About UW-Madison School of the Arts at Rhinelander

History
Staff
Cooperating Partnerships
Advisory Committee

History

"The School has been a place for students of all ages and backgrounds to exchange ideas, dream dreams, learn new ways to express themselves, and further the whole idea that art (written, painted and otherwise) is, indeed, a necessity in a happy, everyday life." ~Robert Gard, Founder of SOA

In the summer of 1964, about 50 students joined six writing instructors in northern Wisconsin for the first School of Arts at Rhinelander. Since then SOA has grown to include more than 300 student and staff participants and over 50 workshops available during the one-week program.

The talented UW-Madison and Extension professor, author, and innovator Robert E. Gard built the school on many of his core beliefs: the importance of a supportive environment to help people grow as artists, the power of every individual to express themselves through one or more forms of the arts, and the Wisconsin Idea of bringing the resources of the university to the citizens of the state.

In 1967, Gard wrote and received the first grant ever awarded to rural America by the National Endowment for the Arts. This project, entitled "The Arts in the Small Community," would enable five rural towns in Wisconsin, most of which had little "arts infrastructure," to experiment with designing a program of participatory arts for themselves. Over the three years, Gard and his staff worked with these communities to establish and sustain their own arts programs and resources. Results of this effort included state-wide tours by professional companies, the School of the Arts at Rhinelander and the start of the Northern Arts Council.

Members of the local community were key in planning the school. Among them was Ced Vig, Superintendent of the Rhinelander School District. Vig worked with the School Board to provide a place for this workshop, initially a three week experience, to thrive and grow. His legacy is carried on today as School of the Arts is housed in Rhinelander's James Williams Middle School. For decades the City of Rhinelander, the Rhinelander School District, the Northern Arts Council, the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce and other community leaders and organizations have supported SOA.

Initially the School of the Arts focused on writing and involved many well-known authors and teachers. Farmers and community members from northern Wisconsin were encouraged to share their stories. August Derleth, the prolific Sauk City author, served as writer-in-residence from 1965 until his death just before the 1971 School.

As SOA expanded to include other art forms, and the list of prominent guest instructors from across the country grew to include Robert Bly, Studs Terkel, Jesse Stuart, Dale Wasserman, Mark Harris, A.B. Guthrie, Harry Mark Petrakis, Archibald MacLeish and Valfred Thelin. Well respected Wisconsin teachers, such as Tere Rios, Robert Blei, and Gard himself, returned year-after-year to inspire developing artists.

In 1985, Harv Thompson took over as the Director of School of the Arts. With his warm welcome for students and kind demeanor, Professor Thompson was the friendly face of SOA for almost 20 years. He took School of the Arts to a new level by adding more workshops, connecting community partners and expanding the financial assistance program making the week more affordable for dozens of participants each year.

In a spirit of collaboration and support, Professor Thompson designed events that brought people together throughout the week. He introduced mid-day forums that featured artists or authors; he started the Open House that invited community members to spend the evening with students and faculty; and he implemented the mini-class series allowing students and visitors to try an art form that had sparked their curiosity. Professor Thompson retired in 2004, after working with the incoming director, Miranda McClenaghan, for just under a year. He still plays a key role in the planning process by serving as a member of the Advisory Committee.

Staff

Miranda McClenaghan, Director, is a Faculty Associate and serves as the Director of School of the Arts at Rhinelander and Theatre Education with UW-Madison Liberal Studies and the Arts. Before moving to Wisconsin in 2003, she lived in California and was the program manager for the Arts & Business Council, administering community arts and technical assistance programs that served arts organizations in a 12 county region. In addition to working in arts administration, Miranda was an adjunct professor teaching theatre history, Diversity in American Drama and acting at CSU Sacramento, CSU Fullerton, Folsom Lake College and Cosumnes River College. She currently serves on the board for the WI Alliance for Arts Education and the grant review panel for the Dane County Arts Commission. Miranda has a Master of Arts in theatre (directing) and a Master of Fine Arts in acting.

Sarah Marty, Program Coordinator, has a Master's Degree in Business from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration, an MS in Curriculum & Instruction, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition to working as the Coordinator of the UW-Madison Continuing Studies in Theatre and Drama and School of the Arts Programs, Sarah has been a member of the Production Staff for the UW Varsity Band Spring Concert since 2000 and has taught in both the Middleton-Cross Plains and the Madison Metropolitan Area School Districts. She is the Managing Director for and a co-founder of Four Seasons Theatre in Madison. In addition, she serves as the Marketing Director for the Madison Early Music Festival.

Cooperating Partnerships

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Liberal Studies and the Arts acknowledges with appreciation our School of the Arts partners:

Rhinelander School Board on behalf of the Rhinelander School District
City of Rhinelander, Office of the Mayor
Northern Arts Council
Oneida County Extension
Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce
American Association of University Women, Rhinelander branch
UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies
Trigs Grocery
Wisconsin Alumni Lifelong Learning

and the many individuals, civic clubs, associations, and local businesses for their contributions to the School of the Arts program.

Advisory Committee

Celeste Anton
Jerry Apps
Beth Bloom
Julie Bronson
Carol Chase Bjerke
Heidi Catlin
Marshall Cook
Christine DeSmet
Maryo Gard Ewell
Christina Finet
Maureen Janson
Nancy Koberle-O'Connell
Leslee Nelson
Chris Powers
Harv Thompson
Laurel Yourke