Welcome everybody to Midday Magazine for this Thursday, November 7th, 2024.
Have your host James J. Mailoff here at 10th, 430.
We're going to welcome in a friend Kayla Rumbalski, Community Development Educator,
with UW-Madison Extension Wood County.
Right now, in with us our good friend Stephanie Hartman,
Executive Director of the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center.
Steph, thanks for being here. Appreciate the time.
Thank you for having me.
We have a lot to get into, a lot to discuss today.
I want to start off, certainly getting everybody set up for their holidays.
We have got your one stop place to go for all of your holiday needs.
That's right. So starting at 10 o'clock this morning,
our holiday gifts and art fair opened.
We have over 50 artists, hundreds of items, all handmade.
Everything you can think of from very Christmas themed items to just your everyday items
that you can use. Jewelry, you name it. We've got it.
There's such a wide variety of things over there.
And Stephanie, where do these items come from?
So we, like I mentioned, over 50 artists.
I think I would say 90%.
Our Wisconsin rapids, Steven's point, Nekusa Port Edwards.
We have our one artist is from Wapan.
She's new for us and she does wood carvings that are absolutely beautiful.
So you should stop in and check those out.
We have a couple artists from Wasa as well.
But it is primarily central Wisconsin.
So it's really amazing when you think that about 50 people in central Wisconsin are so
talented that they're showing their work at the cultural center and people will buy it
for other folks or treating themselves.
You know, I know that I've joked about my mom for many years.
She will only take unique items, locally bought items, those kind of things.
That happened after about 20 years of just buying your Coca-Cola products.
She just loved Coca-Cola.
So me, my sister, my brother, every birthday, every Christmas, we're buying her this and
eventually it was kind of like, okay, it's enough.
I got enough hair at everything.
Don't wait to get to that point with your parents, with your loved ones.
If you're looking for something different, something unique, something that you can't find
at any department store or Amazon or something like that, you're going to find that.
Nobody out there doesn't love a unique gift or a gift that you just can't find anywhere else.
The prices are very affordable and that nowadays goes a long way as well.
But with all of that being said, you are also doing something else with this.
You are investing in your community.
You are investing in the arts.
I mentioned this a lot and I will not stop until it changes.
Wisconsin finished dead last in the union in funding the arts.
It is on locals to be able to do these things.
We are the ones supporting our art culture in this state.
And when you buy things at the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center,
you're getting these unique items.
You are getting something very cool for your loved one.
But you are also at the same time investing in your community, investing in our creatives,
investing in our hobbyists, so many of our vendors and different people out there.
A gray area in our society that oftentimes doesn't get looked at nearly enough.
But in this community, we highlight these people.
Whether it's our farmers markets or our Central Wisconsin Cultural Center,
we highlight these people.
Yeah, absolutely.
And like I mentioned, it's just amazing to me that we have so many talented people in this area
that we can fill an entire gallery plus a gift shop full of things made by local people.
And a really nice opportunity is happening this evening from 5.30 to 7.30.
It's shop and mingle with the artists.
So as many artists that have worked in their schedule, they'll be there tonight.
So you get to meet the person that made these items.
So it will be a really great evening.
Again, it's 5.30 to 7.30.
But we are open for shopping after 10 o'clock today.
And keep in mind, this is free.
It's open to the public as far as the meet and great goes.
It might be a really fun way also.
I'm not at all speaking for these artists.
Just speaking for as a creative, I'm a surviving artist.
I'll take care of wherever we can get it.
Maybe if you have ideas pitching them or telling these artists about them,
maybe you come up with something who knows.
Yeah, absolutely.
And a lot of the artists have mentioned,
you know, I can do custom work as well.
So if it's not something that, you know, we have on the floor, as I say,
there are many artists willing to make an item custom.
And we can connect you with that artist and follow through with that.
Stephanie, how long do people have to head on over to the cultural center to check this out?
Sure. So this show goes November 7th through December 21st.
We have special shopping hours now every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
We will have really special shopping hours on small business Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
And then we are open our regular hours Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We would also allow folks to shop by appointment.
So if at some point you think, gosh, I just can't get in there, give us a call.
We have a lot of volunteers and Heather and I is staff members and we are willing to work with people.
Keep in mind the holiday gifts and art fair happening at the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center.
Going on till December 21st, it kicks off today at 10 o'clock.
Be sure to check it out and head on over and check out the shop and mingle with the artist
opening night tonight. That is going from 5 30 to 7 30 free admission open to the public.
Head on over to the cultural center. We're giving more information before we wrap up.
Where do you want to go next, Stephanie?
Well, next Saturday we have a special event called Storytime in Photos with Santa.
