Ask Bucky

Do you have questions? Ask Bucky has answers! Ask Bucky is a service provided by the Campus Information and Visitor Center — your one-stop shop for information about the UW–Madison campus and surrounding community, and your centralized source for off-campus housing listings. E-mail Bucky at askbucky@redgym.wisc.edu.

Below are two questions Ask Bucky recently answered.

Q: Can you please tell me how one reserves a picnic spot at Picnic Point?

A: According to the Friends of the Campus Natural Areas Web site, the distinctive Picnic Point peninsula extends east-northeast into Lake Mendota. Widely used by hikers, picnickers and birders, it contains woods, marshland and open fields. To give you a brief history, the 128.9 acres of land was acquired in two parcels, one on March 27, 1939, and the other on July 3, 1941, from Ed Young, whose home on the high ground was completely destroyed by fire in the 1930s. Young built the stone wall and gate at the entrance, as well as much of the road system, which still is used today.

Picnic Point is open to the general public, and reservations are required only if you wish to use the fire pit. For more information regarding Picnic Point or to make a reservation, contact the Physical Plant main office at 263-3333. You also can read a brief history of Picnic Point online .

Q: I would like the name and contact information of the artist who does the paintings/prints of the Student Union terrace. The distinctive chairs are prominent in the pictures.

A: There are two prints for sale by two different artists on the Wisconsin Union Web site that might interest you. One is a commemorative anniversary print by Wisconsin native Santos Zingale, painter of eight known images of the terrace. The image, taken from the original painting from the Wisconsin Union Collection, has a light tan border and includes the caption “Memorial Union … The heart and soul of UW–Madison since 1928.”

The other image is a signed reproduction of an original watercolor done by Steven Kozar, a Madison landscape artist. These prints can be viewed and purchased at the Union’s Terrace Store.

You can find out more information about the artists and the prints themselves by calling the Memorial Union directly at 265-3000.