Biographies from the artists included in the Hilton Monona Terrace remodel: Barry Roal Carlsen, Deb Gottschalk, John S. Miller, Eric Thomas Wolever, Emily Arthur, Brian Kluge, and Meghan Sullivan.

There are quite a few places you can go in downtown Madison to see 2-D and 3-D artwork from local artists. You’ll find everything from photography to sculpture from amateurs, students, and professionals. What isn’t as common is finding a place with curated pieces handpicked by a designer to fit into a space and a theme. Designer Linda Snyder did just that when she was hired by the Hilton Monona Terrace to reimagine their lobby and restaurant spaces.

I’m holding, in my hand, the very first issue of our magazine. Full 4-color printing, 24 pages, 4 writers, 7 articles, and a page of recipes [insert Martha Stuart grunting à la Tim Allen]. On the table-of-contents page, in mustard-orange print: November 2004 Vol. 1.

Forgiveness is tricky. While it sounds lovely, it’s actually very difficult to do in a healthy way. You’ve probably heard the idea that forgiveness is really for you, and that it can be freeing. The words are beautiful, but forgiving people, especially those in our immediate family, is very difficult—especially so if what they’ve done has been done before and is likely to happen again. That’s when forgiveness becomes “forgiving the mess.”

The heart of Madison beats a sustained arrhythmia whose hiccups only strengthen its core. Each uplifting offbeat is echoed through the efforts of those individuals who define the kindness and tenacity of our community. For many, past experiences and professions enable them to take on roles they would’ve once felt unprepared to assume. For Pam McCloud Smith, the role she stepped into at Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) in 1989 shook and shaped her constitution until she found herself in a position to reimagine the organization, interlacing her story with that of DCHS to the point where discussing one is inherently discussing the other.

Policing in the United States might not go back as far as you think. True that part-time watchmen and the like existed beforehand, but until 1838, there wasn’t a publically funded organization with full-time officers. As the first police forces came from the economics of different regions, so too did the biases around discrimination instilled in those areas. One of the original functions of some branches of organized law enforcement was to preserve slavery through state-sanctioned control of black people. Some of the very first police departments in American history were formed with the intention of enforcing black codes, vagrancy laws, the fugitive slave act, convict-leasing, and various other policies designed to reify racial hierarchy during and in the absence of slavery.4

“Common Ground is in the business of bringing people together.” A simple, yet impressive mission by Adrienne Hulburt-Stroud when she envisioned her restaurant and community event space nestled between nature and neighborhood on a bustling corner in Middleton. The backbone of Common Ground will always be to build and support the community through a variety of activities, classes, workshops, and events to create unique ways for individuals of all stripes and ages to find common ground among each other. It’s a noble aim that makes sense to Adrienne, but was initially a little difficult to sell to the bank.

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” –Zig Ziglar

It’s incredible that it’s been 15 years since we set off on this adventure, and the quote above expresses my sentiments perfectly—being grateful leads to more to be grateful for.

The announcement came in the summer of 2017 that Brennan’s—a well-known, deeply rooted local retailer—was going to be retired, joining a long list of establishments now nothing more than memories in the annals of history.

Every beer is made up of four ingredients: grain, hops, water, and yeast. It’s like a four-piece rock band. Hops are on vocals, getting a lot of attention, but sometimes receiving more credit than is warranted. Grain plays lead guitar. They can steal the spotlight if they choose, but often prefer to create music and make every song work. Water walks the bass. Cool lines thumping as both rhythm and harmony—everything sounds better, and the untrained ear, or palate, has no idea why.

One of the oldest continuously active Italian clubs in the United States is the Italian Workmen’s Club at 914 Regent Street in Madison. The building is one of only a few still standing from the old Greenbush neighborhood. Nearly 100 years ago, it was the cultural and social center of the neighborhood, where everything from wedding receptions to funerals were held. Built in 1922 by volunteer members of the Club, the building was designated a Madison Landmark in 1990.

Because what we eat, where we live, and our community connection are determinants of health and well-being, MOM (Middleton Outreach Ministry) brings our community together to create food and housing security through action and advocacy.

I often see animals with diseases and infections that sound scary. Owners ask if a cat diagnosed with feline AIDS is contagious to them or if a dog’s warts can infect their child. Here are the answers to those questions and more.

The large, eclectic array of gift items from southern Africa at Calabash Gifts makes the store visually seem like a colorful year-round African market. Beautiful art, jewelry, sculptures, ceramics, carvings, baskets, dolls, crafts, and decorative home items handcrafted by people living in southern Africa fill the walls and cover the tables.

Coming in all shapes and sizes, and every color imaginable in the rainbow, dangly, dapper, or decorative, whatever the configuration, jewelry is a truly flexible art form that has doubled as a fashion accessory for millennia. Across the Greater Madison area, a number of professionals showcase a variety of jewelry mediums in an assortment of retail shops.

Jen Wuebben embarked on a 14-year journey of self-discovery to determine where she could best use her talents and explore her interests. She loved fashion illustration and dreamed of owning her own store, so she enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in textile and apparel design, where she took advantage of the program option to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City her senior year. Jen graduated from UW–Madison with a BS in textiles and fashion design. School reinforced her skills in design and illustration for women, men, and children’s clothing, and taught her about fabrics, sewing, clothing construction, clothing collections, and the fashion world.

As 2019 fades into the sunset, this much is certain for the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s women’s hockey program: it’s been a year of milestones, and the momentum is carrying over onto the ice in this new season. The Badgers have hosted a women’s hockey team for two decades on campus. The players capped off their 2018-19 anniversary season with their fifth NCAA championship under the guidance of head coach Mark Johnson.