The Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities • University of Wisconsin-Parkside
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The multi-storied Brookwood Entrance is named in honor of the Heide family home on County Highway A, northwest of the UW-Parkside campus. In 1931, Christen P. Heide reconstructed the home, brick by brick, after moving the building from its original Kenosha location along the Lake Michigan shoreline at 50 69th St. Christen’s son Charles and his wife, Kathryn, live in the home today. Christen P. Heide was a generous, philanthropic Kenosha industrialist during the first half of the 20th century. His passions included education, nature, family and faith.
“Growth in any societyis driven through understanding and appreciation of the arts and humanities. Through the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Artsand Humanities we will learn together a deeper respectfor social responsibilityand community.”
Bryan Albrecht, PresidentGateway Technical College
Welcome to the Rita Tallent Picken
Regional Center for Arts and Humanities.
When I arrived at the University of
Wisconsin-Parkside just a few years
ago, this amazing project was already
in motion. In fact, some of our campus
“veterans” will tell you the plans have been
in the works for more than 20 years.
Now, thanks to the hard work and
dedication of our campus planning team,
the Wisconsin Division of State Facilities
and the Department of Administration,
the University of Wisconsin System, HGA,
Miron Construction and many other
valued business partners...the wait
is over. Theatre productions are taking
place in the new Black Box Theatre; art
exhibits adorn the walls in three beautiful
art galleries; and music is fi lling the
incredible Frances Bedford Concert Hall.
The Hallmarks of the University
of Wisconsin-Parkside can be found
throughout this building: Student Success;
Academic Excellence; Diversity and
Inclusiveness; and, of course, Community
Engagement. The Rita — as it is quickly
becoming known — exemplifi es not only
the mission of our university, but the vision
of its namesake, Rita Tallent Picken. From
her tireless eff orts to grow the UW-Kenosha
Center into what is today the University
of Wisconsin-Parkside, to establishing
the Capsule College, Rita Tallent Picken
understood the importance of connecting
higher education to our communities.
I invite you to see for yourself. Please
join us for the grand opening, Saturday
evening, January 28. And make plans
to attend many of the more than 300
concerts, plays, art exhibits, shows and
readings during 2012 as we celebrate the
Year of the Arts and Humanities.
Debbie Ford, Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Debbie Ford, Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
on the coverArtist Steve Feren’s work “The Life Expressive” welcomes visitors to the Rita Tallent Picken
Regional Center for Arts and Humanities. Feren was inspired by the passion of Ferdinand
Cheval, a retired postman in the south of France who spent more than 30 years of his life
creating Le Palais Idéal. Cheval — armed with only a wheelbarrow, bucket and trowel
— built an imaginary castle, a wonder of the creative world.
1 january 2012 the rita uw-parkside
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The grand opening of the
Rita Tallent Picken Regional
Center for Arts and Humanities
will be held Saturday, January 28,
2012. The open house, running
from 6:30–8:30 p.m., features self-
guided tours and performance
and exhibit “menus.” Additionally,
complimentary desserts
and a cash bar will be available.
A more detailed event schedule
appears below:
6:30 p.m.Arrival and Registration
7 p.m.Act I Performance “Menu”
• Music Performances Frances Bedford Concert Hall
• Theatre Performances Black Box Theatre
• Art Exhibits and Demonstrations Art Galleries and Art Studios
• Humanities Presentations
7:30 p.m. Act II Performance “Menu”
• Music Performances
• Theatre Performances
• Art Exhibits and Demonstrations
• Humanities Presentations
8 p.m.Final Performance “Menu”
• Music Performances
• Theatre Performances
• Art Exhibits and Demonstrations
• Humanities Presentations
8:30 p.m. Event Concludes
grand openingschedule
2 uw-parkside the rita january 2012
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vision Through the Rita Tallent Picken Regional
Center for Arts and Humanities, the University of
Wisconsin-Parkside will be recognized as a regional
educational leader and community partner for the
arts and humanities, supporting and promoting
academic and artistic programs that contribute
to the cultural vitality and economic growth of
southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois.
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is
proud to partner with arts and humanities
organizations throughout southeastern
Wisconsin, including Black-Eyed Press,
Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, Bruce Niemi
Sculpture Gallery, Burlington Area School
District, Carthage College Gallery, Choral
Arts Society of Southeast Wisconsin, City
of Kenosha Commission on the Arts, the
Civil War Museum, ExposeKenosha.com,
Gateway Technical College, Kenosha Area
Business Alliance, Kenosha Area Chamber
of Commerce, Kenosha Area Convention
and Visitors Bureau, Kenosha Community
Foundation, Kenosha Public Museum,
Kenosha Symphony, Kenosha Unifi ed School
District, Lakeside Players, Lemon Street
Gallery, Mathis Gallery, The Prairie School,
Racine Art Center, ArtSpace Gallery, Racine
Arts Council, Racine Art Guild, Racine Art
Museum, Racine Community Band, Racine
Community Foundation, Racine Heritage
Museum, Racine and Kenosha public
libraries, Racine Symphony, Racine Theatre
Guild, Racine Unifi ed School District, Rhode
Opera House, Sixth Street Theatre, Southeast
Wisconsin Performing Arts Kenosha, and the
Windows of Downtown Kenosha Project.
