Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum 700 North 12th St, Wausau, WI • FREE • 845-7010 • www.lywam.org • Enter the 1931 English Tudor-style house, packed with changing exhibits hailing from central Wisconsin to obscure international corners. A big draw is the bird-centric exhibition Birds in Art, which explores diverse interpretations of birds the world over, and even prints an annual catalogue. Finish your tour in the four-acre Margaret Woodson Fisher Sculpture Garden and authentic English garden, which I’m told is shady and conducive to seated contemplation. Accessible to visitors with disabilities. Open Tues-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat-Sun 12-5pm.

Gallery Forty Two 242 North Michigan St, Gallery 1, Sturgeon Bay, WI • FREE • (920) 785-1123 • www.galleryfortytwo.com • Though the style of art displayed at G42 has been described as contemporary or modern, the proprietors dispense with these labels and prefer to call it Fresh Art. The colorful landscapes and quirky abstractions are easily comparable to designs found in upscale urban galleries.

Plum Bottom Pottery 4999 Plum Bottom Road, Egg Harbor, WI • FREE • (920) 743-2819 • www.plumbottompottery.com • It’s safe to say most art lovers also love nature, and vice versa. Visitors to Plum Bottom will experience both, finding 20 acres of woods, gardens, and prairies as the setting for this professional studio and gallery. Peruse the brightly colored, “fluid form” porcelain wall sculptures, all handcrafted by resident Chad Luberger, as well as earthenware and jewelry by other artists. Open 10-5 daily.

Hands On Art Studio 3655 Peninsula Players Road, Fish Creek, WI • cost varies • (920) 868-9311 • www.handsonartstudio.com • Ever heard of spin-painting? Perhaps you should give it a try. Or just pick up a paintbrush and use it the old-fashioned way: to decorate your own ceramics, glassware, t-shirts, and birdhouses. Other media are also available to delve into, including fused glass and lampworking. Make your first mosaic, or weld a metal sculpture. With snacks and drinks available, this place is totally kid-friendly. 10am-6pm every day; adult nights Fri 6:30-10pm.

Fine Line Designs Gallery 10376 N. Hwy 42, Ephraim, WI • FREE • (920) 854-4343 • www.finelinedesignsgallery.com • Not limited to one medium or dimension, this gallery displays paintings and sculptures – both indoor and out – plus wooden furnishings, jewelry, metal art, and fiber art. More than 100 renowned artists contribute to this gallery, which is housed in a stately cottage and features a windowed rotunda. The two-acre garden is a menagerie of bronze, stone, metal, ceramic, copper, and stainless steel. Open daily 10-6, Sunday 10-5.

The Museum of Wisconsin Art  300 South 6th Ave, West Bend, WI • (262) 334-9638 • www.wisconsinart.org • $5 adults; seniors, students, and youth $3; 12 and under FREE • With two permanent collections and ever-changing exhibitions, this museum is a showcase for all things both Wisconsin and artsy. The space attempts to cover the 1830s to the late 20th century, displaying rare pieces by big names in these here parts. The museum is also home to the Wisconsin Art Archive, which keeps 8,000 files on Wisconsin art. Open Wed-Sat, 10am-4:30pm and Sun 1-4:30pm.

The James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters Overture Center for the Arts 201 State St, 3rd Floor, Madison, WI • FREE • (608) 265-2500 • www.wisconsinacademy.org • A visual and cultural space for Wisconsin, the James Watrous Gallery focuses on showcasing contemporary artists that express themselves through everything from children’s book illustrations to recycled bottle art. The gallery, which shares turf with the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, strives to bridge those very disciplines. Open Tues-Thurs 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 1-5pm.

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Overture Center for the Arts 227 State St, Madison, WI • FREE • (608) 257-0158 • www.mmoca.org • While the exterior is stunning with its towering glass walls and rooftop sculpture garden, the interior is Madison’s hub of art. The museum spans the 20th and 21st centuries and contains art by such beloved 2D masters as Frida Kahlo. Valuing design as well as art, the museum held a challenge this year that encourages interior designers to fashion a room around a work of art. It is home to an award-winning store and restaurant. Open Tues-Thurs 12-5pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 12-5pm.

Stockholm Art Fair July 17 • Stockholm Village Park, Stockholm, WI • FREE  • www.stockholmartfair.com • This is an extensive outdoor festival whose appeal is magnified by summery Wisconsin weather and a beautiful riverside setting. Vending only selections that have been juried, over 100 art and craft exhibitors will set up shop in the park.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts 2400 Third Ave South, Minneapolis, MN • FREE • (888) MIA-ARTS • www.artsmia.org • This museum’s impressive array of objects (80,000, to be approximate) represents one of the highest levels of artistic achievement. Its collection spans 5,000 years and is sourced from Africa, Oceania, the Americas, and Asia. Media include architecture, design, decorative arts, craft, sculpture, paintings, modern sculpture, photographs, prints and drawings, and textiles. Open Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-9pm, Sun 11am-5pm.

Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN • $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 students/teens, FREE 12 and under, FREE to all every Thursday evening and the first Saturday of each month • (612) 375-7600 • www.walkerart.org • A beacon for modern art right here in the Midwest, the Walker showcases media and performing art as well as visual art, drawing from a global pool of artists. Come ogle 11,000 works in a space that nurtured artists such as Andy Warhol and Chuck Close early in their careers. The center shares its grounds with the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, a park whose structures have become iconic to the Twin Cities area – especially Spoonbridge and Cherry. Open Tues-Sun, 11am–5 pm, open late Thurs, 11 am–9 pm. Sculpture garden open daily 6am-midnight. 

Museum of Russian Art 5500 Stevens Ave South, Minneapolis • $7/person • (612) 821-9045 • www.tmora.org • Housed in a spacious Spanish Revival-style structure, the museum itself is as beautiful as the works it displays. The only museum displaying this content in North America – TMORA is devoted to showcasing Russian art and artifacts. Wander underneath dark, exposed trusses, over shiny hardwood floors and past arched white walls that serve as the backdrop for a thousand years of Russian art and culture. Witness historical events and daily Russian life through impressionistic paint strokes, lacquered objects, and homespun textiles. Open Mon-Wed and Fri 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 1-5pm.