"Hot Lips," a 1989 work by the Hispanic artist Gronk is one of the works in the Weisman's current exhibit "Chicano Visions: American Artists on the Verge" through January 2, 2005.
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From M, winter 2005
Places of honor on campus
Two landmarks under way near the McNamara Alumni Center will honor
academic achievements and distinguished alumni. The Alumni Wall of
Honor is at the southeast corner of the Gateway Plaza, at Oak
Street and Washington Avenue. It includes a wall with the names of
more than 1,000 recipients of the University's Outstanding
Achievement Award, its highest alumni honor. The oxidized steel
wall runs north-south along Oak Street and its northern portion
includes a representation--created by thousands of tiny lights--of
how the night sky appeared on the date the University was
chartered. To the west of the alumni center, the first portion of
the Scholars Walk is under way. Designed to honor the U's greatest
intellectual achievements, this part of the walk includes monuments
to Nobel Prize winners, national academy members, and others. The
walkway will eventually extend 2,000 feet west from the alumni
center across Northrop Mall to Appleby Hall on the Mississippi
River bluff. At the eastern end of the Scholars Walk, a Regents
Plaza will include names of University Regents and recipients of
the Regents Award. On the Gateway Plaza, more grass and benches are
being installed to make the grounds more inviting. For more
information on the plaza and surrounding area, visit the McNamara Alumni
Center.
Benefit update: Weisman Art Museum
One of the Twin Cities' finest collections of 20th century American
art resides within the distinctive Frederick R. Weisman Museum of
Art. University of Minnesota Alumni Association members get $5 off
the price of a year-long individual or dual membership. Membership
to the Weisman Art Museum includes a subscription to the WAM
newsletter, invitations to and discounts on openings and special
events, a 10 percent discount in the Museum Store, and benefits at
other Twin Cities museums. The Weisman, overlooking the Mississippi
River at the southeast end of the Washington Avenue Bridge, opened
11 years ago and is the U's official art museum. In addition to
modern American masters, the collection is known for ceramics,
Mimbres pottery, and Korean furniture.
For more information, visit the Weisman. For more on UMAA membership and other benefits, visit the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.
Legislative know-how
Alumni and friends who are serious about supporting the University
in 2005 have a unique chance to learn details about what the U is
requesting from the state for the next two years. The University of
Minnesota Legislative Network's annual Legislative Briefing is set
for the evening of Thursday, January 27, 2005, in the McNamara
Alumni Center. University officials, legislators, and others will
discuss the funding request and describe ways to make effective
contacts with legislators and other elected officials. The
Legislative Network is a University effort that helps grassroots
volunteers express support for the University to their elected
officials. For more information on the network and the request,
visit the Legislative
Network.
Go Gopher bowling
With the Gopher football team rolling to its fifth bowl appearance
in six years, the University of Minnesota Alumni Association once
again has organized the University's official bowl tour. Although
which bowl the Gophers may go to was not known at press time, those
interested in traveling can find out more or sign up for updates at
the UMAA Web site.
Join and get fired up
Alumni and friends of the University have one more reason to join
the University of Minnesota Alumni Association-join for three or
more years and receive a free hardcover copy of We Got Fired:
And It's the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Us, by
best-selling author and businessman Harvey Mackay (B.A. '54).
Mackay's sixth book tells the inspiring stories of famous and
successful Americans who bounced back from having been fired to
become richer for the experience. We Got Fired is filled out with
short essays, motivational sayings, and a collection of tips from
Donald Trump. New and renewing UMAA members can receive the book by
joining online at www.alumni.umn.edu and entering promotion code
N5MBP on the membership form.