core values The Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center
for Arts and Humanities supports and values:
• Academic Excellence
• Artistic Opportunity
• Cultural Enrichment
• Economic Vitality
• Freedom of Expression
• Enhanced Communication
• Diversity and Inclusiveness
• Creativity and Innovation
• Community Engagement
strategic goals• To continually enrich and promote exceptional
academic programs in the arts and humanities that
are recognized for their excellence and valuable
contributions to the region
• To create and support a synergy among all arts and
humanities disciplines, resulting in high quality
performances, presentations, and exhibitions
• To explore and express the complexity of the
human condition
• To serve as a regional educational and arts
facility and facilitator that provides diverse
populations with meaningful and accessible cultural
experiences and opportunities while encouraging
emerging artists and audiences of all ages
• To enhance the region’s image by stimulating
the fi nancial and creative economies of the
campus and the communities it serves
• To foster collaboration with local and regional
arts and humanities groups, bringing
UW-Parkside programs to community venues
and welcoming community organizations
to have a presence on campus
Trenton Baylor, Art DepartmentTony Brzoskowski, Campus Technology
ServicesMichael Clickner, Theatre ArtsRobert Czarny, Campus Technology ServicesDarice Damata-Geiger, Theatre ArtsJohn Desch, Facilities PlanningLeon Fasano, Facilities PlanningAlvaro Garcia, Music DepartmentLee Goldesberry, Campus Technology
ServicesGail Gonzalez, Modern LanguagesCheryl Gundersen, Administration and Fiscal Aff airsKeith Harris, Theatre ArtsJames Heller, Police and Public Safety
Rhonda Kimmel, Registrar’s Offi ceDon Kolbe, Facilities ManagementSue Lemens, Registrar’s Offi ceBrandi Liantonio, English DepartmentJames McKeever, Music DepartmentJay McRoy, English DepartmentMegan Mullen, Communication DepartmentDavid Olsen, Facilities ManagementAlan Russell, Administration and Fiscal Aff airsKaren Sorensen, Fine ArtsWilliam Streeter, Administration and Fiscal Aff airsSteve Wallner, Student LifeSkelly Warren, Theatre ArtsDean Yohnk, College of Arts and Sciences
campus communication group
community art partners
3 january 2012 the rita uw-parkside
left: The music wing of The Rita features ample exterior light, contemporary colors and bold design.
above: The exterior of The Rita seamlessly blends with existing UW-Parkside buildings.
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upper right: Students enjoy one of the many new casual meeting spaces that dot
The Rita. lower: The 340-seat Frances Bedford Concert Hall, the fi rst space on the
UW-Parkside campus designed especially for musical performances, debuted in
December with two sold-out performances of Handel’s “Messiah.”
Seeing all there is to see in the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities
— quickly becoming known as “The Rita” —takes a little time. After all, the entire project was really multiple projects rolled into one.
the tour
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There were expansion projects
on the north and south sides of the
former Communication Arts Building.
Much of the existing portion of the
building was remodeled. Then there
were partial remodeling projects
in Molinaro Hall and Wyllie Hall,
along with parking-lot and roadway
updates and reconfi gurations.
Finally, an outdoor art facility
was constructed on the east side of
Wood Road. This prefabricated metal
building will be used for art projects
that require a high level of ventilation.
Touring The Rita actually starts
outside where a new roadway
confi guration creates easier access to
the main entrance, and easier access
to the enlarged parking areas.
Next to the main entrance, a
stunning art creation by Steven Feren
welcomes visitors. Feren’s “The Life
Expressive” celebrates the creative eff orts
of Ferdinand Cheval, a retired postman
in the south of France. In 1879, Cheval
began building a “natural temple.” For
the next 30 years, it was his life’s work.
Feren’s artwork embraces the idea that
hard work and persistence create the
foundation for creativity to fl ourish.
Inside, the spacious Brookwood
Entrance is the gateway to music
venues, theatres, art galleries, design
studios and classrooms.
The highlight of the new south
wing is the 340-seat Frances Bedford
Concert Hall. This is the fi rst space on
the UW-Parkside campus designed
especially for musical performances.
The space is beautiful. What truly sets
it apart, however, are the superior
acoustics. The south wing also
features choral and instrumental
rehearsal halls, and state-of-the-art
individual and group practice rooms.
The building expansion to the
north creates more room for theatre
arts students to rehearse, and design
and build the sets, costumes, and
other technical elements necessary
for a live theatre production.
5 january 2012 the rita uw-parkside
upper right: The expanded Theatre Design Studio lies in a north-side addition
to the former Communication Arts building. upper left: The new multi-storied
Brookwood Entrance welcomes visitors and provides a friendly meeting space. lower left: The 150-seat Black Box Theatre is easily confi gured for small performances.
