This summer, visitors to UW-Green Bay watched as huge iridescent bubbles, stacked to the size of a house, inflated outside the Weidner. The traveling installation, titled Evanescent, by Australian studio Atelier Sisu, found a home at Green Bay for just over two weeks. During this time, visitors day and night could experience the shimmer, the awe, and the childlike wonder of looking up at a warped plastic sky while walking between giant bubbles.

Like the bubbles, art at UW-Green Bay can seem fragile, likely to shatter from the forces around it. But, like the bubbles, art at UW-Green Bay is colorful. It is bold. It brings the community in. It is stronger than it seems. As the landscape of higher education and the future of UW-Green Bay evolve, the arts are rising to meet the novel challenges of a changing world.

A NEW CHAPTER FOR BAYSHORE ARTS

When Lauryn Albaugh ‘21 took the helm as Director of the Bayshore Arts Center, she faced a transformed Marinette campus. Albaugh grew up performing in Children’s Theatre productions at the Herbert L. Williams Theatre. She got her Arts Management degree at UW-Green Bay, worked for a while in Madison and Chicago, and then returned to Marinette facing a future unknown amid the closure of other Universities of Wisconsin campuses. As they contemplated next steps, UW-Green Bay and Marinette County held listening sessions. They asked the community what they wanted to see. One answer was consistent: keep the arts alive.

As the Marinette campus moved away from in- person instruction, UW-Green Bay Marinette reduced its footprint to just the Fine Arts Building, which subsequently underwent a rebrand. “That name didn’t really tell the story of all that we’re doing inside the walls,” said Albaugh, adding that the new name, “reflects how we’ve evolved as a venue.” The Bayshore Arts Center houses Theatre on the Bay, Children’s Theatre, the Fine Arts Gallery and the West Shore Chorale.

The evolution of the Center maintains the traditions in the region while transforming its approach to engaging with the community.

Albaugh also launched the Short Play Festival this year, which empowers first-time local directors to lead a production. “We’ve had incredible community buy-in,” Albaugh said. “A lot of it is just giving people what they wanted, a focus on arts and culture.”

Community support has been vital to the success of Bayshore. Grant funding has helped put on performances and bring in traveling artists. Meanwhile, donors to the Take A Seat campaign, with substantial support from Marinette County, have funded much-needed renovations to the theatre building.

The importance of the Bayshore Arts Center spans generations, from the septuagenarians in the West Shore Chorale who remember the theatre’s founder, to the elementary kids getting involved in the arts for the first time. “We have opportunities for everyone,” said Albaugh, “That’s something that makes us really unique in this community. I try to remind people of that every chance I get.”

NURTURING MUSICAL TALENT

Meanwhile, the Sharon J. Resch Institute for Music, led by Debi Popham, is setting the stage for the next generation of musical talent. Established through a generous endowment by Richard and Sharon J. Resch, the institute represents a significant investment in the arts at UW-Green Bay. Popham, a classical singer and former Associate Director of the School of Music at Sam Houston State University, is the first to fill the director role.

“It’s an exciting time to be here,” said Popham. Currently, the Institute is introducing initiatives that combine academic rigor with real-world preparation. This includes the development of an Audio Production degree utilizing the newly opened audio production studio, and a new music and entrepreneurship emphasis, equipping students with both musical skills and the business background necessary for modern music careers. “Only a couple other schools are doing audio production, and I don’t know a lot of other schools in Wisconsin that have this music and entrepreneurship focus,” said Popham, “That’s going to make us unique, in addition to the already strong programs that we have in music.”

Popham praised Sharon J. Resch’s philanthropy in establishing the institute as well as her support throughout the university. “Everything that the Resches have done for UW-Green Bay is such a huge boost for us. Between offering scholarships, which is so important at an access institution like UWGB, and just providing these opportunities for students, it’s huge. They’re changing lives.”

SYMPHONY FOR THE MASSES

At the Weidner, Executive and Artistic Director Kelli Strickland has her sights on broadening access and redefining expectations. “People’s relationship to the arts has changed,” she said, “so we’re building onramps for folks to engage with the arts the way they want to. We’re aiming to be a 21st century performing arts center that’s looking to the future.”

The Weidner Philharmonic’s upcoming concert, The Sky Is Not the Limit, conducted by UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander, reflects this vision. Blending multimedia elements with educational content, the performance seeks to demystify classical music for first-time attendees.

The Weidner isn’t just focused on bringing the community in—they’re looking to expand out into the community.

“Whether it’s our Weidner Downtown series at the Tarlton or taking visiting artists into classrooms or youth organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, we take care to make sure that we’re meeting the community outside our building,” said Strickland. Initiatives such as free or “pay what you can” performances downtown, mobile stage events in parks, and community installations like Evanescent are all part of this effort to remove traditional barriers to the arts.

Much of this work is made possible through donor support. Donors support initiatives like bringing K-12 students in for matinees, maintaining Weidner facilities, and staging memorable community programming. “The Weidner has been remarkably nimble in its ability to produce large scale outdoor festivals like Estamos Aquí or host touring public art installations like Evanescent, these opportunities that surprise our community and go beyond the traditional role of a performing arts center” said Strickland, noting the unique niche the Weidner has developed in the Green Bay community.

The impact is clear. This academic year, they’ve already welcomed over 70,000 visitors, and the season is only halfway through.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

As UW-Green Bay continues to champion its arts programs, the community’s response—from sold-out shows to enthusiastic donor support—speaks volumes. Through innovative efforts, UW-Green Bay has created countless entry points for everyone to experience the arts. You can sip beer while watching ballet, be surprised by the symphony, or catch a touring Broadway show at Cofrin Family Hall. Thanks to the vision of dedicated leaders and the generosity of patrons and donors, UW-Green Bay ensures that art is alive and accessible to all, no matter how you choose to embrace it.