Friends Newsletter

President’s Letter, December 2025

The dark is here. It always comes as a jolt. Certainly, the days have been shrinking for months now, noticeable in half hour chunks. The first sunset at 8 p.m. seems so early, but a few weeks later I’m startled to see it at 7:30. Then comes the shock of setting the clocks back. And suddenly, the whole day looks different. The lovely golden glow of 4 p.m. on a Sunday looks so wrong when it abruptly occurs at 3 p.m. on a Monday. It’s amazing to me how finely attuned we are to the light, its gradations and subtleties.

Have you seen the light in the Velasco exhibition, shimmering on the rocks, glowing through the trees, dancing on water? It’s a treat to behold, a promise that the circle will turn and we’ll one day glory in the sun’s rays again. It’s beautiful. Come see.

And please come see Friends in the museum and out! We have a wonderful Friends Member Outing to Norway House and Kaffebar on December 3. See below for more details. Also not to be missed is our annual Holiday Luncheon. Tickets must be purchased by November 30, so do not hesitate! The menu sounds outstanding, and the company with Friends will be even better! This will follow our lecture by Olivia Lonetti on the history of American jewelry. You won’t want to miss this enlightening and entertaining day with Friends.

You can find all these events and more below. As you see, we have a new look this month. We hope you like it.

May this month treat you well, in its long nights and brief chilly days. See you at the museum!

Liz Short
President, Friends of the Institute

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Important November Dates:

• December 11, 2025: Friends Lecture and Winter Luncheon
• December 11, 2025: Coffee & Scones
• December 14, 2025: Mia Family Day Volunteer Opportunity
• December 19 and 20, 2025: Friends Book Club: Wolf Hall

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December Friends Lecture and Winter Luncheon

• Thursday, December 11, 2025, 11 a.m.; Winter Luncheon to follow
• Pillsbury Auditorium and Target Reception Hall
• Lecture: free; registration required
• Luncheon: $45 per person; registration required

Join us on Thursday, December 11, for our lecture, “Lustrous Legacy: The History of American Jewelry,” presented by Olivia Lonetti of Revere Auctions.

Lonetti will take us through more than 250 years of American jewelry design, tracing the artistry and innovation that shaped each era, from the allure of the Gold Rush and the organic elegance of Art Nouveau to the bold geometry of Art Deco.

She’ll explore how social change, cultural ideals, and technological advances influenced Americans’ tastes in adornment. You’ll learn to recognize hallmark motifs and craftsmanship across the centuries and discover the stories behind the designers, ateliers, and movements that helped turn jewelry into wearable art.

Following the lecture, please join us for our Friends Holiday Luncheon in the Target Reception Hall. This year’s menu features apricot, fig, and gorgonzola stuffed pork tenderloin with apple cider reduction, served with root vegetable mash, roasted carrots, and assorted breads. Dessert is a festive grasshopper pie, with coffee and tea provided. A vegetarian entrée of polenta cake with mushroom ragu and roasted carrots is also available.

Tickets are $45 per person, and registration is required by midnight on November 30. Register now so you won’t miss this special event.

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Volunteer Opportunity: Lecture Ushers Needed

As we celebrate the end of another wonderful year, we’re also looking for volunteers to assist as lecture ushers on December 11.

We’re always looking for friendly faces to help usher all of these events. It’s a great way to meet fellow Friends and be part of the action. If you’d like to volunteer, email us.

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Volunteer Opportunity: Mia Family Day

• Sunday, December 14, 2025

We’re looking for volunteers for Mia’s Family Day to help families with art projects. The shifts are just two hours, and the atmosphere is fun and casual. No art experience is needed, just a desire to assist families in their exploration of the arts!

If you’re interested, please email Family Day.

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December Friends Book Club: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

• Friday, December 19, and Saturday, December 20, 2025, 10 a.m.
• Museum Tour, 11 a.m.
• Friends Office
• Free; registration required

Join us in December as we read Wolf Hall (2009), the first book in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy series.

Goodreads describes the novel: “England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of 20 years and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?”

We will discuss the novel over coffee at 10 a.m. and head to the galleries at 11 a.m. for a guided tour of the artworks selected to complement the book’s themes.

Attendance is limited to 10 participants. If you’ve been curious about our book club, join us. All are welcome! You’ll find the Friends office on the first floor of Mia, located in the hallway between the museum gift shop and Agra Culture Cafe. Reserve your spot by emailing the Friends Office or calling 612-870-3045.

Looking ahead to January, we’ll read The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann, with discussions scheduled for January 16 and 17.

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Friends Member Outings: Join Us for Winter 2026 Treasure Hunting

It may be cold outside but inside the Treasure Hunt continues with winter outings to the Minnesota State Capitol, The M (Minnesota Museum of American Art), the Weisman Art Museum, and more! Each outing promises to offer a unique experience and an opportunity to connect with fellow members. We look forward to discovering the cultural treasures of the Twin Cities with you!

See the full schedule of outings. RSVP for all Friends Member Outings directly to Lezlie Pinske.

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Meet New Friends: Coffee & Scones

• Thursday, December 11, 2025, 9:30 a.m.
• Friends Office

Curious about the Friends of the Institute? Join us on Thursday, December 11, at 9:30 a.m. in the Friends Office for coffee, scones, and conversation. Learn about our 2026 events, explore volunteer opportunities, and connect with fellow Friends. Please RSVP.