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The Black Box Theatre, which seats
150, can be confi gured in a variety of
ways. Two new rehearsal studios may
also host smaller performances.
The remodeled and expanded
scenic shops are named in honor
of the Klopcic family. Dick and Betty
Klopcic founded the Fireside in 1964
and in 1978 opened a professional
theatre in Fort Atkinson, Wis. In 1986,
the Klopcics formed a partnership
with the UW-Parkside Theatre Arts
Department to have Fireside sets
and props constructed on campus.
Over the years, grants from the
Fireside Theatre have funded the
salaries of multitudes of UW-Parkside
faculty and staff , and provided learning
opportunities for hundreds of students.
Step into the Fine Arts Gallery;
you may think you’ve found another
new portion of the building. Actually,
the Fine Arts Gallery is part of the
remodeling, as is the Regional Center
Gallery adjacent to the Main Stage
Theatre lobby, and the UW-Parkside
Foundation Gallery located near the
Art Department studios.
The 2,000-square-foot Fine
Arts Gallery is a museum-quality
space that hosts exhibitions with
an interdisciplinary character. The
Regional Center Gallery presents
work by local and regional artists,
and the Foundation Gallery features
student exhibitions and solo shows
by emerging professional artists.
Additional new Art Department
spaces in The Rita include print-
making, painting, drawing, and fi ber
and textile studios. Sculpture and
ceramics studios have been moved
to a remodeled space in Molinaro
Hall. Remodeled space in Wyllie Hall
is now home to 3-D animation
and digital-art computer labs.
Back in the Rita, the Dhaliwal
Modern Languages Laboratory on
the L1 level highlights expanded
lecture halls, classrooms and learning
environments for the humanities.
6 uw-parkside the rita january 2012
upper left: Part of a three-level music wing, the Choral Rehearsal Hall features
adjustable acoustics to match the size of the choir. lower left: The sculpture studio
is part of expanded, renovated space in Molinaro Hall. right: A group of students
participate in limbering exercises in the new Theatre Rehersal Studio A.
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“I applaud the vision and determination of UW-Parkside to partner with Kenosha and Racine.... This powerful collaboration builds the regionalcommunity fromits imaginative core...”Barbara Lawton, Chair of Wisconsin Arts Board
and Former Lieutenant Governor
The UW-Parkside Foundation Gallery, one of three galleries in The Rita, provides space for student exhibitions.
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Kitty Picken believes her stepmother — and
fellow adventurer — Rita Tallent Picken would be
quietly pleased to have her name associated with
the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s new arts and
humanities center.
“I think she would not have thought of this on
her own and if she’d been here — and I suggested
it — she would have probably thought it was
too much. But the idea, if it were presented to
her on a platter with no way of refusal, she would
become very quickly used to it,” Kitty said. “She had
a tendency, because of her natural humility, to
protest…but not hard.”
The building her name now graces, the Rita Tallent
Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities —
aff ectionately known on campus as “The Rita” —
embodies many of the things Rita strived for when
the Kenosha campus was created in the 1960s —
and that she helped nurture during the next decade.
It is appropriate that buildings with the name “Tallent” on them now bookend the University of Wisconsin-Parkside campus. Tallent Hall represents the beginning and now the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities is the present and future of the university.
rita tallent picken:educator, traveler, lifelong learner
“Rita loved the arts, she loved culture,” Kitty said.
“She would be thrilled to know her name is on a
building that will host such a variety of artistic and
cultural events.”
Rita, along with her fi rst husband, Bernard
Tallent, was instrumental in the creation of
UW-Parkside. Kitty said Rita was proud when
Tallent Hall was posthumously named for her fi rst
husband. Tallent led the two-year UW-Kenosha
campus and strongly advocated a four-year
campus be opened here. Rita’s voice was part of
the chorus advocating UW-Parkside’s creation.
Joining the university’s administration shortly
after the campus opened, Rita naturally gravitated
toward community engagement, making it her
mission to bring the campus to people and people
to the campus.
“She felt very strongly that it was important for
her to be out in the community,” Kitty said.
1919: Rita Wex born in Wausau,
Wis. Last of seven sisters.
1938: Rita graduates high school
and attends Wausau
Extension Center.
1939: Rita transfers
to UW-Madison.
1942: Rita graduates after “three
glorious years in Madison.”
She is hired to teach
English in Sheboygan.
1945: Rita joins the Red Cross to
help with the war eff ort.
She was assigned to Brazil
after one month of train-
ing in Washington, D.C.
9 january 2012 the rita uw-parkside
UW-Parkside fi le photo
of Rita Tallent Picken.
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orld
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Growing up in Wausau, Rita followed her two
passions — education and travel — to become
a lifelong learner long before the term existed.
She taught English in Sheboygan and California
before spending a year in Brazil with the Red Cross.
Returning home to teach English at what would
become UW-Marathon County, she met Tallent, a
young man from Kentucky by way of UW-Madison.
