Title: Wisconsin Visual Artists Records
Inclusive Dates: 1900-2019

Creator:

• Wisconsin Visual Artists

Call Number: Local History Manuscript Collection 332

Quantity: 11.1 cubic ft. (33 boxes)

Repository:

Milwaukee Public Library, Frank P. Zeidler Room

Archival Location:

Milwaukee Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

The Wisconsin Visual Artists (WVA) was founded in October 1900 as the Society of Milwaukee Artists. Their mission was to promote the welfare of Wisconsin art and artists by creating exhibitions across Wisconsin and the United States. This collection contains a variety of administrative, membership, exhibition, financial, marketing and promotional materials from the Wisconsin Visual Artists organization from its beginning to current day.

Note:

To request materials from this collection, create/login to your Special Collections Account.

Language: English, Japanese

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.mwpl-lhmc0332

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The Wisconsin Visual Artists was founded in October 1900 as the Society of Milwaukee Artists. Their mission was to promote the welfare of Wisconsin art and artists by creating exhibitions across Wisconsin and the United States. It began with membership of ten men and one woman and had their first meeting in the Milwaukee Public Library. In 1913, the Society changed their name to Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors (WPS). In the early days of the organization, it was closely tied to the Milwaukee Art Society, which later became the Milwaukee Art Institute. In the 1980s the phrase “Wisconsin Artists in All Media” (WAAM) was added to their name to include a wider range of artists. While there were some early branches or subsets of WPS/WAAM that emerged as a result of interest outside of the Milwaukee area, it wasn’t until 1990 when official chapters were created. Three chapters were created to cover more geographical area in Wisconsin and their growing membership. They are: Northeast, South Central and Southeast. These chapters are coordinated by a governing statewide board of directors. In the early part of the 21st century several artist exchanges/exhibits were coordinated between WP/WAAM artists in Wisconsin and artists in Japan. In September 2008, a more streamlined name was created and they became Wisconsin Visual Artists (WVA). Its current mission is to advance opportunities and services for artists and the general public, and is committed to the importance and value of art and its creation in our society.

Just a few of its well-known artist members include Lucia Stern, Schomer Lichtner, Ruth Grotenrath and Morley Hicks. Morley Hicks was also a board member of Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors in the early 1950s. Two more very active and long serving officers and artists were Lawrence Rathsack and Ruth Ewart Muehlmeier; they both served as president.

Morley Hicks was a Milwaukee painter who was born in 1877 in Picton, Ontario. He studied with George Oberteuffer at the Chicago Art Institute and Gustave Moeller at the Milwaukee State Normal School. Hicks exhibited at the Milwaukee Art Institute for the Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors in the 1930s, as well as the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1940s. He specialized in painting modern landscapes, streetscapes, and townscapes in oil. Lawrence Rathsack, a local painter and educator, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1920. He attended Wisconsin State Teachers College going on to teach in high schools and universities including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1956-1988. Rathsack was the president of Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors in the early 1960s. He passed away in 2008 and was posthumously presented the Wisconsin Visual Arts Achievement Award in 2013. Ruth Ewart Muehlmeier was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1925. She attended Wauwatosa High School, and then Wisconsin State Teachers College in Milwaukee. After two years she transferred to the Art Institute of Chicago where she earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts. She was the president of Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors in the late 1960s then again in the early 1970s. She is a painter, sculptor and art historian.

This collection contains a variety of administrative, membership, exhibition, financial, marketing and promotional materials from the Wisconsin Visual Artists organization from its beginning in 1900 to current day. More detailed scope and content notes for each series are provided in the contents list.

The collection is arranged into the following series:

1. Activities, 1915-2018
2. Correspondence, 1916-2019
3. Meetings, 1900-2019
4. Membership, 1920-2018
5. Miscellaneous, 1936-2019
6. Operations, 1937-2018
7. Other organizations, 1920-2008
8. Publications, 1903-2017
9. Audio Visual / Media Materials, 1983-2013

Series and subjects are generally arranged alphabetically, then chronologically. The exceptions are publications box 23, which is arranged by material size; and audio visual/media materials are sorted separately at the end according to type and size.

Wisconsin Visual Artists Records, 1900-2019, Collection 332. Local History Manuscript Collections, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Archival Collections

• Lucia K. & Erich C. Stern Papers. Local History Manuscript Collection 348.

• Schomer Lichtner Papers. Local History Manuscript Collection 105.

