The Calling – An Art Debate in Milwaukee

Another one of my visits to Milwaukee produced some photos of one of the cities’ main and oldest streets, Wisconsin Avenue. This huge sculpture is at the top of the street near Lake Michigan, and stands across the street from the Milwaukee Art Museum. When it was erected by American sculptor Mark di Suvero in 1982, it overlooked the street and set off a nearby blue building, and also complemented the blue/green shadings of Lake Michigan.

Since the construction of Santiago Calatrava’s addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum in 2001, opponents have occasionally asked that the steel orange sculpture be re-located. Critics claim ‘The Calling’ – which most Milwaukeeans refer to as ‘The Sunburst’ – blocks the view of Calatrava’s movable winged ‘architectural sculpture.’ Some suggest that the industrial sculpture be moved to a sculpture garden on the museum’s site. Others recommend its movement be pushed even further east – about 500 feet further east – which would drop it square under the surface of Lake Michigan! Still others are content to have it remain where it is. Here’s a view of the entire sculpture and also a panoramic view of the sculpture and the nearby city buildings downtown hear the Lake.

Such is the life of a piece of public street art – always up for a strongly contested and opinionated debate. And that is good. People are looking, evaluating, thinking about the art they see in their environment. They are making efforts to decide whether or not they like individual pieces, even whether they are willing to call what they see art – which is entirely within their rights.

People debating art. I think the very idea is a great thing.

Bo Mackison is a Madison photographer and writer who loves visiting the different regions of Wisconsin, camera and pencil in hand. She loves to talk to people who passionately discuss their viewpoints about public art. See her gallery at Seeded Earth Photography for other Wisconsin photos.

Harley Heaven in Milwaukee

Milwaukee is rumbling with the roar of motorcycles, and within a few days, the noise will be deafening. More than 500,000 bikers are taking part in “Ride Home” to Milwaukee, originating in 105 designated cities throughout the US. They will be in the Milwaukee area to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 105th anniversary this coming Thursday through Sunday.

William Harley and brothers Walter and Arthur Davidson built their first three motorcycles in a small shed in west central Milwaukee in 1903. Now the company’s beloved cycles are one of America’s greatest icons, and the event is attracting enthusiasts worldwide.

Today I spoke with dozens of Harley riders, including three Australians who are traveling cross-country on their motorcycles. (See the photo which shows one of the Aussies’ cycles.) They landed in LA four weeks ago in anticipation of attending the huge gathering. They cycled to Sturgis, SD for the annual Harley rally, then traveled to Niagara Falls, Washington DC, and arrived in Milwaukee this afternoon.

We laughed and joked at the new Harley Davidson Museum which is located along the Milwaukee River at 400 W. Canal Street, just south of downtown. The museum and adjoining restaurants are perfect additions to Milwaukee’s burgeoning revitalization. Anyone who has ever admired a Hog will enjoy spending a few hours exploring, but don’t plan on visiting the museum from August 27 – 31. The museum alone is planning on hosting 100,000 Harley riders, and only a fraction will be able to see the inside of the museum. The lucky were winners in the Harley-Davidson Museum lottery for museum tickets. Everyone, however, is welcome to attend the outdoor party.

Washington Island Treats Not to be Missed

A trip to Door County is not quite complete without a ferry trip to Washington Island and a stop at the Washington Island Hotel is an integral part of a great stay. When my family and I planned a camping trip to the Door, we included a day trip to Washington Island off the northern tip of the County.

After a day sunning at Schoolhouse Beach , climbing the Mountain Park Lookout Tower for a view of Lake Michigan and the nearby islands, and exploring Stavkirke, a replica of an 11th Century Scandinavian church, we stopped at the Washington Hotel for drinks and snacks before catching the ferry back to the mainland.

Ah, the Washington Hotel and Restaurant! What an absolute treasure and foodie find. The chef-owner, Leah Caplan, a transplant from Rockland County, NY, presents an internationally-inspired menu with an American twist, focusing on locally-grown bounty and green sustainable processes. We sampled several appetizers: a trio of cumin-inflected parsley garlic hummus, a sublime slightly sweet walnut pesto and a savory rustic calamata olive and roasted red pepper blend. We spread these delights on brick oven stone ground island wheat bread. The highlight was a fried rosemary olive surrounded by crispy island wheat crust – see above photo.) To wash down the delectable morsels, I drank a surprisingly refreshing ginger limeade, which amazed a palette that usually doesn’t enjoy either separately. Also sampled was the Capital Island Wheat Beer, and a tongue-tingling Canella Prosecco di Conegliano.

Besides running a thriving hotel and restaurant, the staff holds culinary hands-on seminars and lecture series at the site. This Wednesday, August 6th, Neeta Saluja introduces Indian Cuisine, the subject of her recent New York Times critically acclaimed cookbook, Six Spices . The Hotel restaurant will be featuring Saluja’s recipes on Saturday, August 9. More information on both events can be found at the Washington Hotel, Restaurant and Culinary School website . Neeta has taught many Indian cuisine classes in the Madison area and is a well-known and popular teacher. If you love Indian food, this is a treat not to be missed.

— Bo Mackison loves to spend time away from the city indulging in the rural regions of Wisconsin, enjoying quiet spaces, open spaces, and places that specialize in great food, good times, and perfect customer service. She vacations with family, one of whom is also is camera-crazy. Photo courtesy of JPTsai © 2008. All rights reserved.

