Between Fences Sites
These six sites in Wisconsin were selected for the Between Fences 2007-2008 tour.
For a map of the tour sites and dates click here.
Waupaca - September 15 - October 27, 2007
Waupaca is a city of 5,500 people in central Wisconsin and is the economic hub of another 10,000 people in neighboring townships and villages. The beautiful Chain O'Lakes natural area and the historic Wisconsin Veterans Home draw tourists to the area. The Waupaca Area Public Library and several community organizations hosted the Between Fences exhibition in their newly remodeled Exhibit Room in the lower level of the library. Waupaca celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2007 and incorporated the exhibition into their celebration. Area photographers displayed works with a fence theme, third grade students participated in a photo essay project, a film series was held at the library, and a community reads project explored related local themes. Additionally, Winchester Academy hosted a lecture series about the invisible fences communities create and the People for Peace organization hosted women from Israel and Palestine to help explore a more global picture of cultures divided by fences.
Hales Corners - November 3 - December 15, 2007
Hales Corners is a close-knit community of almost 8,000 in southeastern Wisconsin. The Stahl-Conrad Homestead, a historical society, hosted the exhibition in their restored farmhouse and barn, original examples of typical nineteenth-century rural structures. The Homestead's mission focuses on restoration of the land as well as the buildings, which will become a museum. Homestead partners include the Village of Hales Corners, Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy, Hales Corners Historical Society, Hales Corners Chamber of Commerce, Whitnall Area Public Schools, Hales Corners Lutheran School, and Hales Corners Library, which collaborated with the Homestead to present programs and exhibits. Programs and events explored the land as it was before settlement, the impact of the rapid transit on commerce in the village, the "border wars" that account for incorporation of the village as a separate municipality, and the impact of roads--past, current, and proposed--on village lives and businesses.
La Farge - January 11 - February 16, 2008
La Farge is a small village located in the beautiful Kickapoo Valley in west-central Wisconsin. It is the home to Organic Valley Family of Farms, America's largest organic food cooperative. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR), located just north of La Farge, is comprised of nearly 8,600 acres of land that was purchased in the 1960s and '70s for a federal flood control project. That land now is used for educational and recreational activities by the thousands who visit the Reserve each year. The KVR Visitor Center, with a scenic view of the river, hosts many educational and cultural events in the valley. The Friends of the Reserve planned programs to highlight the unique stories of the people who were moved from their land for the flood control project in conjunction with the Between Fences exhibition. "The People Remember" project, which includes a collection of oral histories, a book published from those interviews, and the ongoing collection of photos from the former homesteads, were exhibited along with the Between Fences exhibition at the Reserve.
Sauk Prairie - February 23 - April 5, 2008
Sauk City, population 3,229, and Prairie du Sac, population 3,310, are sister villages settled by Europeans in the 1830s and 40s. Together, they hug the western shore of the Wisconsin River. Boundaries and all they symbolize were important to the early culture of Sauk City and Prairie du Sac, as they continue to be today in the community commonly referred to as Sauk Prairie. The River Arts Center, the primary venue for the exhibit, used the Center's 500-seat theatre and large gallery space, as well as an exhibition space at the nearby Badger Army Ammunition Plant and the Tripp Memorial Museum, to explore local issues of boundary, space and place. River Arts, Inc. developed a six-week exposition around the Between Fences exhibition that included performances, films, art and historical exhibits, interactive educational exhibits, poetry slams, forums and guided Badger Ordnance bus tours.
Clear Lake - April 12 - May 24, 2008
Clear Lake is a village of 1,000 people located in Polk County in Western Wisconsin and named for the spring fed lake within its village limits. Clear Lake was founded in 1875 with the coming of the railroad and the expansion of timber logging. It is the home of Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day and, thereby, has a longstanding dedication to land conservation and environmental concerns. The Clear Lake Area Community Center hosted the Between Fences exhibition in the historic former Union Free High School building, now a community hub for educational, recreational, cultural, spiritual, and social activities. The Center collaborated with the Clear Lake Public Library and the Clear Lake Museum to produce programs and activities that highlighted local traditions of cooperation through work and recreation. A local photographic history project was developed to expand on themes of Between Fences and depict changes in land use, economy, and sociology of the region over time; and a middle school student photographic history exhibit was developed to look at changes in the Clear Lake community over time. A Barn Dance kicked off the six weeks of programs, including musical theatrical performance of Oklahoma, a quilt show, land use panel, book discussions, and photographic and art displays. Over 4300 visitors passed through the Center during the six-week exhibition and over 900 school students toured the exhibitions and ancillary exhibits. As a part of Earth Day, over 130 students participated in the youth Service Day doing community service projects.