Publications and Other Items

Art in Wisconsin

Constitution and By-laws

Exhibition. 1st-4th, 1901-1902

[Exhibition catalogs]

An Exhibition of Paintings by the Members of the Society of Milwaukee Artists, 1900-1913

Membership Directory

Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors Newsletter

Wisconsin Visual Artists

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials. The collection is open to all in accordance with state law. The public may view Local History Manuscript Collections by appointment at the Central Library. To request an in-person appointment, create/login to your Special Collections Account. If you have any questions, please contact the Archives and Special Collections Department at mplarchives@milwaukee.gov.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

Acquisition Information

There is no acquisition information or deed of gift available for the early portion of this collection. Later materials were donated by Chris Buth Furness on behalf of Wisconsin Visual Artists. New materials were donated in 2018. Materials were accessioned as Local History Manuscripts. This is an active collection and donations are added periodically. Finding aid will be updated as materials are processed.

Processing Information

Initial description/arrangement by unknown. Described by Alice Richards, Fieldworker, 2014. Processed by Casey Lapworth, 2018. Materials added by Tobias Fudge, 2023.

	Series: 1. Activities, 1915-2018 Scope and Content Note: The Activities series contains records of events created/sponsored by WVA over the years. The records describe the creation, preparation, planning and presentation of exhibitions, programs, workshops and other events by or in partnership with WVA. A large portion related to several cultural artist exchanges with Japan. This series also includes exhibits participated in by WVA members.
	Artist Exchange
	Artist file
Box   14 Folder   1-34	Japan (A-Z), 2000-2008
Box   14 Folder   35-57	Wisconsin (A-M), 2000-2008
Box   15 Folder   1-13	Wisconsin (N-Z), 2000-2008
	2000
Box   12 Folder   1-2	Correspondence
Box   12 Folder   3	Exhibit publications
Box   12 Folder   4	Miscellaneous publications
Box   12 Folder   5	Proposal
Box   12 Folder   6	Schedules & participants
	2000 & 2002
Box   12 Folder   14	Photographs & cards
	2002
Box   12 Folder   7-8	Correspondence
Box   12 Folder   9	Exhibit publications
Box   12 Folder   10	Museum information
Box   12 Folder   11	Schedules & participants
Box   12 Folder   12	Shipping information
Box   12 Folder   13	VHS index & photographs of artwork
	2005
Box   13 Folder   1	Budget
Box   13 Folder   2	Contracts
Box   13 Folder   3-4	Correspondence
Box   13 Folder   5	Evaluations
Box   13 Folder   6	Exhibit publications
Box   13 Folder   7	Miscellaneous publications
Box   13 Folder   8	Proposal
Box   13 Folder   9	Schedules & participants
	2008
Box   13 Folder   10	Correspondence
Box   13 Folder   11	Exhibit publications
Box   13 Folder   12	Schedules & participants
Box   13 Folder   13	Shipping information
	Exhibitions
	Annual
Box   2 Folder   1	undated
Box   2 Folder   2-21	2nd - 46th, 1915-1960
Box   3 Folder   1-16	47th – 63rd, 1961-1985
	Biennial
Box   3 Folder   17-18	1987-1989
Box   26 Folder   1-15	1991-2018
Box   26 Folder   16	Award & Prize lists, 1917-2003
Box   26 Folder   17	Boston Store Exhibit, 1935
Box   26 Folder   18	Capitol Court Art Fair, 1959-1960
Box   15 Folder   14	Critique, 2008-2009
	Membership exhibits
Box   25 Folder   1-8	1930-2009, undated
Box   25 Folder   9	Anniversary: 100 years, 2001
Box   25 Folder   10	“Cyber” exhibits, undated
Box   25 Folder   11	Marian Gallery, 2005
Box   25 Folder   12	“Portraits; Self, Family, Friends”, 1995
Box   26 Folder   19	Milwaukee Sesquicentennial, 1996
	Non-WVA
Box   25 Folder   13	1935-1999
Box   25 Folder   14	Salon of Art, 1935-1946
Box   15 Folder   15	Plein Air, 2008-2009
Box   26 Folder   20	Rotary Exhibit, 1935-1936
Box   15 Folder   16	Route 51, 2008-2009
Box   26 Folder   21	Spring Show, 1960-1962
	Sponsored exhibits
Box   25 Folder   16	1957-2007
Box   25 Folder   15	Artists in the Square, 1996
	Exhibitions/Events
Box   15 Folder   17-20	2004-2009
Box   33 Folder   4	1991-2018
Box   15 Folder   21	Non WVA, 1935-2009
	Programs/Workshops
