Convergence
Where Art, Writing, and Conservation Meet
Do you appreciate quality outdoor writing and art?
Are you concerned about our environmental legacy?
Do you ever consider what conservation science and the arts have in common?
Do you want to meet and experience some of the finest outdoor writers, artists, and conservation scientists working today?
Then join us for
Convergence
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum – Wausau Wisconsin
In conjunction with their world famous annual
“Birds in Art” exhibition.
Thursday, October 5th – Sunday, October 8th
“Convergence “is a multi-day event where streams of art, literature, and conservation flow together into a celebration of the outdoor world.
and it's free!
and it's free!
Our featured writer is John Gierach of Lyons, Colorado
John Gierach is a freelance writer living in northern Colorado. He is the author of twenty-one books including Trout Bum, Sex, Death and Flyfishing, Standing in a River Waving a Stick and A Fly Rod of Your Own - some of which have also been published in Norway, Japan and France - as well as numerous magazine articles, essays and columns. He is a regular columnist for The Redstone Review in Lyons, Colorado and was the outdoor correspondent for the Longmont Daily Times-Call newspaper in Longmont, Colorado for twenty-eight years and a columnist for Fly Rod & Reel magazine for 25 years.
Gierach is the recipient of the Arnold Gingrich Angling Heritage Award from the Theodore Gordon Flyfishers of New York, the Federation of Fly Fishers Roderick Haig-Brown Award, and the PEN New England Cerulli Award for Excellence in Sports Writing. He was named Fly Rod & Reel Magazine’s Angler of the Year in 2000 and was inducted into the Fly-Fishing Hall of Fame at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum in 2015. He has received numerous awards for his columns and editorials from the Colorado Press Association.
Gierach is the recipient of the Arnold Gingrich Angling Heritage Award from the Theodore Gordon Flyfishers of New York, the Federation of Fly Fishers Roderick Haig-Brown Award, and the PEN New England Cerulli Award for Excellence in Sports Writing. He was named Fly Rod & Reel Magazine’s Angler of the Year in 2000 and was inducted into the Fly-Fishing Hall of Fame at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum in 2015. He has received numerous awards for his columns and editorials from the Colorado Press Association.
Our featured Artist is Bob White of Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota
Bob White is an artist and author whose work expresses a misspent youth. Instead of doing his homework, his nose was constantly in the outdoor books and sporting magazines of the day. Consequently, he has wandered between Alaska and Patagonia for over three decades as an itinerant fishing guide, looking for gainful employment. He now paints and writes for a living; which is to say, he’s still searching.
Bob has been influenced by such masters as Homer, Sargent and Fournier, and by more recent artists, such as Pleissner, Jacques, and Sloane. He works in watercolors, oils, pencil and ink, grasping the essence of a scene in a brief sketch. His ability to capture a fleeting moment through the eyes of a sportsman has earned him international recognition. His work hangs in the private and corporate collections of sportsmen on six continents.
Bob (has) guided (fishing and wing shooting) in Southwest Alaska and throughout Patagonia for over three decades. He continues to host fly fishing and wing shooting trips to Patagonia, Alaska, Kamchatka and other destinations. The photographs that he takes of his guests in the field frequently appear in national publications and are often used as reference material for field and stream portraits.
Bob was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Artist in 2009. He was Fly Rod & Reel magazine’s Guide of the Year in 1988. As the 1994 Artist of the Year for the Alaska State Parks Foundation, Bob produced and donated the artwork for the first Alaska State Parks Foundation print. His work has been presented twice in Fly Rod & Reel magazine’s “Gallery". Bob has been featured as a guide and artist on ESPN’s “Fly Fishing the World” and “Fly Fishing America”, as well as on Ron Schara’s “Minnesota Bound”. He illustrated John Gierach's closing columns in Fly Rod & Reel magazine for nearly three decades. As an artist and columnist, he has been on the mastheads of Fly Rod & Reel, Ducks Unlimited, Midwest Fly Fishing, Traveling Sportsman, and regularly contributes to many other sporting publications in the US and abroad.
Bob lives in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota with his wife, Lisa, their daughter Tommy, and their awesome retriever, Frisbee.