One of Tallent’s professors suggested he go to
1946: After returning home to
the Wausau area, Rita
begins to teach at the
UW-Extension Center. She
meets Bernard Tallent.
1948: Bernard is hired to teach
political science and be
director of the Kenosha
UW-Extension. Rita and
Bernard marry March 29.
1949: Kenosha Center moves to
new building downtown,
now the Municipal Building.
‘50-’60: Enrollment expands.
Bernard becomes full-time
administrator. Rita teaches
occasional English classes
at Racine Center. Property
on Washington Road is
purchased for new
UW-Kenosha building.
1961: New UW-Kenosha building,
now Bradford High School,
opens Nov. 1.
1965: Bernard dies Oct. 28.
State Legislature approves
a new four-year campus
in southeastern Wisconsin.
1966: Kenosha selected as site for
new campus.
1967: Rita accepts an NDEA grant
to attend California State
College for a master of
science degree in student
personnel service.
1968: Rita off ered director
of school and campus
relations by UW-Parkside
Chancellor I.G. Wyllie.
1969: Rita named “Woman of the
Year” by the Kenosha News.
1970: Tallent Hall dedicated
May 1.
‘70-’74: Rita promoted to assistant
to the chancellor and
coordinator for community
services. Rita helped fi nd
assisted living for retired
English instructor Beryl
Whitney with the help
of Doris Picken (daughter
of Peerless Confection
founder) and her
husband, Bob.
1975: Doris Picken dies. Rita
attends funeral in Chicago.
After several months Bob
Picken asks to see Rita.
After several visits, he
launches a campaign to
make Rita his wife.
1976: Rita and Bob marry on
May 1. Rita kept her job
at UW-Parkside for a year
and a half. Bob
commuted to Kenosha
on weekdays and Rita
went to Hyde Park
on weekends.
1978: Rita resigns from
UW-Parkside and
sells Kenosha home.
1999: Bob dies Dec. 24
at the age of 89.
2007: Peerless Confection
closes its doors April 30.
Rita served on Peerless
board of directors
for 25 years.
2009: Rita dies Nov. 16.
Wausau to teach for a semester. It turned into a
longer-term commitment. Kitty picks up the story:
“At the end of the semester, the professor called
and said, ‘Okay, Bernard, thank you so much. If
you want to come back to Madison you can. We
didn’t mean that you have to stop your education
altogether.’ And Bernard said, ‘You know, I like it
here. I think I’m going to stay.’ And the professor
said: ‘What color are her eyes?’”Rita Tallent Picken
(left) and friends.
10 uw-parkside the rita january 2012
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The couple traveled south in 1948, where Tallent
would lead the Kenosha campus for the University
of Wisconsin Extension until his death in 1965.
After joining UW-Parkside, Rita started a program
for other lifelong learners called Capsule College.
“This was a way of getting the community out
here, getting them to see the campus, getting
them to make the drive here,” Kitty said.
Started in 1971, the fi rst Capsule College took
one day and the class schedule fi t on a single
page. Rita worked on the program with Kim
Baugrud, a now-retired UW-Extension professor.
By 1977, when Kitty became involved as a
teacher, Capsule College was growing. At its peak,
Baugrud said, Capsule College attracted a couple
of thousand adults for three days of continuing
education.
By then, Rita had met and married candy
executive Robert Picken; she resigned from
UW-Parkside in 1978 to live full time in Chicago.
There, she continued as a community activist
serving on the board of the local settlement house
and becoming involved with the Oriental Institute,
a museum devoted to the ancient Near East.
Rita also travelled, visiting Africa and Asia along
with frequent trips to Europe and destinations
across the United States.
“Both of us discovered we liked roads trips,”
Kitty said, recalling a host of excursions to Florida,
taking a diff erent route each time, and numerous
trips to Kenosha for theatre events and to visit the
university and friends. “I don’t know how many
times I drove back from Kenosha at midnight.”
Rita Tallent Picken
with her step-daughter
Kitty Picken and their dog Honey.
The naming of the newest UW-Parkside building in honor of Rita Tallent Picken was part of a $3.5 million donation made by Kitty Picken. For many reasons, placing her name on the regional center for arts and humanities would have pleased her stepmother and good friend: “The important thing,” Kitty said, “is that it’s the arts building, and that it’s a community building, and it’s Parkside. All of those things would have made it very special to her.”
11 january 2012 the rita uw-parkside
Kitty Picken at her home in Hyde Park, Ill.
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When the Frances Bedford Concert Hall
debuted with two sold-out performances
of Handel’s “Messiah” in December, one
member of the orchestra was thrilled
and a little relieved to have the new
performance space open. That orchestra
member, the harpsichord player, also
happened to be the person whose name
graces the venue: Emerita Professor of
Music Frances Bedford.
“When I fi rst saw the completed hall I
thought, ‘At last we fi nally have a concert
hall.’ Being a native Missourian, I had to
see it to believe it — the old ‘Show-Me’
mentality, I guess,” Professor Bedford said.
