Celebrating art books at the Kohler Art Library

Pictured is Green Bay tramp artist Adolph Vandertie along with a tramp art box from his collection. Two Kohler Art Library books that were once housed in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library: Vignola, Architettura Cioe' Regola delli Cinque Ordini (Roma, 1770) and Maud Howe Elliott, Art and Handicraft in the Woman's Building of the World's Columbian Exposition (Paris: Boussod, Valadon & Co., 1893). The Kohler Family tradition of supporting the arts includes preservation of art environments and works by self-taught artists. Diane Weiss, A Carrousel (sic) (s.l.:Figment Press, 198-) is from the extensive Artists' Book Collection.

Last September, the Kohler Art Library quietly reached its 30th anniversary. To honor this achievement, the library has mounted the exhibit "Celebrating Art Books at the Kohler Art Library." The exhibit focuses on three areas: the creation of the facility and collection, major strengths and support for the collection, and the Kohler family tradition of supporting the arts.

The exhibit was co-curated by Lyn Korenic, director of Kohler Art Library, and Rob Nurre, library volunteer. The exhibit will be on view through the spring semester.

Former Kohler Art Library Director William C. Bunce built and shaped the library’s collection from 1970-1999 and played a major role in the design of the library. Bunce’s philosophy is that "libraries have an educational and moral obligation to provide information, inspiration, and a sense of communal space for an inquiring community." The display also highlights photographs of the library when it opened in 1970.

Three books that originally belonged to Professor Oskar Hagen, founder of the UW-Madison Art History Department, highlight the collection’s development. One book came to the library in 1970 directly from Hagen’s personal library. A second book was given to the artist John Stuart Curry, and later donated to the library in 1998 by Kathleen Curry. Beatrice Hagen gave the third book to UW Professor Frank Horlbeck, whose collection of medieval art and architecture was recently donated to the library.
While the scope of the collection includes extensive coverage of art and architecture of all periods, the library has developed a number of special strengths, four of which are highlighted by works in the exhibit: German Expressionist and Austrian Art, Frank Lloyd Wright, Illuminated Manuscript Facsimiles, and Artists’ Books. Included in the artist book section is a book designed, printed and published by Marta Gomez, a library staff member.

The exhibit also recognizes the Kohler family’s long tradition of supporting the arts. The library is named in honor of four Kohler siblings -- three who formed the Kohler Foundation in 1940 and their brother, Walter Sr., formerly the governor of Wisconsin. The exhibit focuses on the preservation of art environments, important collections, as well as Wisconsin culture. Illustrating this area of interest are three recently acquired works by Green Bay tramp artist, Adolph Vandertie, a Wisconsin tramp artist.