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On the Road with Friends: Milwaukee

By Maryam Marne Zafar and Lyn Osgood

We came. We saw. We thoroughly enjoyed! The first Art & Architecture Friends trip created by Lisa Mayotte, Lyn Osgood, and Marne Zafar had Friends, both new and familiar, coming together to explore Milwaukee.

Discover Milwaukee. That’s what the Friends were determined to do. We found that this
is truly a city worth visiting. The arts are vibrant. The architecture is noteworthy. A walkable city, Milwaukee allows its visitors to tour neighborhoods where the past is clearly present with museums that enlighten with their impressive contemporary collections. So where did we start?

One would think we would fly to Milwaukee. But no, we made the decision to be carbon friendly and travel by train! This translates to being comfortable and relaxed with a lunch to enjoy and great conversation, all while watching the scenery as we sped through the countryside of Minnesota and Wisconsin via the Amtrak Borealis.

And where did we make our “home away from home”? The Pfister Hotel.

The Pfister

One of the U.S.’s top 10 historic hotels and more than 130 years old, The Pfister was ideal for those of us who want to surround ourselves with art. Its Romanesque Revival style, which blends Victorian-inspired and Art Nouveau elements, translates into luxurious, ornate details. It also houses the largest Victorian art collection anywhere.

What keeps this hotel thoroughly in the here-and-now? It celebrates contemporary art through its artist-in-residence yearly program for a local artist to connect with a guest community and with its hallways filled with art from throughout the country.

After a refreshing evening where all FRIENDS enjoyed a welcome dinner, the next morning saw us walking (yes, only a 7-minute walk) to our first stop.

Milwaukee Art Museum

As one of the Midwest’s premier art museums, MAM (as the Milwaukee Art Museum is affectionately called) does not disappoint! This museum is an architectural landmark, designed by three legendary architects: Eero Saarinen, David Kahler, and Santiago Calatrava. In 2001, the visionary Calatrava designed the cathedral-like Quadracci Pavilion, with vaulted 90-foot ceilings; the pedestrian suspension Reiman Bridge connecting the museum to the city; and the incredibly impressive Burke Brise Soleil—its “wings” that unfold and fold twice a day. Breathtaking!

As eye-opening as the wings were, the Friends were there to see “The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee.” Donated 50 years ago by Mrs. Harry Lynde “Peg” Bradley, her extraordinary collection comprises more than 400 20th-century masterpieces that have shaped the museum’s overall collection.

This exhibition showcased nearly 100 works by many of that century’s greats, including U.S. artists Georgia O’Keeffe, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, and Richard Diebenkorn and European artists such as Maurice de Vlaminck, Barbara Hepworth, Gabriele Munter, and Wassily Kandisky. Whew! We were spellbound by the art and also by the lecture tour given by Margaret Andera, senior curator of contemporary art. Our visit was made even more memorable by the attention to detail by Amy Kirschke, MAM’s Barbara Brown Lee Chief Learning & Engagement Officer.

After a short lunch at MAM, our bus picked us up and took us to our next stop: The Burnham Block Homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Burnham Block

As one who studied architecture at Cornell University, Frank Lloyd Wright is legendary for many reasons. What we and many others were not aware of was this beautiful street lined with homes he designed for the working-class and low-income families. These American System-Built homes were to be efficient, economical, and life-enhancing works of art. Wright asserted that his homes would save material waste and be erected for a fraction of the cost, since they used precut lumber and materials assembled at a factory.

He produced more than 900 working drawings. Truly small masterpieces, each home is about 800 square feet and seamlessly connects to nature. Back when they were built, this part of Milwaukee was the “seedier” edge of town, yet close to the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company’s interurban and city streetcar lines. Unfortunately, World War I halted the sale of these homes, preventing his vision of filling Milwaukee with low-cost, affordable housing from moving forward.

Bustling back onto our bus, we traveled to our next stop, which was a complete 180 in terms of art and architecture.

St. Joan of Arc Chapel

The St. Joan of Arc Chapel is the heart and spirit of Marquette University, symbolized in the life of St. Joan of Arc. This is an authentic, 15th-century medieval chapel and the only one on the American continent. The chapel is a place of community. A site of emotional candlelit vigils. A spot to gather for political protest.

This chapel draws people from all backgrounds, faiths, and cultures. It’s an active, spiritual center, a place of discovery of Christian faith, of longing and suffering. It tells the story of real people through the centuries, as represented by the graffiti carved by pilgrims and seen on the original chapel stone.

The chapel is open 24/7 for those who hear the call or want to connect in silent prayer. With its daily masses, it tests the capacity of its small structure. It shares its small footprint with the deeply affecting Grotto of The Blessed Virgin, designed to offer a sheltered place for the statue of the Virgin Mary and for contemplation.

Our day was capped by dinner at La Merenda, a small, local restaurant that featured tapas spanning the globe—from Indonesia to Spain to Columbia and more. By breaking bread and having lively conversation, by gathering and sharing our thoughts, the meal made our about-the-arts trip one that was all about friends.

We did a bit of sightseeing in Milwaukee on our final Friday morning. Some traveled via the Hop (the local, free trolley) to the historic Third Ward district, which is filled with warehouses now repurposed for small businesses, arts organizations and residents. This unique neighborhood was once the industrial hub and first stop for immigrants in the city. Others visited the seed collection at Saint Kate Arts Hotel, which features art of all materials from local, regional, national, and international artists. A few went back for another look at “The Bradley Collection” at MAM.

What else can one say? Our visit was filled with laughter and joy. Our visit had us exploring beyond our arts knowledge base. Our visit was all about Friends being friends!