Before retiring from teaching in
1995, Professor Bedford spent 25 years
performing and attending campus
concerts in less-than-inspirational
surroundings.
“I had always hoped and dreamed of
an intimate space for playing chamber
music,” she said. “No more playing in
converted classrooms or uninspiring
science lecture halls.”
Professor Bedford’s $500,000 gift
ensured that UW-Parkside students would
no longer have to present their music in
spaces better suited for plays, fi lms, or the
spoken word. Of course, the essence of a
music performance space is its acoustics;
when the acoustics are right — and
the concert hall’s acoustics are right in
Professor Bedford’s opinion — music
becomes an otherworldly experience.
“The hall is acoustically perfect! That
allows a player not only to hear himself
but all the other instruments in the
ensemble, making for the best integrated
sound possible. An acoustically perfect
hall lets the sound ‘bloom’ into space and
momentarily create the illusion of another
dimension,” she said. “This facet of the hall
was the number-one priority for me and
I’m happy to say they succeeded.”
Following a performance of “Messiah,”
UW-Parkside Provost Terry Brown quoted
a visitor from Milwaukee — who has
heard music performed in some of the
best venues in the world — as saying
the Frances Bedford Concert Hall is, “the
fi nest concert hall she had ever been in.”
Another called it “world class.”
Professor Bedford agrees, saying “it
compares most favorably with other
venues around the world,” a comparison
she can make because she toured the
Midwest and Europe extensively with her
son Monte as the harpsichord and oboe
playing Bedford Duo.
When asked how it felt to know she
was instrumental in making such a
performance space available to current
and future UW-Parkside students,
Professor Bedford demurred, saying “I only
hope that I have made a good long-term
contribution to the world of music and to
the community.”
With every note played and every song
voiced in the concert hall bearing her name,
Professor Bedford’s contribution to music
and the community fulfi lls that hope.
acoustically perfect
12 uw-parkside the rita january 2012
Focus on sound quality delivers ‘world–class’ concert venue
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the acoustic perspective Embracing the belief that world-class acoustics
can be achieved within challenging budgeting
parameters, Acoustic Dimensions worked to
achieve spaces to serve the university’s music
program exceptionally well. The large volume
above ceilings and catwalks in the Frances Bedford
Concert Hall helps support strong natural acoustic
environments appropriate for musical groups large
and small. Combined with adjustable acoustic
curtains and quiet mechanical systems, spaces can
be altered to eff ectively accommodate diff erent
performance types — from a delicate harpsichord
recital to a large brass band concert.
To enable simultaneous use of performance
and rehearsal spaces, essentially three separate
structures were constructed in the building to
prevent the transfer of sound energy from one
space to another. With a collaborative and proactive
design process, this was accomplished with minimal
impact on the cost of the building. The entrances to
each space feature sound- and light-lock vestibules
to prevent disruption from outside activity.
Mechanical systems for the performance
spaces were designed to be silent in operation
to maximize the dynamic range of expression for
performers, creating an acoustical environment
that allows performers to facilitate memorable
bonds with their audience.
13 january 2012 the rita uw-parkside
above: Emerita Professor of Music Frances Bedford sitting in the concert hall
that now bears her name. left: 340 seats fi ll the Frances Bedford Concert Hall.
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“Throughout history, artistic expression and diverse conversations have inspired and transformed communities. The arts and humanities have demonstrated their unbelievable power to serve as a catalyst for bringing about an unbelievable renaissance and rebirth for mankind. The vision and mission of The Rita is founded in educational achievement, artistic expression, community engagement, economic vitality, and meaningful links between the campus and diverse communities we serve. The Rita belongs to all of us in our diverse communities as a “hub” and “home” where we can come together to experience, explore, express, and celebrate what it means to be human.”
14 uw-parkside the rita january 2012
Dean Yohnk Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
“It was a dream for so long to have this wonderful space. Now, it is here and we are fi nally able to stretch our wings. With this new building we will be able to explore new technologies, produce plays in more innovative ways, and give our students the freedom to work on their own material. We have a terrifi c group of theatre students and they spend so much of their time in the theatre. Now they have places to meet and rehearse, space in which to study and design, and so much more. The Rita affi rms the importance of what we do. It will allow us to be more collaborative with our university colleagues and the community. For many of us, it is home and it is beautiful!”
