted passenger cars. The exhibit features narrated, touchscreen displays that allow visitors to see and hear the routes and descriptions of each drumhead.

Neenah Historical Society. www.neenahhistoricalsociety.com

Tracing Our Paths – Neenah’s Immigration Stories

Through October. The Neenah Historical Society’s exhibit highlights the stories of Neenah’s immigrants over the past 175 years including many familiar as well as not so familiar names of the community. Visitors will discover what it took to make the journey here from Europe in 1880, but also learn about some of our most recent immigrants and the challenges they have faced.

Neville Public Museum, Green Bay. www.nevillepublicmuseum.org

Science of Sound
Through Oct. 16. Bam! Bang! Boom! Sound is all around us. Examine how sound is created by vibrations and moves in waves. Explore how sounds are made and heard in nature and discover how we can use technology to create and hear sound as well. 

HerStory
Through Nov. 6. HerStory explores the changing roles and experiences of women in work, politics and their community through photographs, stories, and artifacts. Seventeen contemporary women were interviewed, their stories recorded, and personal artifacts loaned for this exhibition while fifteen additional female stories and artifacts demonstrate change within time from 1900 to present.           

77th Art Annual
Oct. 29-Feb. 5, 2023. This exhibit is an all-media, juried exhibition of current artworks produced by artists living in the counties of Northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This exhibition exhibits the importance and power of visual languages that can be interpreted and reinterpreted. For everything that needs to be said there is a language, and the languages of these artists are eclectic and relevant for the times in which we live.

NewARTSpace, De Pere. www.newartspace124.com

[un]Certain Futures
Oct. 10-Dec. 2. Thoughtful and provocative new work by six nationally renowned artists, educators, curators and writers focused on environmental concerns including climate change, environmental justice and the transition to a post human centered world. Through their individual work, and their interactions as The Environmental Photography Collective, these artists critically examine these complex issues and are dedicated to amplifying the voices of women, people of color and other underrepresented groups. The exhibition features Marion Belanger (Connecticut), Dana Fritz (Nebraska), Margaret LeJeune (Illinois), Judy Natal (Illinois), Martina Shenal (Arizona), and Terri Warpinski (Wisconsin).

Oculus: Stuart Rome
Sept. 8-Oct. 10. Oculus is a stunning body of work created by photographing from the inside – from deep within the giant Redwoods and Sequoias of our ancient forests. Many of these trees are 3-5,000 years old. Their interiors have been carved out from fire caused by lightning strikes occurring over millenia. Today, the devastating fires caused by global warming have further challenged the survival of what remains of these remarkable creatures.

Force of Nature: Barbara Manger
Sept. 8-Oct. 10. Barbara Manger’s monotypes engage line as metaphor. Lines repeat and weave themselves together, echo the flow of a river, or the growth of tree bark, or the sway of grass bending as wind blows across a field. Individual strands of color might appear fragile when alone but gain power when integrated with others. The visual energy, spatial properties, dense textures, and dynamic forms that emerge are deeply evocative of the natural world.

Oshkosh Public Museum. www.oshkoshmuseum.org

Victory Begins at Home
Oct. 1. Propaganda posters provided one source of ammunition for President Roosevelt’s arsenal of democracy during WWII. The Office of War Information produced thousands of posters to fuel home front support for the war abroad. Examples of these striking posters from our Archives transport viewers to 1940s Oshkosh as you experience how citizens were motivated to contribute to the war effort. 

Paine Art Center & Gardens, Oshkosh. www.thepaine.org

HYBYCOZO Sculptures in Daylight
Through Oct. 30. HYBYCOZO, the Hyperspace Bypass Construction Zone, is an installation arts and sculpture studio focused on creating large-scale artworks that investigate geometric forms through light, shadow, and perception. Their work consists of larger than life sculptures created with the use of digital fabrication tools such as laser cutters and 3D printers and draw on inspirations from mathematics, science, and natural phenomena.  

The Nature of Light: An Exploration After Dark
Through Oct. 30. Featuring illuminated sculptures by HYBYCOZO and lit environments by Lightswitch throughout the historic Paine estate.

Seymour Community Museum, Seymour. www.seymourhistory.org

World’s Largest Hamburger Collection
Ongoing. Items include an original Burger Time arcade game, burger telephones and radios, hamburger banks, burger candles, burger jewelry, watches and magnets, clothing, dolls, a battery operated burger skateboard and much more.

Trout Museum of Art, Appleton. www.troutmuseum.org

Reclaiming Identity
Through Jan. 8, 2023. Guest curated by Dakota Mace. Indigenous artists tell stories of identity and share what it means to take control and preserve their culture. Through the themes of borders, family lineage, shared histories, colonization, and assimilation, the artists respond to the complexity of blood quantum in their artwork and demonstrate how they are reclaiming their Indigenous cultures. 

Artists in Residence Group Exhibition
Through Jan. 8, 2023. A group exhibition featuring the Trout Museum of Art’s 2021 Artists in Residence: Arimasa Imaizumi, Erica Hess and Laura Schneider. TMA’s Artist in Residence Program provides artists with the opportunity to invest time in their work and take it to the next level through exploration and experimentation.

Art is Her: Lisa Wicka
Sept. 1-Oct. 31. Artist Statement: Often referencing architectural spaces, wallpapers, and raw materials, my work brings into question the solidity and accuracy of things we hold true. Printmaking, drawing and mixed media methods allow me to acknowledge my experiences, dissect them, and reconstruct them into something concrete; if only for a moment.

Art is Her: Elizabeth Kazda
Nov. 1-Dec. 31. Elizabeth Kazda uses photography, symmetry, and color to emphasize the beauty of botanical and seemingly common objects. Their nuances are enhanced and she creates intricate works of art with their subtleties. 

Weis Earth Science Museum, Menasha. www.uwosh.edu/weis

Fossil Gallery featuring the Bruce Danz Collection
Ongoing. One of the best dinosaur nests in any exhibit. Find a life-size skull replica of Stan, the Tyrannosaurus rex, a thigh bone of a duck-bill dinosaur that you can touch and a complete Psittacosaurus with stones in its gizzard – just like the birds.

Barlow Hall of Gems and Minerals
Ongoing. See a rare collection of minerals and gemstones from around the entire world.