Bob White is an artist and author whose work expresses a misspent youth. Instead of doing his homework, his nose was constantly in the outdoor books and sporting magazines of the day. Consequently, he has wandered between Alaska and Patagonia for over three decades as an itinerant fishing guide, looking for gainful employment. He now paints and writes for a living; which is to say, he’s still searching.
Bob has been influenced by such masters as Homer, Sargent and Fournier, and by more recent artists, such as Pleissner, Jacques, and Sloane. He works in watercolors, oils, pencil and ink, grasping the essence of a scene in a brief sketch. His ability to capture a fleeting moment through the eyes of a sportsman has earned him international recognition. His work hangs in the private and corporate collections of sportsmen on six continents.
Bob (has) guided (fishing and wing shooting) in Southwest Alaska and throughout Patagonia for over three decades. He continues to host fly fishing and wing shooting trips to Patagonia, Alaska, Kamchatka and other destinations. The photographs that he takes of his guests in the field frequently appear in national publications and are often used as reference material for field and stream portraits.
Bob was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Artist in 2009. He was Fly Rod & Reel magazine’s Guide of the Year in 1988. As the 1994 Artist of the Year for the Alaska State Parks Foundation, Bob produced and donated the artwork for the first Alaska State Parks Foundation print. His work has been presented twice in Fly Rod & Reel magazine’s “Gallery". Bob has been featured as a guide and artist on ESPN’s “Fly Fishing the World” and “Fly Fishing America”, as well as on Ron Schara’s “Minnesota Bound”. He illustrated John Gierach's closing columns in Fly Rod & Reel magazine for nearly three decades. As an artist and columnist, he has been on the mastheads of Fly Rod & Reel, Ducks Unlimited, Midwest Fly Fishing, Traveling Sportsman, and regularly contributes to many other sporting publications in the US and abroad.
Bob lives in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota with his wife, Lisa, their daughter Tommy, and their awesome retriever, Frisbee.
Our featured Conservation Scientist is
Dr. Alan Haney PhD, Retired Dean of the College of Natural Resources University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Dr. Alan Haney PhD, Retired Dean of the College of Natural Resources University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Alan Haney retired from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2007 after 40 years of college teaching, primarily ecology and related courses.
His 12 published books are mostly of a technical nature, but Laughing in the Wilderness, Jewels of Nature, and Following Old Trails, his three most recent, are written for general audiences. Both draw heavily on the years he spent immersed in nature, often far from the beaten track, pursuing his research as well as love of wilderness. Laughing is a collection of short, mostly humorous stories about actual events that happened during preparation and adventures in wild places. Jewels of Nature looks into nature, using the lives of 92 species of birds common to the Midwest as the window. Following Old Trails is a study of the natural history of the Canadian Shield as witnessed during an epic canoe trip from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay, following the old fur-trade routes.
Alan continues to write, travel, and lecture on a wide range of environmental and natural history topics. He has been described by those familiar with his work as warm, wise, and insightful, with an ability to take the reader with him into the
natural world.
Special Guest Author is Victoria Houston of Rhinelander, Wisconsin
She is the author of the Loon Lake Mystery Series -- DEAD ANGLER, DEAD CREEK, DEAD WATER, DEAD FRENZY, DEAD HOT MAMA, DEAD JITTERBUG, DEAD BOOGIE, DEAD MADONNA, DEAD HOT SHOT, DEAD RENEGADE. DEAD DECEIVER, DEAD TEASE, DEAD INSIDER, DEAD HUSTLER, DEAD RAPUNZEL, DEAD LOUDMOUTH and DEAD SPIDER, seventeenth in the series, which was published in June 2017 in hardcover, trade paperback and as an eBook from Simon & Schuster. The mysteries are set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin against a background of fishing – fly fishing as well as fishing for muskie, bass, bluegill and walleyes.
Houston’s mystery series was featured in a story on the front page of The Wall Street Journal (January 20, 2004) and on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation with Neal Conan” (February 2, 2006). Both can be seen/heard on the website: www.victoriahouston.com.
