Bringing the Terrace to Life
This is not a drill, folks: Terrace season, also known as the best time of the year, is almost upon us (no opening date yet, but stay tuned). But reopening the Terrace doesn’t happen overnight; preparation for Terrace season is a months or even year-long collaborative process between all of our departments, here at the Wisconsin Union. We spoke with team members from different areas of the Union to get a sense of the moving parts that must come together every year to bring the Terrace to life. You can read our conversation with these hardworking and dedicated individuals below.
A bit of background before you read on: Don’t know what Terrace season is? It’s a special time of year in which our outdoor entertainment and dining space, called the Memorial Union Terrace, opens. Located alongside our building the Memorial Union and nestled alongside a lake, the Terrace stays open usually from early spring to late fall. It’s a place where people socialize, study, enjoy a temporary outdoor office, take in free film showings and live music events, and enjoy food and beverages from many on-site dining options. More than a beautiful, lakeside space, it’s a physical embodiment of summer in Madison and a place with something for everyone to enjoy.
Now, let’s go on to how it all happens from the people who make it happen.
Coordination and transportation of Terrace chairs: Joel Gerrits, Wisconsin Union project manager
How are the iconic sunburst chairs transported to the Terrace?
With the help of a moving vendor, the chairs are packed into large moving boxes, known as speed packs, which are rolled onto trucks and delivered to the Terrace. These are unloaded down the truck ramp and rolled across the Terrace to their designated locations.
Along with the orange, green and yellow Terrace chairs, we also need to deliver the Terrace tables, the brown patio-style furniture and umbrellas, and waste and recycling containers. It takes 18-20 truck loads to deliver all the elements to open the Terrace.
What is the scheduling process like to coordinate moving the chairs from one location to another?
First, we set a date for the chair placement day, and then we contact the moving vendor at least three to four months out to make sure we are on its schedule. In those three months, we are meeting and planning any adjusted layouts, quantities, and placement of the furniture. Meanwhile at the warehouse, one week prior to the chair return, we use a forklift to begin staging the furniture for loading. In the two days before the chairs’ return, we deliver and place the waste and recycling containers and Terrace tables, which ultimately speeds up the placement of the chairs. Later in the day, prior to chair placement, the trucks are preloaded with Terrace chairs so that they can be delivered first thing on the chairs delivery day.
How many hours and team members would you guess that it takes to move all the chairs onto the Terrace?
For the chair delivery and placement, alone, we need approximately 10 full-time movers for prep the day (and night) before, and we need up to 30 part-time volunteers during the chairs delivery day. I would guess that the total number of hours ends up being around 150.
How many chairs will be brought to the Terrace this year?
About 2,000 seats
Which color Terrace chair is your favorite?
My favorite is the Allis Chalmers Orange.
Music programming: Sean Michael Dargan, Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Music Committee advisor
Note: Most of our Terrace music programming (and music programming all year long at our buildings Memorial Union and Union South) is created by current University of Wisconsin–Madison students, who participate in WUD. Your purchases at our buildings, in our online store, and the Terrace as well as donations to the Wisconsin Union help support these leadership opportunities and our events.
How far in advance do you start planning the summer music lineup?
Local and regional bands are constantly asking about playing the Terrace. That being said, we are thinking about summer on the Terrace all year long!
What factors do you consider when deciding which artists to feature?
We try to feature a mix of local artists and regional or national touring acts. We also want to balance the interests of students and the general Terrace-going community, so that everyone feels represented. In order to do so, we like to book cutting-edge bands alongside feel-good, perennial locals, such as VO5 and Madison County.
What steps are involved in the contract negotiation process?
The majority of our artists go through the standard booking process, in which a student from the WUD Music Committee gives a short presentation about a particular band, including some videos of them in action, and then the committee votes whether to approve the band at a certain price point. If the majority votes yes, we book the band.
In what ways do you work together with student leaders in the programming process?
As WUD Music advisor, I work closely with the WUD Music director, their associate directors and the rest of the committee to help them learn more about the entire talent buying process, from start to finish. This includes the initial approach, such as learning about various booking agencies that support their target bands, all the way through to the day of the show: helping the band load in, performing a sound check, making sure band members are fed, playing the show, tearing down, and loading out.
If you could describe this summer’s music lineup in three words, what would they be?
Diverse, harmonic and fun!
Film programming: Robin Schmoldt, WUD Film Committee advisor
Note: As with music, our film lineups are usually made possible by current UW–Madison students, who are part of a student-led committee made possible, in part, through your support.
How far in advance do you start planning the summer film programming?