Lisa KornetskyChair, Theatre Arts Department
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15 january 2012 the rita uw-parkside
• 163,000-square-foot facility transforms the
former Communication Arts Building into a
state-of-the-art education and performance
space; 91,000 square feet of renovated space
and 72,000 square feet of new construction
• The Music Department occupies a new
addition on the south side of the building,
the Theatre Arts and Art departments occupy
an addition and renovated space on the
north side; the new Brookwood Entrance
lobby is on the west side
• A three-level music wing includes the 340-
seat Frances Bedford Concert Hall, rehearsal
rooms, practice studios, music technology lab,
and music library
• The Frances Bedford Concert Hall features
maple paneling on the fi rst level, absorptive
panel curtains that can be acoustically
adjusted, and refl ective maple acoustical
clouds; diff usion ventilation fi ltered from
under the fl oor protects acoustical integrity
• 2-D art spaces on the ground level
include textile, drawing, printmaking
and painting studios, the Fine Arts Gallery,
a 2,000-square-foot museum quality space
with 18-foot ceilings, and the UW-Parkside
Foundation Gallery
• Theatre-arts wing includes
the 150-seat Black Box Theatre,
the Fireside Theatre Scenic Shops, renovated
Main Stage Theatre lobby connected to
the Brookwood Entrance and Regional Art
Gallery, two rehearsal rooms, and props,
costume, and theatre design studios
• New 85-seat lecture hall on the concourse
level of the theatre arts/2-D art wing, and
fi ve general-use classrooms on the fi rst level
• 3-D art for ceramics and sculpture
consolidated in renovated space in Molinaro
Hall; new Digital Arts & Animation Center,
and Distance Education Classroom relocated
to renovated space in Wyllie Hall
the fact sheet
above: A student diligently works in the print making studio. lower left: At night,
‘The Life Expressive’ illuminates; playfully welcoming guests to The Rita.
“The Rita provides the physical space and the fi nancial support the Art Department needs to think more broadly about what we teach, how we teach, and the communities that we serve. It has brought about a fresh perspective to our curriculum, research and creative activity, programming, and outreach. The Rita has fi nally united the arts and humanities and has created the desire for more interdisciplinary collaboration. As The Rita grows into its title as the regional center for arts and humanities I envision that the space will also become the center for connection and partnership with local and regional businesses, nonprofi t and arts organizations.”
Trenton BaylorChair, Art Department
“After decades of dreaming and planning, the Music Department now has a state-of-the-art facility in which to teach and perform. Its centerpiece, the Frances Bedford Concert Hall, features adjustable acoustics, a large fl exible stage, beautiful maple paneling, and a wrap-around balcony. In addition to the concert hall, we now have rehearsal halls for ensembles and choirs, a music technology lab, numerous practice rooms and other specialized spaces. Our students will benefi t from all these spaces, and will be encouraged to reach the highest level of music study and performance. We look forward to sharing our spaces with audiences as well as musical organizations.”
James McKeeverChair, Music Department
“Given UW-Parkside’s location between two major urban centers, the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities providesan essential space where artists can converge and share their skills and perspectives. Poetic gestures
— be they written, aural, or visual (or some combination of the three)
— have long been a vital component of my daily experience, and I look forward to seeing how this incredible arts center further galvanizes a region fi lled with gifted visionaries and talented students eager to expand their aesthetic horizons.”
Jay McRoyChair, English Department
19548
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919555
9195
54
919860 919918
7856 W. Appleton Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53218
Phone: 414.562.9266 Fax: 414.445.9679
Email: [email protected]
Congratulations! The expansion of your new facility
is an asset to the school and community. It was a pleasure
working on such a great project.
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17 january 2012 the rita uw-parkside
Some things are just meant to
be. When Michael Clickner left the
Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson, Wis.,
to move back to Racine and be closer
to his parents, he may have believed
his Fireside days were over.
Clickner, who is now the Fireside
Theatre technical director and scenic
lab supervisor at the University of
Wisconsin-Parkside, worked for the
Racine Theatre Guild for a few years
before getting a call from Skelly Warren.
“One day out of the blue, Skelly
called me and asked if I wanted to
work at UW-Parkside building sets for
the Fireside,” Clickner said.
professionalpartnership
Warren, an emeritus professor
of design and technical production
at UW-Parkside, remembered
Clickner when the two fi rst met
working on the Fireside production
of “Hello Dolly.”
“We worked well together,”
Clickner said. “I have great feelings
for the Fireside and I, of course, said
yes. It was the best of both worlds.”
When Dick and Betty Klopcic
opened the Fireside in 1964,
professional theatre was not part
of the operation.
“My parents started the theatre
business in 1977 and we got involved
with UW-Parkside when we re-did
our art gallery into a theatre back
in the early 80s,” said Rick Klopcic,
the son of Dick and Betty Klopcic.
Today, Rick Klopcic operates the
Fireside Theatre with his wife, Jane,
and their son, Ryan.
“The partnership helps us
both,” Rick Klopcic said. “It helps
the UW-Parkside scenic shops hire
professional people who can then
teach the students.
“It’s kind of an extension of their
education for the students to come
over here and load in and tear down
a show, and see the whole thing put
together with Broadway actors.
And it helps us get our sets and props
built. It’s kind of a neat situation.”
The partnership between the two
organizations was formally honored
with the naming of the set design
and construction space in the Rita
Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts
Humanities as The Fireside Theatre
Scenic Studios.
“It is such an honor, I know my dad
would be proud,” said Rick Klopcic.
