Gallery honors memory of James Watrous

Artist and arts advocate James Watrous, a fixture on campus for nearly 70 years, no doubt would have been delighted with the gallery that bears his name.

The James Watrous Gallery opens Saturday, Sept. 18, in the Overture Center for the Arts, under the auspices of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

Watrous, who died in 1999, would be equally delighted with the gallery’s inaugural show. “A Decade of Art From the Wisconsin Academy Gallery” will feature the work of a number of Watrous’ friends and colleagues. They include Jennifer Angus, Warrington Colescott, Jack Damer, John Wilde and many others.

Watrous painted the Paul Bunyan scenes in the Memorial Union, and created mosaics in the Social Science Building, Memorial Library and outside Vilas Hall. In addition, he was a prime mover in the campaign to create what became the Elvehjem Museum of Art, dedicated in 1970.

For more information contact Randall Berndt at 265-2500.