The WUD Film Committee starts programming for Lakeside Cinema, the summer film series on the Terrace, in March and April each year. We traditionally program Monday nights from Memorial Day through Labor Day and five select Sundays, usually as two separate series. The Film Committee brainstorms themes for each series to tie the programming together in some way. Once the themes are selected, committee members research and pitch titles. Then, the committee votes on the final lineup, licenses film titles with the appropriate distributor and begins marketing. We hope to have a final lineup ready to announce by graduation weekend.
What steps are involved in order to show films at the Terrace?
The Film Committee leans towards film content that lends itself well to the unique Terrace ambiance.
What factors do you consider when deciding upon a summer film series theme and lineup?
On the night of each screening, a WUD Film rep, a dining staff rep and a building manager collectively make a weather call. Then, our student-led sound and light technician (SLT) team assemble the screening system in time for pre-show content. Our summer film coordinator welcomes Terrace patrons at 9 p.m., and then the screening begins. At the end of the night, the SLT staff disassemble, pack up and load in the Lakeside Cinema projection system and screen, tucking it all away until we do it again the next week!
How are student leaders involved in the film programming process?
Lakeside Cinema is programmed by the WUD Film Committee, and screenings are facilitated by the summer film coordinator, a stipended leadership position currently being recruited for summer 2022. It is truly a student-led process through and through.
What can Wisconsin Union members and guests look forward to in regards to film programming this summer at the Terrace?
Members and guests can look forward to the full Terrace movie experience this summer: great films, tasty eats from any number of Memorial Union dining units (I’m a Brat Stand and Daily Scoop aficionado, myself.) and a picture-perfect setting that can’t be beat. We will also return to our full number of screening days after more limited programming last summer.
What is your all-time favorite film?
That’s such a challenging question for any film nerd, but most folks associate me with my love for ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’ I once rearranged vacation travel plans to New York City to ensure I could attend the Tim Burton exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, including his book signing on opening weekend.
Art programming: Amy Guthier, Wisconsin Union community engagement director, Wheelhouse Studios
Note: Wheelhouse Studios is our on-site, open arts studio and services at Memorial Union. Wheelhouse resources include a ceramics space with kilns; a 3D art space; spaces that can be used on a drop-in basis; classes and workshops; group events; and more.
How far in advance do you start planning the art programming for Terrace season?
Last fall, we began thinking about what this summer’s programming would look like for Wheelhouse Studios.
What steps are involved in programming summer art activities?
We plan to expand our offerings this year, and in order to do so, we have to think about how art activities will fit alongside other programming, as well as dates and hours for our art events, how we will staff the space and what supplies we need.
How do you decide which art activities to feature?
We have to consider how many supplies we need and whether patrons can easily use them on the Terrace. We want to feature fun, exciting activities that will fit within our budget.
How do you create an art lineup with something for everyone to enjoy?
We try to pick art projects that will work well for all ages and skill levels or with a little help for younger kids. We solicit ideas from different staff and research new ideas.
What sorts of art activities can members and guests look forward to participating in this summer?
We will feature guest artists during some of the summer programming who will bring new ideas with them. We also plan to use a variety of materials in our art programming, including things that aren’t traditionally thought of as art supplies.
Outdoor UW: Dave Elsmo, Outdoor UW director
How far in advance do you start planning for Outdoor UW’s summer operations?
We start the planning process in December with budgets, our hiring process begins in February, and our staff training takes place in early April.
What is involved in the process to prepare for a summer with Outdoor UW?
First, we store all the winter rental and programming equipment and rotate in our summer camping rental and paddle equipment. Once that’s done, we bring our staff in for training in April and wait for the ice to melt. Soon after Lake Mendota opens up, we install the Outdoor UW pier, and once the lake level reaches near-median height, we install the marina docks. We will begin our rental season as soon as the water reaches 60 degrees.
In what ways do you work with student leaders to plan out the summer?
All of our important planning meetings include student staff managers and student employees. We work through creating training curriculums and scheduling tasks, but when it comes time to open for summer, the students lead the charge.
Are there any new Outdoor UW activities scheduled for this summer that you can preview?
On top of our standard rental operations, we have relaunched our learning platform. This includes introductory outdoor topics, like learning to build fires and set up tents, all the way through professional certifications, like Wilderness First Aid and Level 1 US Sailing Certification.
What aspect of Outdoor UW are you most looking forward to returning to this summer?
We hope that the Hoofer Sailing Club Youth Sailing program will return this year. Having children on the lakefront for multi-day camps reinvigorates our summer.
Terrace programming is directly supported by Wisconsin Union members. Not a member yet? Become a member today to support programming and student leadership opportunities and to enjoy discounted prices for many Union events and activities.