Wildflower Farming at Bluestem

Have you ever wandered in Wisconsin’s woods or meadows, and wished you could grow the flowers that you admire in the wild in your backyard garden? Well, if you were ever a Boy Scout or Girl Scout, or you were a visitor to a State Park, you probably learned the basic rule for peaceful co-existence with nature. “Leave only your footprints; take only memories and photographs.” But those wildflowers are so pretty!

Well, now you can keep the wildflowers in their natural habitat and still enjoy these beauties at home. How?

The “flower farmers” at Bluestem Farm in Baraboo make it all possible. The Barretts grow wildflowers and other plants native to south-central Wisconsin, including hardy orchids. And they grow most of their plants from seeds. They do not sell “salvaged” or wild dug plants of any kind. I met the couple at their Dane County Farmers’ Market booth last Saturday and they showed me their stand filled with thriving orchids, asters, black-eyed Susans, lady slippers and many more.

They have an extensive listing of available wildflowers, native grasses, and other plants at the Bluestem Farm website. You can find the perfect specimens for your garden at their Market booth on Saturdays in downtown Madison, or find information on their website to arrange a trip to their farm. It’s a great solution to “leaving only your footprints” while still enjoying the wildflowers in your own garden.

Lunch at the Farmers Market

Dane County Farmers’ Market was in full swing this morning. I came home with vine-ripened tomatoes, corn on the cob picked at dawn, yellow and red peppers, eight different varietals of garlic, pumpkin bread, cheese bread, ostrich burgers, and a huge bouquet of orange, yellow and deep red lilies. But the highlight was the purchase of pumpkin blossoms. We dipped them in egg and seasoned flour–actually the same flour mix we use to pan fry our fish we catch in Lake Mendota–and then fried them in butter. To round out lunch, we had grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, and drippy-fresh peaches.

Summer eating at its best.

–Bo Mackison is a Madison area writer and photographer who likes to visit the Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings, cruising for photos and fresh food for the week. Visit her photo gallery at Seeded Earth Photography. Photograph “Real Tomatoes” © 2008 by Bo Mackison. All rights reserved.

Hanging on to Heroes

Only a few days ago the fans of the Green Bay Packers said good-bye to perennial favorite Brett Favre as he left Wisconsin for the bright lights of New York City and the Jets. Many of us were sad to say good-bye. Though some of us never really forget our favorite Packer quarterbacks.

Bring back Bart?

A Lazy Midsummer Hike in Door County

The meadows are sprinkled with white, yellow and purple wildflowers at mid-summer in Door County, the northeastern tip of Wisconsin. (For you newbies to Wisconsin geography, if you pretend to make a hand print with your left hand, the print rather resembles Wisconsin and your thumb is Door County which juts into Lake Michigan.) We went for an easy hike through the Ephraim Preserves on the edge of the village of Ephraim. The trail circles the Andersen Lake (really more of a marsh than a lake) and meanders through meadows and hardwood forests.

Queen Anne’s Lace, often a flower that is everyone’s favorite, is also a rather madly spreading lady and when coming head to head with natural plants, she is often victor. Therefore she has earned the label ecologically-invasive, though most everyone enjoys her beauty. I particularly like to capture the plant not in bloom. I, more than once, have tried to pluck a “dark” spot or “insect” from the flower’s center, before remembering that is one of her trademarks – a tiny dark floret in the very center of all her white finery.

— Bo Mackison loves to capture the beauty of wildflowers in Wisconsin with her camera. More wildflowers photos from Door County can be viewed in her gallery at Seeded Earth Photography.

Fish Boil – A Door County Tradition

I have a suspicion that if you mention “fish boil” anywhere in the United States, except Wisconsin, you will see some odd expressions, but the traditional Door County Fish Boil is wildly popular in this northern Wisconsin vacation destination. The main ingredient – thick steaks of delicate, freshly caught whitefish from the surrounding waters of Lake Michigan – make dinner an occasion for many a visitor. This is especially true when the fish is prepared in a huge black kettle amidst a fiery blaze. When a member of the Boil Over Crew sounds the dinner bell, it is the signal for the “boil over” and that is the signal that it will soon be time to eat.

For the uninitiated, a fish boil begins with a kettle of hot salted water perched atop a wood fire. The boil master drops one steel basket of potatoes and onions into the boiling water, and a second basket of fresh whitefish goes into the steaming cauldron a few minutes later. When everything is nearly ready, kerosene is added to the fire and a huge flame erupts, causing the water to boil over the top. Hence, a “boil over.” The hot flames cause the water to boil over the sides of the kettle, removing fish oil that has collected on the surface during the cooking process.

As you can see in the photo, the crew then lifts the baskets from the heat, lets the water drain, and the ingredients are presented to the hungry crowd with a generous drizzle of butter and hearty slices of bread. And to make the event an even grander foodie experience, the meal is finished off with a slice of Door County cherry pie.

Yum!

— Bo Mackison is a Madison area photographer and writer who camps in Door County as often as she can. Visit her photo gallery at Seeded Earth Photography to see more Door County photographs. Photograph “Fish Boil-Over” © 2008 by Bo Mackison. All rights reserved