A dugout canoe made from a cottonwood tree in McDaniel Park by Bill Quackenbush, tribal historic preservation officer of the Ho-Chunk Nation, was donated to Dane County Parks in June of 2026. The 22-foot canoe …
Big Lake 2026
A photo essay of the 2026 Wisconsin Idea Seminar
In May, the 2026 Wisconsin Idea Seminar set off on a journey to follow a 900-mile circular path around Wisconsin focusing on the state’s great waterways. Three dozen University of Wisconsin—Madison faculty and staff, many …
Flow State: Undergraduate students design water cloths inspired by Wisconsin’s waterways, places, and communities
Each year, undergraduate students in Professor of Design Studies and WIS’15 alumna Marianne Fairbanks’ weaving class create handwoven textiles called “water cloths” that are included in gratitude bundles for Wisconsin Idea Seminar collaborators and hosts. This story by Maggie Ginsberg, writer in the Division of the Arts and WIS’26 alumna, highlights the collaboration and undergraduate students’ reflections on the process.