An artistic tour of Union South
Union South is truly a special place. Along with the innovative design of the building itself, a myriad of local artistry, generous donations, and student dedication helped bring artistic touches to every corner of the building. The Union’s many works of art and the stories behind them could fill a book, but below we highlight just a few of the most prominent installations and the people that made them happen.
A recurring naturalistic theme winds its way through most of the building’s permanent art installations, picking up on the architectural design of the building itself. A single local artist, Jill Sebastian, is responsible for the creation of five major works that evoke Wisconsin’s natural prairies. Funded through the Wisconsin Art Board’s Percent for Art program, her contributions to the building include Prairie Passages, featuring an etched glass entryway depicting prairie grass and a digital video of a natural prairie, and the building’s two main fireplaces, all located on the first floor.
The Prairie Fire(place) in the coffee shop features flames surrounded by cast bronze silhouetted plants and grasses, specimens of which can be found right in the UW’s arboretum. The Sun Garden’s Kinetic Fireplace, already a focal point for activity, still awaits the installation of whirligigs, made from copper recycled from Old Union South’s copper hearth, but will be completed before students return to campus in the fall.
Sebastian, who worked in tandem with many student collaborators, also created “Leopold’s Pigeons” a two-piece installation in the Roost seating area. This installation includes a passenger pigeon statue that watches over the building from her ledge (the pigeon is named Martha after the last member of this now extinct species). The work also includes an Aldo Leopold quote honoring the species.The quote, in Leopold’s own handwriting, reads:
“Yearly the feathered tempest roared up, down and across the continent, sucking up the laden fruits of forest and prairie, burning them in a traveling blast of life. Like any other chain reaction, the pigeon could survive no diminution of his furious intensity. Once the pigeoners had subtracted from his numbers, and once the settlers had chopped gaps in the continuity of his fuel, his flame guttered out with hardly a sputter or wisp of smoke.”
Read more about Jill Sebastian, or learn more about the Percent for Art program.
Just outside the Sett lies a calming water feature that helps transform the west 
campus concrete jungle into an oasis of relaxation. The water feature, constructed from Wisconsin stone and using rain water from the building’s rooftop, was designed by artist Peder Blomker, a 2005 grad. Janet Montgomery, a MUBA trustee donated funding for the project, and sees the project as a way to give back to the campus and community that had such an impact on her life.
“The water feature not only is environmentally positive, it will hopefully provide a beautiful, peaceful place for students and families to reflect and enjoy a respite from this hectic world we live in,” she said. In fact, Montgomery added a personal touch to the artist’s design, including stones from a silo on her property, and from her parent’s old home on Lake Michigan.
“I’m so impressed with Peder’s design and construction. It is protected so that children and adults can enjoy it up close and can in fact feel a part of it. It has been such a pleasure to see the feature come to life. I hope it brings joy to the Madison community for many years to come.”
Read more about Blomker’s company, Aquaterra Natural Designs.
A collaborative community art project that adds a bit of artistic interest to the building’s bubblers also honors a family who has been integral in the creation and continued operation of the Union’s Craftshop. The Marshall-Fox family funded the initiative, in which students and community members were invited to create their own tiles to be displayed in the building, under the direction of Madison artist Gloria Van Dixhorn.
Sally Owen Marshall first proposed the idea of the craftshop to director Porter Butts in
1929, and became the Craftshop’s first director when it opened in 1930. Her daughter Jan also became Craftshop director and WUD Art advisor during her years on campus. Jan was present at a special celebration in the Sett opening weekend, along with her daughter and granddaughters, all of whom use the Craftshop today.
The tiles, made from Paoli clay from just 15 miles from campus, were created using stamps of leaves, flowers, raindrops and other nature imagery and help keep the naturalistic theme running throughout the building. Van Dixhorn finished the tiles with glazes made from local products, and then assembled them to create backspashes for the building’s drinking fountains.
Read more about the Indigenous Tile project.
A stained-glass installation featuring the iconic Terrace Chair sunburst pattern, designed by a UW-student, hangs in the Prairie Fire coffeehouse. Mark Welhouse, a 2011 graduate in athletic training, created “Be Bold in the Rain,” from three panels which hang together as a single work of art. Welhouse learned the stained glass trade from his mother, and also created smaller works to be displayed in the Memorial Union.
Check out Mark’s website.
There are plenty of eye-catching installments throughout the ambitious building, but there is still more to come. Union collection pieces are currently on display in the building’s meeting rooms, with more to be added to the hallways and other common spaces.
Union South is also home to Gallery 1308, named for the address of the building. This space is dedicated to rotating exhibitions and will be curated by the WUD Art Committee, composed entirely of UW students. Currently the space houses a multimedia installation called Channel TWo but will see many pieces from the traditional to the abstract throughout the coming years.
Read more about WUD Art Committee.
By Lydia Statz
