The Faces of Railroading: Railroading and the Making of Madison and Dane County

press release: August 12, 2019 – January 26, 2020, The Art Court at the Dane County Regional Airport, 4000 International Lane

Tandem Press is delighted to announce the latest exhibition at The Art Court at the Dane County Regional Airport. The Center for Railroad Photography & Art, located on the west side of Madison, Wisconsin, organized the exhibition “Faces of Railroading: Railroading and the Making of Madison and Dane County.” The exhibit looks at the historic role railroad workers have played in Dane County through compelling images of the past and present. In addition, the exhibit explores the changing geography of Madison in relation to the railroads. This show seeks to bring greater awareness of, and appreciation to, the railroad retirees and laborers who have significantly contributed to Madison’s development. The exhibition offers an opportunity for a broad audience including railroaders past and present, arts supporters, rail fans, and those interested in Madison’s history to celebrate and open a conversation about the important contributions provided by railroaders to the industrial growth of Wisconsin’s capital and its surrounding cities.

By employing photographs from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, the exhibition explores traditional and not-so-traditional ways in which railroad laborers have built and sustained Wisconsin’s capital city. The exhibit consists of photographs with accompanying labels as well as an introductory panel that provides a brief overview of the show and information about the Center. The purpose of the exhibit is to connect with audiences and travelers alike by informing the public of an often-overlooked facet of our community’s heritage. Madison has a unique history and stands as a pinnacle example of a city urbanized through iron, steam, and hard work.

Additional photographs have been provided by Apex Property Management, which is located at the Roundhouse on Commercial Avenue and where Tandem Press is located. Tandem Press coordinates the exhibitions for the Art Court at the Dane County Regional Airport. 

ABOUT THE ART COURT AT THE DANE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT

The Dane County Regional Exhibition Space in the Art Court of the Dane County Regional Airport was established in 2006. The Art Court features rotating exhibitions that highlight local culture and artistic collections in the Dane County Community.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY & ART

Railroads and photography grew up together, and the visual arts are particularly well suited to portraying and interpreting the enormous impact of the railroad on history, society, and culture. Since its founding in 1997, the Center for Railroad Photography & Art has been passionately committed to telling railroading’s stories through imagery: interpreting the past creatively, connecting it to the present while looking to the future.

The Center, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts and education organization, achieves its mission through exhibitions, conferences, and publications that spring from its core commitment to collect, preserve, and then make widely available imagery that portrays the nearly 200-year history of railroads. While based in Madison, Wisconsin, the Center does not maintain a museum space or large facilities, but instead collaborates on its many projects with individuals and institutions ranging from museums and universities to libraries and historical societies.

ABOUT TANDEM PRESS

Founded in 1987, Tandem Press is a professional printmaking studio and gallery that hosts internationally renowned artists in its studio space, assisting them in the creation of limited edition, fine art prints. Tandem Press is a self-funded entity affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Art Department in the School of Education. Through this relationship, Tandem Press offers an extraordinary educational experience to students as they work alongside the Tandem Press master printers and curators to produce and promote fine art prints created by leading contemporary artists.

Over the past thirty-two years Tandem has produced original fine art editions by over eighty internationally recognized artists. The University of Wisconsin has a rich tradition in printmaking and Tandem Press was created to ensure the University’s continued leading role in the study and teaching of printmaking. The Tandem Press studio stands at the forefront of experimentation and new developments in the field of printmaking. Since its inception Tandem Press has upheld its reputation for pushing the boundaries of printmaking, exploring new materials and techniques, and producing highly ambitious print-based contemporary art projects.