So doors open at 10 for this event. Shopping still opens at 9.
So don't don't fret. You can come shop at 9.
The doors open at 10 for the Santa event.
The story will begin at 10 30 after that.
We'll have crafts and activities until 1 o'clock.
And we just asked for a $5 donation per child just to cover our costs
of the activities and the crafts.
Yeah, and what a fun gearing up for the, you know, the real gamut and marathon of holidays here.
I have to say I'm a little jealous.
Pam and I have been trying to get Santa on Midday Magazine for years.
And we can never land that guy. I mean, he's busy.
He's got a very busy schedule.
Nice job by you guys being able to bring in Santa.
Well done. I have a little jealous, Stephanie.
We're very, very excited to have him.
And we've had this Santa the last several years.
And it's just fun to watch the kids interact.
I think now that Halloween's over, people are shifting to Christmas.
So next weekend, come and see Santa.
Have the kids get their, their list made.
You know, and that's the, I love all of this.
I think these are always great.
And pictures with Santa are always fun.
The cookies are great.
The making the letter, you know, and he's right there.
So you know he's going to get it.
That's that's got to just, I'm so excited for these kids.
And for the opportunity for them to have with that, that's, that's very fun.
That's going to be a fun event.
And again, that is coming up next Saturday, November 16th.
Doors will open at 10.
Yes.
Okay.
And in the story of kickoff, probably around 1030 is when everybody gets settled down
and everything.
Because, you know, settling kids down, that'll take no time.
Yeah, right.
Right.
But it's sometime around 1030.
You want to get there by then probably at the very latest.
Exactly.
And that $5 donation is something that I, I got to imagine a lot of people are, are happy to give.
You know, not only to be able to host this like you guys do,
and the cost that it takes to be able to do that.
But again, you're, you're, that's, that's $5 is an investment.
You're, you're putting back into your community.
You're putting back into the cultural center and the work that they're doing over there.
Right.
And we appreciate that.
People are always very good about, you know, doing the donation.
And then we have, you know, drinks and cookies for the kids and stuff like that.
So we're just trying to cover a little bit of our costs.
If there is someone that just can't do that $5, just let us know.
And one thing that happened.
That's very cool.
And keep that in mind when it comes time to, to keep our cultural center, you know,
going and everything, everybody, the way that they look out for our community and do things,
just like Stephanie just said there.
I didn't want to touch on to the craft making.
That should be a lot of fun for the kids.
That's something that you don't see all the time with some of these events.
Yes, we have a project this year called the snowman project.
So they'll be putting together a little snowman.
We have ornament crafts that they can do coloring pages.
So hopefully there's something for everyone.
You know, if you don't like to color, maybe you want to do something more intricate
than you would do the snowman projects.
So it'll be fun for them to have the opportunity and they can do all three, too.
Yeah.
So my mom's old sister, my aunt Sherry, is a crafter.
And it actually, she was a real estate agent by trade.
But she loved the craft and loved creating things.
She was so good at it.
I've got a number of items of hers that I still have that she made when I was a kid
that are still in great condition and everything.
And I realized when I was a kid that I was not an artist.
I'm a creative, but I'm not an artist.
I tried to do the turkey where you kind of, you paced your hand and somehow I messed that up.
I don't know how, but my aunt Sherry did that when she was a kid.
And it told her, oh, I like this.
And she spent the rest of her life creating and crafting and everything.
When it comes to having these little kids craft things,
they're fun for the kids and give them something to do.
But you don't know what you might spark in that kid.
Right.
You know, and maybe a future crafter, maybe a future vendor.
And doing something like that with their life.
Yes.
And unfortunately, there's not as many opportunities in the schools as there used to be.
So we do like to have events where kids have the opportunity to be creative,
think outside the box, and it's fun to watch them.
They kind of light up and if Santa didn't make them happy, at least the crafts will.
Right, right.
And the cookies help you.
You know, that does help.
Storytime and photos with Santa coming up next Saturday.
November 16th, doors a little bit at 10.
Storytime at 10.30.
Come on by and check it out.
Photos and activities till 1 o'clock.
Yes.
And again, the $5 suggested donation we greatly appreciate.
And then in part because of things where we keep our small businesses around,
we want to keep our small businesses healthy in this area.
We buy local, we support local.
That is a mantra that every Wisconsin rapids resident has in their head.
We all try to do that.
And one of the ways we're able to do that, a fun way we're able to do it,
is small business Saturday, Stephanie.
That's right.
So this is in cooperation with the heart of Wisconsin.
They will be providing passports to shoppers.
And you can get stamps at each of the local places.
