Mendota Blue Movement Anniversary – The Difference You Made
The Memorial Union Terrace grew a bit more colorful temporarily on April 29, 2012, with the addition of light blue Terrace chairs at our outdoor dining and entertainment destination the Memorial Union Terrace. For decades, only orange, green and yellow chairs with our trademarked sunburst-like design have decorated the more than 40,000-square-foot lakefront retreat. These colors acknowledge and honor Wisconsin’s important farming tradition with their John Deere green, Allis Chalmers orange and sunshine yellow.
The surprise addition of baby blue chairs stood out in stark contrast to the chair colors patrons expect to see. Later that day on April 29, the Wisconsin Union team revealed the meaning behind the blue chairs; the Wisconsin Union team had launched the Mendota Blue Movement, a campaign being held in collaboration with the UW Credit Union to raise funds to restore and make important updates to our almost century-old building Memorial Union. We chose blue for the chairs in honor of Lake Mendota, whose beautiful waters shine alongside the Terrace during the summer and provide an icy outdoor recreation destination during the winter. Check out this album from the Movement launch here. It has been 10 years since these blue chairs’ seemingly magical appearance, and we are looking back fondly at the chairs and what they made possible as well as looking forward to the future.
A Historic Campus Living Room
Since 1928, Memorial Union has served as a living room for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Generations of students, staff, faculty and guests have made memories, learned, dined, exchanged ideas, and gathered in its spaces. The Italian Renaissance style-inspired building sits along Lake Mendota. Though grand in its appearance, it does not require grand formality of its guests; rather, it humbly welcomes people into its spaces, whether they be in gowns for a gala or a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops to casually dine lakeside. Often, the building is full of patrons in a wide array of attire for many types of occasions or non-occasions.
Memorial Union acts as a hub for social gatherings, learning opportunities, art activities, outdoor recreation and entertainment. It is recognized for its nationally significant role in breaking down class and socioeconomic barriers as part of the emerging American college union movement in the 1920s.
Today, we greet our patrons at many on-site dining options, offer more than a dozen event spaces and welcome patrons to sit, relax, study and socialize in our more than 2,000 first come, first served seats. And it is joined by our sister building Union South and our many Union-run dining options throughout downtown Madison.
Blue Chairs Helped Fund the Future
After nearly 90 years of welcoming people, parts of Memorial Union needed attention, and the Union team sought to make these repairs while also addressing critical infrastructure and accessibility updates. At the time of the Mendota Blue Movement, our beautiful, majestic building had not had a comprehensive restoration since it opened in 1928.
As an organization that does not receive taxpayer dollars, we knew we had a major fundraising challenge ahead of us: how to raise more than $100 million to ensure the next 100 years of experiences for a lifetime at Memorial Union. During the Mendota Blue Movement, we asked our patrons to give to support the future of Memorial Union. Patrons who gave between $75 and $149 received a Mendota Blue keychain; supporters who donated between $150 and $999 received a miniature Mendota Blue chair; and donors who gifted $1,000 received a full-size blue Terrace chair for each $1,000 donation.
We, at the Wisconsin Union, continue to be grateful to the UW Credit Union for the team’s partnership in the Movement, which led to a successful fundraising effort and, ultimately, the renovation of Memorial Union. The UW Credit Union’s generous support of experiences for a lifetime continues with the team’s financial support of Terrace season events, many of which take place at the UW Credit Union Stage at the Terrace.
The Mendota Blue Movement Difference
From 2012-2017, Memorial Union underwent a comprehensive renovation made possible, in part, by the support of Mendota Blue Movement donors and the collaboration of the UW Credit Union.
We upgraded the building’s mechanical, fire and sprinkler systems, helping ensure an even safer and even more enjoyable Union experience. We also changed the previous cafeteria-style dining into multiple eateries, including adding made-to-order and customizable options, such as made-to-order pizza at an Italian eatery, called Strada, and made-to-order salads at the café Carte. We made Memorial Union and the Terrace accessible, including:
- Adding a ramp on the second floor between central and east wings
- Adding an elevator to the west wing, reconstructing the walkway between the central and theater wings
- Adding an entrance on Langdon Street with direct access to the theater and Terrace, adding wheelchair-accessible bathrooms near Shannon Hall
- Modifying all door widths to accommodate wheelchairs
- Adding ramps to the Terrace
- Raising the grade of the Terrace’s east end to meet the first floor of the building
- Raising the grade of the Terrace’s west end to be level with Park Street
Today, our building is more inclusive, more energy efficient, even safer, and ready to serve today’s and future generations’ guests.
Buying Your Memorial Union Keepsake, Furniture
While blue chairs were temporary and are no longer available, we continue to offer mini red, orange, yellow and green Terrace chairs and mini Terrace tables in the same colors. You can purchase the mini chairs at our Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South and in our online Terrace Store. Also exclusively in our online Terrace Store, you can purchase full-size red and white armless Terrace chairs; red and white Terrace chairs with arms; red and white Terrace tables; red Terrace cocktail tables; and red Terrace bar stools.
In recent years, we began offering special edition, limited-time mini Terrace chairs, such as the almost sold out light blue, globe Terrace chairs (limited supply in Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South) and soon-to-be-sold-out mini cow-print Terrace chairs. Your purchases in Wisconsin Union-run markets, cafes and restaurants and our online Terrace Store help make all that we do possible. You can also make a tax-deductible donation to support the experiences and spaces you love and the student leaders, who help make our events possible here.
To learn more information about the Wisconsin Union, visit union.wisc.edu.
Thank you to UW Credit Union Mendota Blue Movement donors and all of our supporters, past and present. You are not only the people that bring our campus living room to life, you are why we work each and every day and the reason we can continue our more than century-long tradition of making a difference and serving our community and guests.
