June/July 2012 - Coulee Region Women Magazine

Wherefore Winona
From the Masters to motion pictures, Winona offers a jewel of an art scene.
BY LinDSAY BOnnAr
contributed photos
You know Winona for its historic downtown, river views and
dramatic bluffs, but scratch its surface, and you’ll discover its many
art gems, found in festivals, museums and more. You don’t have
to be an art aficionado to enjoy what Winona has to offer—the
opportunities featured here have something for all ages and interests.
Brush up your shakespeare
Running July 20 through August 5, the Great River Shakespeare
Festival (GRSF) draws theatergoers to the Winona State University
(WSU) campus. The event features two Shakespeare plays—this year,
the tragedy King Lear and the comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona—
and a non-Shakespeare production. This season’s The Complete Works
of William Shakespeare (abridged) is a parody about three actors who
challenge themselves to perform all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays.
“It should bring lots of laughs,” says Irene ErkenBrack, director of
sales and marketing. “All performances will be great this year, but this
will be a surprise.
“People worry that they won’t be able to understand [the plays]
or that Shakespeare isn’t for them, so we set things up to break down
the barriers,” ErkenBrack adds. Symposiums are held before the
performances to talk about the plays, allowing ticket holders to become
familiar with what they will view. On Thursday nights, the audience
can interact with the actors after the show. And anyone curious about
behind-the-scenes action can see narrated set changes from play to play.
Patrons can also enjoy live music outdoors before productions on
Friday and Saturday nights at free Concerts on the Green. The WSU
| ArTS & enTerTAinMenT |
campus is also home to every tree native to the state of Minnesota,
and the festival’s Tour of the Trees showcases them.
A small staff works year-round to coordinate the festival. “We
make sure that all of the details are attended to, so that when
patrons are here, we have time to talk and interface with them,”
says ErkenBrack. The company grows to more than 100 people
in mid-May, once all the designers and actors arrive. GRSF also
involves more than 400 volunteers.
“I was amazed at how many volunteers give their time to the
organization,” says ErkenBrack. “I love the enthusiasm, it’s very
inspiring!” More information can be found at www.grsf.org.
A minnesota masterpiece
Inspiration may also be found just a short drive northwest of
the WSU campus. In 2006, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum
(MMAM) began a mission to “engage visitors in meaningful visual
art experiences through education and exhibitions that explore the
ongoing and historic human relationship with water.” MMAM
focuses collections and exhibits around a maritime theme, which
includes works involving ships, exploration, nature inspiration and
naval warfare.
“[The theme] is part of what we are, but it’s more than that. We
are what our mission says,” said Andrw Maus, head administrator.
MMAM expresses its mission through ever-changing exhibits
and permanent and long-term-loan collections of art. The
permanent collection includes a wide variety of maritime items,
www.crwmagazine.com JUNE/JULY 2012 23