	Artists Forum
Box   31 Folder   8	Artists/presenters, circa 1980s
	Correspondence
Box   31 Folder   9	General, 1987-1991
Box   31 Folder   10	Jon Lomberg, 1990-1991
Box   31 Folder   11	Publicity, 1990
Box   31 Folder   12	Organizers notes, 1989-1992
Box   31 Folder   13	Various, 1991-2012
	Series: 2. Correspondence, 1916-2019 Scope and Content Note: The Correspondence series contains internal and external communications including, but not limited to, letters, notes and emails.	⇧
	General
Box   1 Folder   1-8	1916-1967
Box   28 Folder   1-4	1972-2005
Box   33 Folder   3	1991-2019
Box   28 Folder   5	Milwaukee Art Museum, 1936, 1990-1993
Box   28 Folder   6	South East Chapter, 1994-1995
Box   28 Folder   7	State Board of Directors, 1990-1996
	Series: 3. Meetings, 1900-2019 Scope and Content Note: The Meetings series contains meeting minutes, agendas, invitations, officer lists, election results, committee information as well as some internal correspondence associated with those subjects. Meeting related materials from specific WVA chapters and their development is present. Also included are by laws and constitutions of WVA and other organizations.	⇧
Box   4 Folder   1-3	Ballots, 1959-1962
Box   4 Folder   4	Central Chapter, 1995
	Constitution & By-laws
Box   4 Folder   5-6	1936-2013
Box   4 Folder   7	Other organizations, 1935
Box   4 Folder   8	“Madison group” materials, 1932-1933
	Minutes, officers, committees
Box   4 Folder   9-12	1900-1932
Box   5 Folder   1-9	1933-1999
Box   16 Folder   1	2000-2009
Box   33 Folder   5-6	1991-2019
Box   33 Folder   7	Agendas, 2001-2014
Box   16 Folder   2	North East Chapter, 1990-2005
Box   16 Folder   3-5	Questionnaires, 1960, 1995
Box   16 Folder   6	South Central Chapter, 1990-2004
	South East Chapter
Box   16 Folder   7-8	1994-2009
Box   16 Folder   9	Board of Directors, 1995-2009
Box   16 Folder   10-11	State Board of Directors, 1976-2010
	Series: 4. Membership, 1920-2018 Scope and Content Note: The Membership series is comprised of records and files of the membership of WVA. It includes applications, artist resumes/histories, dues and membership levels. This includes correspondence and notes from three prominent former WVA officers, Morley Hicks, Lawrence Rathsack and Ruth Muehlmeier.	⇧
Box   32 Folder   1-4	Applications, resumes, images, 1990-2018
Box   33 Folder   1-2	Applications, resumes, images, 1990-2018
	Correspondence
Box   8 Folder   1	Invites & forms, 1934-1996
Box   8 Folder   2-3	Postcards, 1937-2016
Box   8 Folder   4	Directories, 1980-2004
	Files
Box   6 Folder   1-11	A – L, 1920-2010
Box   7 Folder   1-10	M – Z, 1920-2010
Box   8 Folder   5	Honorary members, 1960-1964
Box   8 Folder   6	Life members, 1990
	Lists
Box   8 Folder   7	Mailing, 1935-1945
	Membership
Box   8 Folder   8-9	1930-2009
Box   8 Folder   10	undated
Box   8 Folder   11	Miscellaneous, 1922-1961
Box   30 Folder   1	New members, 1932-1938, 1973
	Officers
Box   30 Folder   2	Lawrence Rathsack correspondence, 1962
Box   30 Folder   3-5	Morley Hicks' notebooks, 1917-1950 Physical Description: 6 notebooks
	Ruth Muehlmeier
	Correspondence
Box   29 Folder   1	General, 1966-1972
Box   29 Folder   2	Reception dispute, 1972
	Miscellaneous
Box   29 Folder   3	Handwritten notes and sketches, 1968, undated
Box   29 Folder   4	Publications, 1972
Box   29 Folder   5	Newspaper clippings, 1964-2000
Box   29 Folder   6	Personal, certificates, planner, resumes, 1972, 1976, undated
	Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors
Box   29 Folder   7	General, 1967-2006
Box   29 Folder   8-9	Timeline project, 1998
Box   29 Folder   10	West Bend Art Museum, 1997-1998
Box   30 Folder   6	Printed materials, undated
Box   30 Folder   7	Prospective members, 1936-1963
	Series: 5. Miscellaneous, 1936-2019 Scope and Content Note: The Miscellaneous series includes photographs of artwork, mostly unidentified, some materials on the opposition to the demolition of the Milwaukee Courthouse from 1936 and some general WVA organizational information.	⇧
Box   31 Folder   5	Miscellaneous photographs of artworks, 1995
Box   27 Folder   5	Old Courthouse material, opposition to demolition, 1936
Box   31 Folder   6	Organizational information, 1935-2019
