Authors Leah Dobkin and Christopher Winters to appear at Grohmann Museum
| Published: 01/16/2011 |
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Leah Dobkin, author of Soul of a Port: The History and Evolution of the Port of Milwaukee, and Christopher Winters, author of Centennial Steaming through the American Century, will be at the Grohmann Museum, 1000 N. Broadway, on Friday, Jan. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. to sign copies of their books. The book signing is part of the museum's Gallery Night event, which takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Guests will enjoy free admission to the museum and its special Lake Boats exhibit. Books will be available for purchase.
Ever since her boat drifted up against the mammoth docks in Milwaukee's harbor, Dobkin has been enthralled by the evolution of the port and the city so firmly moored to it. From an era when it was a "Milwaukee Miracle" to make landfall without losing luggage to a promising future powered by alternative energy, Soul of a Port is steered by that same sense of wonder.
Centennial Steaming captures the essence of life aboard the Great Lakes steamboat St. Marys Challenger. This book contains over 300 images, and a short and cheeky narrative written by Winters on the significant historic and economic impact this unique vessel and other "lakeboats" like her have had during a century of trade on the Inland Seas.
The Lake Boats exhibit features the captivating and powerful images taken by local photographers Jim Brozek and Christopher Winters as they worked on the freighters, capturing the essence of life on-board. The exhibit will be at the Grohmann Museum from Jan. 14 to April 3, 2011.
Winters is a respected maritime artist, veteran shipwreck diver and photo journalist. A life-long student of Great Lakes maritime history, he serves as the staff photographer at Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Brozek has been a photographer for more than 25 years, and has experience working in a variety of environments including ore boats in Milwaukee's harbor. "These unique work environments enabled me to shoot not as a disengaged photographer viewing a scene, but as one immersed in the work place itself," said Brozek.
The Grohmann Museum is home to the Man at Work collection, which comprises more than 800 paintings and sculptures dating from 1580 to the present. They reflect a variety of artistic styles and subjects that document the evolution of organized work: from farming and mining to trades such as glassblowing and seaweed gathering. The Grohmann Museum welcomes visitors to three floors of galleries where a core collection is displayed as well as themed exhibitions. The museum is owned by MSOE, an independent university with about 2,600 students. MSOE offers 18 bachelor's degrees and 10 master's degrees in the engineering, engineering technology, architectural engineering and building construction, computer, business, nursing and health-related fields.