She has also written or co-authored over seven non-fiction books. An award-winning author specializing in family issues, Houston’s non-fiction books include the highly recommended ALONE AFTER SCHOOL: A Self-Care Guide for Latchkey Children and Their Parents (Prentice Hall, 1985); the national bestseller, LOVING A YOUNGER MAN: How Women Are Finding and Enjoying a Better Relationship (Contemporary Books (1987); Pocket Books (1988); MAKING IT WORK: Finding the Time and Energy For Your Career, Marriage, Children and Self (Contemporary Books, 1990) -- which was published by Simon & Schuster's Fireside imprint in August 1991 as a trade paperback titled MAKING IT WORK: Creative Solutions For Balancing Your Career, Marriage, Children And Personal Life. Houston co-authored RESTORE YOURSELF: A Woman’s Guide to Reviving Her Libido and Passion for Life (The Berkley Publishing Group/2001) with Dr. James Simon, a Past President of the North American Menopause Society.
Houston’s mystery series was featured in a story on the front page of The Wall Street Journal (January 20, 2004) and on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation with Neal Conan” (February 2, 2006). Both can be seen/heard on the website: www.victoriahouston.com.
She has also written or co-authored over seven non-fiction books. An award-winning author specializing in family issues, Houston’s non-fiction books include the highly recommended ALONE AFTER SCHOOL: A Self-Care Guide for Latchkey Children and Their Parents (Prentice Hall, 1985); the national bestseller, LOVING A YOUNGER MAN: How Women Are Finding and Enjoying a Better Relationship (Contemporary Books (1987); Pocket Books (1988); MAKING IT WORK: Finding the Time and Energy For Your Career, Marriage, Children and Self (Contemporary Books, 1990) -- which was published by Simon & Schuster's Fireside imprint in August 1991 as a trade paperback titled MAKING IT WORK: Creative Solutions For Balancing Your Career, Marriage, Children And Personal Life. Houston co-authored RESTORE YOURSELF: A Woman’s Guide to Reviving Her Libido and Passion for Life (The Berkley Publishing Group/2001) with Dr. James Simon, a Past President of the North American Menopause Society.
Special Guest Photographer is Mike Dvorak of Robbinsdale, Minnesota
Michael Dvorak is an award winning photographer who has pursued documentary and editorial projects across the United States and around the world. Clients have included The New York Times, The Utne reader, Universal Records, (Paris and London), Fly Rod and reel, Women's Sport and Fitness, Jazziz, High Note records, The Sun, and Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, among many others. He received his BFA in photography from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1996. His personal work is now in the permanent collection at the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota.
Special Guest Conservation Scientist is Eric Anderson
Emeritus Professorof Wildlife Ecology
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Emeritus Professorof Wildlife Ecology
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Eric M. Anderson, PhD is a professor emeritus of wildlife at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he taught courses in conservation biology, ecology, biostatistics, and field techniques for assessing wildlife populations.
Although teaching was his passion, he maintained an active interest in research focusing on carnivores, particularly bobcats, wolves, and black-footed ferrets. Dr. Anderson has authored numerous scientific journal articles on North American carnivores, particularly the bobcat, and co-authored book chapters on carnivores and wildlife habitat selection. Dr. Anderson has won several awards for excellence in teaching and sits on the wolf, cougar and furbearer advisory committees in Wisconsin. He is also a member of The Wildlife Society, The Society for Conservation Biology, and The American Society of Mammalogists.
Although teaching was his passion, he maintained an active interest in research focusing on carnivores, particularly bobcats, wolves, and black-footed ferrets. Dr. Anderson has authored numerous scientific journal articles on North American carnivores, particularly the bobcat, and co-authored book chapters on carnivores and wildlife habitat selection. Dr. Anderson has won several awards for excellence in teaching and sits on the wolf, cougar and furbearer advisory committees in Wisconsin. He is also a member of The Wildlife Society, The Society for Conservation Biology, and The American Society of Mammalogists.
A finalized schedule with event details will be published in early July.
This may truly be a once in a lifetime opportunity, so mark your calendars and make plans to attend.
This event is being made possible in part by a very generous donation by Wisconsin State Council of Trout Unlimited.
