UW Alumni Park Grand Opening

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alumnipark.com

UW Alumni Park.

WHAT TO DO: Yes, there's a Bucky sculpture

Friday, Oct. 6, UW Library Mall, 5:30 pm; and Alumni Park, 6-9 pm

The new park between the Memorial Union and Red Gym hosts a grand opening celebration with music, speakers and samples of small bites from the Union's recently renovated dining spots (and a new Babcock Ice Cream flavor). And, of course, there is the unveiling of the park's many exhibits highlighting alumni stories and Badgers traditions. Activities continue through the weekend; for the full schedule, visit alumnipark.com.

press release:

The Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Alumni Park, the new UW-Madison campus landmark on Lake Mendota, opens the evening of Friday, Oct. 6. The park features green space and gardens, artful exhibits, and inspiring stories of alumni who’ve used their education to change the world.  

Alumni, campus and community are invited to attend the grand opening celebration on Oct. 6 and the additional programs set for Oct. 7-8.  Opening weekend events are free and open to the public with no advance ticket required. Full information is at AlumniPark.com.  

Program locations are Alumni Park, 724 Langdon Street (between Memorial Union and the Red Gym), and the One Alumni Place visitor center, 650 N. Lake St. (enter through Alumni Park). Tours and outdoor activities may be rescheduled or relocated due to weather; check facebook.com/alumnipark for updates.

Alumni Park Opening Celebration: Friday, Oct. 6, 5:30 – 9 p.m., Alumni Park.  Free and open to the public.

5:30 p.m.     Pre-opening mini-fest-Fest in Library Mall on Langdon St. (directly across from Alumni Park). Enjoy music from UW Klezmer All Stars, a visit with Bucky Badger, and sample small bites of dining specials from Memorial Union and a new Babcock Ice Cream flavor created especially for Alumni Park.

6 p.m.    Opening program with Wisconsin Alumni Association Emerita President Paula Bonner, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, and musical performances by alum Demondrae Thurman ‘98 and the UW Marching Band.  

6:30-9 p.m.    Explore exhibits that tell the stories of alumni and UW-Madison traditions. Stay after sunset to see the “park after dark” exhibits lighting designed to offer a special nighttime experience. Meet featured alumni and makers of park exhibits, with art-making activities and artisan demonstrations as part of the Fall Gallery Night (presented by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art).  Drop in One Alumni Place, the new welcome center for alumni and visitors, for park information. Stop by Memorial Union next door to enjoy a snack, dinner, beverage, or the UW’s own Babcock Ice Cream at the Daily Scoop.

7:15 p.m.    Unveiling of Well Red, a sculpture of Bucky Badger, with remarks by the sculptor, Douwe Blumberg.

Saturday, Oct. 7

10 a.m. – Noon: Make & Take Badger Pride Wall Art Activity (Alumni Park Welcome Plaza). Drop-in art-making activities for Badgers of all ages. Make your own Badger Pride Wall using custom stamps with whimsical renditions of UW-Madison icons and traditions. Local artist Nate Koehler, who designed the imagery for Alumni Park’s 80-foot Badger Pride Wall, will be on hand to answers questions and lead visitors in this activity. (While supplies last.)

11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.:  Meet the Artist:  Creating Bucky with Douwe Blumberg

(One Alumni Place)  “When I do a piece, my goal is to capture something special in it. . . . I want a spark of life.” Meet renowned sculptor Douwe Blumberg, who will take visitors “behind the scenes” of the eighteen-month journey to create Well Red, the bronze and glass original sculpture of Bucky Badger unveiled at the opening of Alumni Park. Blumberg’s sculptures grace public and private collections both national and international. Recent major works include America's Response Monument overlooking Ground Zero in New York City and the two-acre Nevada State Veterans’ Memorial - Las Vegas. This informal and lively talk and Q &A with Blumberg will also feature Blumberg’s collaborator, glass artist Dan Neil Barnes. Finish with a visit to the Bucky statue just steps away in Alumni Park. Free, with seating on a first-come basis.

Noon - 12:45 p.m.: Drop-In Guided Tour of Alumni Park and Exhibits (Alumni Park Welcome Plaza) Tour this new UW-Madison campus green space, and learn about alumni achievements and spirited Badger traditions.  

1 p.m. -2 p.m.  Alumni Park Landscape Tour (Meet at One Alumni Place)

Guided tour of the park focused on its landscape design, trees, plants, and green features, hosted by park landscape architects Bill Patek, Nate Novak and Eric Schuchardt of SmithGroupJJR, and Gary Brown, Director of Campus Planning and Landscape Architecture at UW-Madison. Learn about the landscape design process, building a park on a green roof, the park’s more than 7,000 plants and 75 trees, and how Alumni Park fits into the overall plan for the UW-Madison campus. The tour starts with a brief presentation in One Alumni Place.  Free and drop-in, with participation on a first-come basis.

One Alumni Place – Alumni & Park Visitor Center Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Stop in for park maps and information, and pick up supplies to make your own rubbing of exhibits.  

Sunday, Oct. 8

Noon - 12:45 p.m.: Drop-In Guided Tour of Alumni Park and Exhibits (Alumni Park Welcome Plaza)

One Alumni Place – Alumni & Park Visitor Center Open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Stop in for park maps and information, and pick up supplies to make your own rubbing of exhibits.

More Fall Events

Visit AlumniPark.com for details on additional October and November programs including panels with alumni featured in park exhibits, open houses, guided park tours, and more.

Visiting Alumni Park

Alumni Park and its exhibits are free and open to alumni, students, campus and the community during park hours 365 days a year starting Oct. 7. The park is located at 724 Langdon St. in Madison, on Lake Mendota between Memorial Union and the Red Gym. Fall and winter hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

Park visitors are invited to stop in One Alumni Place, the visitor center adjacent to the park, for park maps and guides to the exhibits and featured alumni. Fall hours for One Alumni Place starting Oct. 7 are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  

Update and details available online at AlumniPark.com.