WAUSAU,.- The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum recently opened Cultivating Beauty, an exhibition celebrating twenty-five years of historic acquisitions, representing some of the most significant names in art history.

The fifty-five artworks in the exhibition, spanning from 1834 to 1997, represent several of the most important movements within the art world over the past 160 years.


Gustave Caillebotte, Three Partridges on a Table, 1880, oil on canvas

“A great collection doesn’t appear overnight. It’s cultivated—carefully, passionately, sometimes unexpectedly, with equal parts vision, patience, and luck,” said assistant director and collections curator, Amalia Wojciechowski. “This exhibition celebrates the moments where all three came together. These works don’t just fill our galleries—they shaped our story. Cultivating Beauty marks 25 years of thoughtful acquisition, with many surprises still to come.”


Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, Dead Bird, ca. 1877–79, watercolor on paper

Cultivating Beauty highlights a thoughtful collecting effort with masterworks–from French Impressionist Camille Pissarro to American luminist Martin Johnson Heade–that reflect the Woodson Art Museum’s commitment to preserving and interpreting art of the natural world. The exhibition is now on view through December 7, 2025.


Camille Pissarro, The Pond at Montfoucault, 1874, oil on canvas

The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, known for its internationally renowned Birds in Art exhibition each fall, offers ever-changing exhibitions year-round, sculpture gardens, an interactive gallery, dedicated art studio, programs for all ages and life stages, and a commitment to always-free admission. The Woodson Art Museum has served the heart of Wisconsin since 1976.

For more information, visit www.lywam.org, e-mail the Museum at info@lywam.org, call 715-845-7010