Wisconsin Veterans Museum Traveling Exhibit

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• Traveling Exhibits Bring Wisconsin History To Communities Statewide

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  The Wisconsin Veterans’ Museum has a wealth of exhibits, and according to its assistant director, some of them will soon be visiting communities around the state.

  “One of the challenges, being in Madison, is getting people in the door,” Kristine Zickuhr said.

  She and other museum staffers know that there are people around the state who would enjoy and benefit from the museums collections, but aren’t able to make the trip. To address that, the Wisconsin Veterans’ Museum has compiled three different traveling exhibits that, according to Zichkuhr, are geared “to really serve the people beyond Madison, as well as those within Dane County.”

  There are two types of traveling exhibits available. The easiest and most accessible is available at no cost beyond transport fees, Zickuhr said, and is made up of easy-to-set-up photos, posters and banners. She said that this type of exhibit can be displayed anywhere from a museum, to a state municipal building, to a sports arena or a small local library. Visits might be from a day to a month, depending on what makes sense for the hosts and the venue, she said.

  With that type of exhibit, Zickuhr said, the hope is to “break down barriers that come along with museums sometimes.” While the Museum wants the locations to be accessible to the public, beyond that, she said, “we’re completely flexible.”

  One such exhibit is called “Fur, Feathers, and Fidelity: Military Mascots,” which according to the museum’s own description seeks to show how “military mascots help rally troop morale and provide a sense of respite.” Zickuhr said that Wisconsin’s service people have been accompanied by animals like Old Abe, the fabled Civil War Bald Eagle mascot, and “Billy the Candy Eater,” a rabbit that served as a mascot for the 32nd division in World War II. A lion, a monkey and many dogs have also served as mascots for Wisconsin troops over the years.

  The second traveling exhibit suited for a variety of locations focuses on the non-combat jobs that military service people hold. Zickuhr said that one of the goals is to help non-military people identify more with the daily life of enlisted men and women.

  There are also traveling exhibits designed for actual museums that have a more involved application process, and stricter requirements for the location. One of those, titled “Santos Zingale: Artist Turned Sailor,” features a dozen original sketches by Zingale, a Milwaukee native and long-time Madison resident. The sketches that will be on display were those made during that artist’s time on board the USS Bremerton during World War II.

  The second exhibit geared toward museums is “Watercolors of Corporal John Gaddis: Documenting the Civil War.”

  Wisconsin residents who want to see one of the exhibits can visit the list of exhibit events on the museum’s website, which will be updated as more dates and locations are confirmed.

  Zickuhr said that each traveling exhibit is suited to different type of venue and that Museum staff can help the host group determine which is the best fit. There is information online on how to apply to host one of the traveling exhibits.