	Series: 6. Operations, 1937-2018 Scope and Content Note: Operations series includes financial and legal records of WVA. The financial records include mostly materials on fundraising and the WVA Treasurer's records and reports. The legal records on the WVA's official incorporation and their tax exempt status. Also included are some materials on publicity and permission forms as well as on website development.	⇧
	Fundraising
Box   31 Folder   1-2	Correspondence, 1985-1996
Box   31 Folder   3	Lists, 1993, undated
Box   31 Folder   4	Miscellaneous, 1975-1985
	Legal documents
Box   27 Folder   1	Incorporation, 1966-1980
Box   27 Folder   2-3	Tax exempt status, 1976-2004
Box   31 Folder   7	Permission forms, signed, 1995-1996
Box   31 Folder   14	Publicity, 1993-2018
	Treasurer’s Records
	Bank
Box   10 Folder   1	First Wisconsin, 1938-1942
Box   10 Folder   2-3	M & I, 1943-1950
Box   10 Folder   4-6	Bills, receipts, etc., 1929-1947
Box   10 Folder   7	Contracts, 1937-1961
Box   10	Sales ledger, 1959 Physical Description: 1 volume
Box   10 Folder   8	Statements, 1937-1946
	Treasurer’s Reports
Box   24 Folder   1-10	1988-2011
Box   24 Folder   11	South East Chapter, 1994-2009
Box   24 Folder   12	State Board of Directors, 2003-2010
Box   31 Folder   15	Website information, 1995-2018
	Series: 7. Other organizations, 1920-2008 Scope and Content Note: The Other Organizations series includes materials collected while working with or about art related groups that WVA or its members were involved with and interested in. The two main organizations are the Milwaukee Art Institute and the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.).	⇧
	Milwaukee Art Institute
Box   11 Folder   1	Beaux Arts Ball, 1951
Box   11 Folder   2	Correspondence, 1920-1951
Box   11 Folder   3	Essay contest, 1933
Box   11 Folder   4	Miscellaneous materials, 1929-1966
Box   27 Folder   6	Wisconsin Artist’s Federation, 1938-1939
Box   11 Folder   5	Wisconsin Arts Council, 1972
Box   11 Folder   6	Wisconsin Designer-Craftsmen materials, 1965-1969
Box   11 Folder   7	Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement Award, 2004-2008
Box   27 Folder   7	Wisconsin Women in the Arts, 1976
	Works Progress Administration
Box   11 Folder   8	Bulletins from Artists’ Union, 1936-1937
Box   11 Folder   9	Correspondence, 1936-1937
Box   11 Folder   10	Miscellaneous printed materials, 1935-1937
	Series: 8. Publications, 1903-2017 Scope and Content Note: Publications series consists of the major publications created by WVA and its members. There are also newspaper clippings usually regarding art related subjects as well as some unrelated WVA publications. Often those were kept because a WVA member was involved.	⇧
	Newspaper clippings
Box   9 Folder   1-4	1903-2009
Box   27 Folder   4	NEA Censorship Controversy, 1990
	Publications
	Art in Wisconsin
Box   9 Folder   5-12	1985-March 1993
Box   23 Folder   3-9	April 1993-July 1999
Box   22 Folder   1-8	August 1999-2008
Box   23 Folder   1-2	The Wisconsin Painter and Sculptor, 1967, 1972
Box   22 Folder   9	Wisconsin Visual Artists Magazine, 2009-2017
Box   28 Folder   8	Miscellaneous – Non WVA, 1935-2003
Box   28 Folder   9-12	Newsletters, 1963-1985
Box   28 Folder   13	Wisconsin Art History, 1998
	Series: 9. Audio Visual / Media Materials, 1983-2013 Scope and Content Note: Audio Visual / Media series is a collection of mixed media materials. The materials mostly contain images documenting exhibits and/or the work of the WVA and its individual members. Depending on its format, some media may be unable to view.	⇧
Box   21	Artwork, miscellaneous, 2000-2001 Note: Some artwork has included related correspondence, some in Japanese
Box   20	CDs/Floppy disks, 1993-2005 Physical Description: 9 CDs and 3 floppy disks
Box   18	Photographs, undated Note: Photos removed from album. Per note on album “Wisconsin and Japanese Artists Exchange, photos by Don Sylvester”.
Box   33 Folder   8	Photographs, 1994-2013, undated
Box   20	Ruth Muehlmeier, 1998 Physical Description: 2 floppy disks
	Slides
Box   17	“Biennial 1991”, 1991 Physical Description: 2 blue cases (35 mm)
Box   17	“WPS”, undated Physical Description: 2 small boxes (35 mm)
Box   17 Folder   1	Miscellaneous, 1983-1986
Box   19	VHS/Audiocassettes, 1999-2002 Physical Description: 8 VHS and 5 audiocassettes