UW artist-in-residence creates mural for West High

A partnership between Tandem Press, the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s fine arts press, and West High School is making possible a new mural in the school by an internationally acclaimed artist.

The creator is GRONK, a Los Angeles artist currently in residence at Tandem. He will work with West students March 3-7 to develop the mural, which will become a permanent set design for the school’s new theater.

Paula Panczenko, Tandem director, says the hope is to expand university-school district collaboration. “As Tandem Press is located in UW–Madison’s School of Education (Department of Art), this is a very exciting pilot,” she says.

GRONK has created works in conjunction with the Kronos Quartet and the Los Angeles Opera. Last fall his work was represented in an exhibition at the National Museum of American Art, and he has had solo shows in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Paris. His designs will be seen in Disney’s upcoming re-release of Fantasia.