In March 2011, Gov. Scott
Walker presented the Wisconsin
Department of Tourism Legacy Award
posthumously to Dick Klopcic.
Since 1986, the UW-Parkside and Fireside Theatre partnership has been a hit
The Fireside was founded in 1964 by Dick and Betty Klopcic. In 1978, the Klopcic Family opened a professional theatre and as an extension of their commitment to excellence, formed a unique partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Theatre Arts Department in 1986. In the years that followed, grants from the Fireside Theatre to the Theatre Arts Department for the creation of scenery and props have funded the salaries of multitudes of staff and faculty working on this partnership. The Klopcics believe that God has richly blessed their family and business. They, in turn, have been a blessing to our campus and our community.
Text from The Fireside Theatre Scenic Studios dedication plaque:
Dick and Betty Klopcic.
918
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18 uw-parkside the rita january 2012
The opening of the Rita Tallent Picken
Regional Center for Arts and Humanities
comes at a time when those involved
with economic development are paying
much closer attention to a newly defi ned
industry cluster — the creative economy.
“There are various versions of how
people defi ne the creative economy,” said
Christine Harris, owner of Christine Harris
Connections and a consulting adviser to
Creative Alliance Milwaukee. “The way we
describe it is a collection of businesses,
organizations and individuals who
produce goods and services that originate
in aesthetic, cultural or creative content.”
Harris sees great value in a community
having a balance of industry sectors. “As
we have found here, if you are overly
dependent on one industry sector, and in
this case we have been overly dependent
on manufacturing, you don’t have a
balance that can ebb and fl ow with the
ups and downs of any one sector,” she said.
Not all businesses may realize
their connection with the creative
economy. “Creative industries is a new
amalgamation of businesses under that
nomenclature,” Harris said. “If you were to
go to an advertising business in Kenosha
and ask how they like being a part of the
creative economy, they might say, ‘What?
What are you talking about?’”
Traditionally, for the purposes of
government statistics and industry
analysis, businesses such as advertising
agencies or even architectural fi rms were
classifi ed as a professional service.
In Wisconsin’s M7 Region (Kenosha,
Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth,
Washington and Waukesha counties)
there are about 66,000 people working
in the creative economy, and receiving $2
billion in wages. Of the 4,100 businesses
identifi ed in the M7 creative economy,
50 percent employ 10 people or less, a
quintessential sweet spot in the area of
creative economy“Southeast Wisconsin’s economy and prosperity will depend less on how much it produces and more on what it produces, less on its cost of living and more on quality of living...”
— Creativity Works! Milwaukee Regional Creative Industries Project
economic development.
“We all know that a creative community
attracts more creatives,” Harris said. “When
you improve regional attractiveness, you
improve quality of life, and you improve
quality of place. Architects and graphic
designers don’t stop being creative at 5
o’clock; where are they going to get their
creative stimulation?”
That’s where resources like the Rita
Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and
Humanities enter the picture. Without the
opportunity for creative stimulation, the
region is less attractive overall.
Another value of the University of
Wisconsin-Parkside and its new center
for arts and humanities, Harris said, is
the combination of talent, research and
learning. “A university, because of its link
between students and the talent pipeline,
the research and teaching, and the
business community at large, gives you
an opportunity to not only help feed the
growth of the creative economies
but also to research and measure the
impact of the creative industries on the
rest of the economy.”
above: Students and Professor Skelly Warren work hand-in-hand in
the spacious Fireside Theatre Scenic Studios.
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“Businesses, institutions, and the arts are tied together when it comes to creating a successful and attractive community. We are excited to see how UW-Parkside continues to seek ways to extend its influence beyond the boundaries of campus.”
Francisco Loyola, OwnerExposeKenosha.com
19� ������������january�2012��������the rita uw-parkside
Students share the stage in the Black Box Theatre. With 150 seats, the theatre easily accommodates a variety of productions.
Arts Aliveuwp.edu Keyword: Arts Alive
Karla Bonoff Friday, Feb. 3, 2012; 7:30 p.m. Main Stage Theatre With a singing, song-writing career spanning four decades, Karla Bonoff has enjoyed critical acclaim, commercial success, enduring popularity and the unwavering respect of her peers.
The Jason Bishop ShowThursday, March 29, 2012; 7:30 p.m. Main Stage Theatre As America’s hottest illusionist, Jason Bishop might have a person passing through his body one moment or make goldfi sh appear from nowhere the next.
Barrage: Soundtrack of the WorldFriday, May 4, 2012; 7:30 p.m. Main Stage Theatre Barrage — a high-octane string group that features an international, multi-talented cast performing an eclectic mix of music, song and dance.
Art Galleriesuwp.edu Keyword: Art
Contemporary Journeys: Installations by Liberian Artist Catherine KennedyJan. 17 – Feb. 9 Foundation Gallery Perspectives of the artist’s journey in life following her displacement from Liberia due to civil war.
West African Art from the Mathis CollectionJan. 17 – March 10 Fine Arts Gallery A selection of approximately 50 traditional West African ceremonial objects drawn from the collection of Racine-based gallerist and collector Emile Mathis.