So we will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on that Saturday.
It does go later than the weekend.
So even that following Tuesday, you can come get your stamp.
And then heart of Wisconsin will have raffle prizes as well.
So a good opportunity to check out all the local places.
And besides your purchases, you might win something.
Yeah, that's pretty cool.
That this special gift idea is kind of cool there as well.
This is one of those things that you can bring the whole family,
bring the kids.
That's going to be fun.
They're going to have a craft table set up for them.
It sounds like.
Yes.
And I should mention that this year probably more than ever
than I can remember.
We do have some items for kids in the holiday show.
We always have activities for them to do.
But we've had a couple folks focus a little more on kids.
Cool.
And that's really fun.
So it'll be some fun gifts.
That passport is a blast for everybody every year.
They love doing this and filling that out.
And every year I hear from people, oh, I haven't been there
in a long time.
Or I didn't know this was even here.
So it's always a great and successful thing
that the chamber does.
That part of it's going to be a lot of fun.
I encourage, I mentioned bringing the kids along
because this is something that's becoming more and more
clear to me.
And I think a lot of people out there
that these are great for us to do as adults.
But when our kids see us doing these things,
they are that much more inclined to want to do them
when they become adults and put back into their communities
or by local or some of these things.
So it's not only a great chance for you
and the kids to do something together.
Families are always looking for more of those opportunities.
But while you're doing those activities,
especially something like Small Business Saturday,
we are going to multiple businesses.
And you're going to nonprofits as well as businesses
in the area.
You're showing these kids.
This is what it is to be a local resident.
This is what it is to put in your community.
And how much fun that can be.
How exciting that can be.
And the cool things that you get from it,
it's a fun event.
Absolutely.
And I think it also helps kids understand like,
oh, well, I could do that someday.
I could make that or I could try something like that.
We have a couple folks in high school
who have put things into the show.
And I was just so pleased by that
that they were confident enough to bring their items in.
So it does help them envision like what could be.
Yeah.
And that's what we need for kids to know
is that there's a future in a lot of different areas.
And the arts is one of them.
There's so many kids that look at something and say,
oh, I want to do this with that.
I want to make this or I want to turn it in.
Then there are the kids that want to create those things
and make those things.
And there's such an opportunity here
for them to be able to pick up on this stuff,
as again, as well as putting into your community
and supporting that.
Small Business Saturday kicks off Saturday,
November 30th, nine to four,
swing in and shop and support the center
and support your community by local support, local everybody.
You're shopping hours that day, Stephanie?
That day is nine a year to four.
OK.
So a full day.
A full day for you guys.
And that your schedule is going to be pretty consistent
going forward with that, as you mentioned earlier
in the show and everything.
So Saturdays, nine a.m. to one p.m.
And then our regular business hours,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10 a.m. to five p.m.
Speaking with Stephanie Hartman, Executive Director
of the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center.
And Steph got some upcoming exhibits coming up.
I got some other things going on.
Where do you want to go next?
Let's go to classes.
We have some really fun classes coming up.
One of them does start Monday.
So if you're interested, stop in or give us a call.
But it's a reversible quilted tote bag class.
Your main pigeon is teaching that.
It's really a great opportunity to learn sewing.
We actually are providing some sewing machines.
Or you can bring your own if you already have a sewing machine.
It will include instruction, patterns, precut,
iron on stabilizers, webbing for the handles, snaps,
cutting mats, rotary cutters, rulers, pins,
and many two and a half inch fabric strips to choose from.
And if you go on our website, we do have a couple examples
on there so that you can see what we're talking about.
But it's the coolest bag.
I really want to make one of these.
You're not alone.
They look pretty cool.
So it's a two-part class.
The first part of the class is Monday, November 11, 530 to 830.
Part two will be November 14th from 530 to 830.
So it's two parts.
If you have questions, give us a call.
And we really provide pretty much everything.
Each student would need to bring one yard of fabric
for the contrast lining.
But that's the only thing that you have to bring as a student.
Steph, as far as the skill level for somebody,
like I was mentioning earlier, I'm no good at this kind of stuff,
could I take this class?
Could I be a part of something?
You could, your main claims that even a beginner
can go ahead and do this class.
So it's a good place for people to start.
If they have some interest in that.
So there is a limit.
There is a limited class size, though.
So you want to get on this early when you register right away.
That's right.
We only have a couple spots left, actually.
Just based on our number of sewing machines
in the classroom size.
So if you are interested, maybe give us a call today
and we can get you on that list.
Are you a fan of gingerbread, Stephanie?
I like gingerbread.
I didn't like it as much when I was a kid.
I kind of like it now.