20 uw-parkside the rita january 2012
Students’ Choice Exhibition: Photographic Landscape and Digital Animation by Hans GindlesbergerFeb. 16 – March 16 Foundation Gallery UW-Parkside art students chose Gindlesberger as the artist to bring to campus. “I’m in the Wrong Film” places shots of the artist against the backdrop of American Midwestern towns marked by signs of economic decline.
“Eileen Mueller Neill: Imaginings” and “David Rowe: Aesthetic Constructions”March 27 – May 12 Fine Arts Gallery Rowe’s large sculptures suggest ships, drilling rigs, and massive satellite cities described in science fi ction. Mueller Neill’s smaller, brightly colored constructions feature domestic themes.
Monica Haller’s Veterans Book ProjectMarch 27 – May 12 Foundation Gallery A library of books, each written by a veteran, enlisted man or woman, or someone very closely connected with the current wars.
Foregin Films — 30th Anniversaryuwp.edu Keyword: Foreign Films
Award-winning fi lms from around the world are featured in this popular series. For schedule and show times, visit uwp.edu Keyword: Foreign Films. All fi lms in the Student Center Cinema.
Musicuwp.edu Keyword: Music
Feb. 25, Orchestras. Alvaro Garcia, Director
Feb. 29, Jazz Ensemble. Russ Johnson, Director
March 2, Wind Ensemble, Community Band,Master Singers, and Chorale. Mark Eichner and James Kinchen, Directors
April 25, Jazz Ensemble. Russ Johnson, DirectorApril 28, Orchestras. Alvaro Garcia, DirectorApril 29 and May 6, Choirs. James Kinchen, DirectorNoon Concerts in the Frances Bedford Concert HallPerformances by guest artists, faculty, and students are featured each Wednesday throughout the Spring Semester. Visit uwp.edu Keyword: Music for the complete performance schedule.
Theatre Artsuwp.edu Keyword: Theatre Arts
Great ExpectationsFeb. 24-25, March 1-3 at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 26 at 2 p.m., March 2 at 10 a.m. Studio Theatre Classic coming-of-age tale by Charles Dickens, adapted by Gale Childs-Daly, sponsored by the Kenosha News.
Bus StopApril 13-29 Broadway Theatre Center, Milwaukee Visit chamber-theatre.com for show times. This American classic by William Inge is a special collaboration with the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre.
FreshINK Staged Reading SeriesRehearsal Studio A. All performances at 7:30 p.m. Staged Readings of today’s most important new plays.Visit uwp.edu Keyword: Theatre Arts for complete schedule.
Big Read Kenosha County 2012uwp.edu Keyword: Big Read
Part of the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read grants, the program features “Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories,” edited by Jorge F. Hernandez.
upcoming events
photographerswritersDave Buchanan, University RelationsJohn Mielke, University RelationsJohn Valaske, UW-Parkside Retiree
editorJohn Mielke, University Relations
designBryce Ulmer, Kenosha News Graphic Artist
“With Frances Bedford, we talked about what a great space had been created. In the end I favored the more personal, close-in shots. When photographing Kitty Picken, I looked for environments in which she was comfortable. I often photograph people in their own homes, as they are surrounded by life memories.”
Michael Candee
“Photographing the University of Wisconsin-Parkside campus was refreshing. HGA Architects & Engineers did a wonderful job of seamlessly blending the new additions with the existing structure. The result maintained the clean lines and open feel. And the new hands-on facilities made me a little envious of the students. ”
Darris Lee Harris
“Photographing the construction progress gave me a chance to watch the remodeling progress and the new addition come to life. It has been very exciting to see the walls in my old work area come down to be replaced by the new costume shop and roomy new studio spaces, and to see the beautiful new spaces for music emerge.”
Don Lintner
year of the arts and humanitiescommittee membersTrenton Baylor, Art DepartmentJames Crowley, Music DepartmentDavid Diaz, University AdvancementMaureen Fritchen, Racine Arts Council Samira Gdisis, Black-Eyed PressKeith Harris, Theatre ManagerColleen Kappeler, ExposeKenosha.comDebra Karp, Director of Nonprofi t DevelopmentLisa Kornetsky, Theatre Arts DepartmentStephanie Lazzeroni, Racine Art Museum Board
President
Francisco Loyola, ExposeKenosha.comCatherine Mantuano, University AdvancementEmile Mathis, Mathis GalleryJohn Mielke, University RelationsJonathan Shailor, Communication DepartmentStephanie Sirovatka-Marshall, Student CenterKaren Sorensen, Fine ArtsDiane Tenuta, College of Arts and SciencesAnnie Walaszek, Theatre Arts StudentDean Yohnk, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
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“I’m confident the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities will become a centerpiece of economic growth and development for the region.”
Robin J. VosWisconsin State Representative
photographers
A circle of student artists participate in a figure drawing exercise in the Drawing Studio.
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