I can't eat a lot of it.
I can't eat a lot of it.
I do like it from time to time.
I would agree.
I would agree.
So we do have a gingerbread ornament class coming up.
You can find that on our website.
Another opportunity that's coming up that is truly
a once in a lifetime experience that you can have
is we have master painter Jacob Dine coming.
Jacob resides in Spain right now,
focuses on painting a variety of subject matters.
And he teaches workshops internationally.
He actually is from Wisconsin Rapids,
went to Lincoln High School.
And he is currently exhibiting at the European Museum
of Modern Art in Barcelona, Spain.
And he's been exhibited all over the world.
He United States, England, France, and Munich.
And he was featured in solo exhibitions in Paris, France,
San Francisco, California, Denver, Colorado.
And he's participated in over 50 group exhibits.
So he's very amazing.
He will have a live model there
that he will then do a painting demonstration.
Yeah, Jacob's pretty accomplished.
Yeah, just a bit.
Just a bit.
Just a bit.
I actually have wanted to get him on director's cut.
Oh yeah.
I have a conversation with him.
He's just an interesting guy in his work.
I growing up really love art and just in taking it in.
And I know pretend to be an art expert by any means
or anything, but I know a bit about it.
And his style is unique.
It's very unique to what he does.
And it's the kind of art to me
that if you get a chance to see it in person,
like it's one thing to see it online.
And it looks beautiful and encourage you to do that.
But to see it in person, that might be different.
I agree.
And to watch it come together,
that's kind of what I'm excited to watch is like,
how does he even, how do you get started even?
I'm not a painter.
100%.
I'm looking at that blank slate.
I'm like, I don't even know where to begin.
Right.
And then to watch it come all the way to fruition
where it's a finished portrait.
I just, I think it's going to be awesome.
Yeah, it's going to be fun.
So that is Thursday, November 21st from 6 to 9.
It's just $10 a person.
You can register online or just call us
at the Cultural Center and we'll put you on the list.
And you can reach us at 715-421-4590.
It's going to be a really, really fun event
to encourage you to check that one out, everybody.
Absolutely, absolutely.
And then we do have a ceramic mixed media
ornament class also coming up.
That's with Mary Mertus in our pottery studio.
You would meet on Thursday, November 21st,
Thursday, December 5th.
And then you would drop in at an additional time
to finish your ornament.
Can you figure that out with the instructor?
Exactly, exactly.
So it's only $35 a person and you
will actually pick five ornaments that you want to do.
You can do all five the exact same
or you can choose from the five different styles.
And we do have those pictured on our website.
So again, that's November 21st and then December 5th.
And then a time that you work out with the instructor
just to finish with the wire.
All supplies are provided.
That too has a class minimum and maximum, so register early.
And we'd love to have you take part in that.
And keep in mind, most of the classes
over at the Cultural Center skill level all are welcome.
Whether you've been doing this since you were a kid
or you've never done it before, you are exactly what they want.
They want people to want to do this, want to enjoy it.
And our instructors are very patient.
They'll take you from step one all the way through the finish.
So I know myself not being the artist,
I'm more the business side of things.
I always worry.
And I have taken a few classes.
And they just lead you right through it.
Good on you for doing the classes though.
Good on you.
That's cool.
Very good.
Did you have one more?
I have one more that I want to talk about.
It's a holiday mosaic tray class with Cindy Orzel.
That also is a three part class.
In part one, you lay your glass down.
Part two, you don't lay it down.
You glue it down.
That in part two, you come in and you grout.
And then in part three, you will clean your trays.
So that will be held Monday, December 2nd, Wednesday,
December 4th, Friday, December 6th in the afternoons.
And you can choose the candy cane pattern that we show online.
Or you can choose your own pattern, whatever you would like.
We just ask that you have something in mind
by the time that you come.
Again, all supplies provided, all levels welcome.
But Stephanie, if people want to find out more and reach out
to you, how can they do that?
You can send an email to cwccatculturalcenterarts.org.
You can call us at 715-421-4598.
You can check our website, which is updated daily.
And for many of these classes, you can register online.
So if you just want to quick register, pay, and be all set,
you can do that online.
You can do that at culturalcenterarts.com.
That's culturalcenterarts.com.
Or give them a call, 715-421-4598.
421-4598.
You can also visit them and check out all these great events
at 2651-8th Street South right here in Rapids.
And follow them on social media as well.
Everybody, share their stuff on your pages.
Make sure all the people see it.
Stephanie, thanks so much for the time.
Thank you for having me.
We'll have more Midday Magazine for you lined up right here
at 975 FM 1320 AM.
WFHR, we are locally grown radio.
