Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Oshkosh: New exhibition at Paine Art Center will focus on Native American basketmaking.
You might not spend time thinking about baskets, but the talent and hard work that goes into creating hand made baskets deserves attention. The Paine Art center and Gardens is set to reopen to the public March 15 with a new exhibition, “Weaving a Legacy: Ho-Chunk Black Ash Basketry.” Curated by Tom Jones, a Ho-Chunk artist and University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of photography, the exhibition will introduce audiences to the tradition of Native American basketmaking in Wisconsin with more than 100 works by Ho-Chunk makers. The Oshkosh Northwestern reported that Jones has collected and studied thousands of Ho-Chunk baskets, piecing together tribal history for more than a decade. “Weaving a Legacy: Ho-Chunk Black Ash Basketry” will remain on view at the Paine through June 29. Full Story
Milwaukee: Milwaukee School of Engineering is building a new A.I. learning Center.
With the evolution of A.I. it makes sense that schools would evolve as well, giving students the opportunity to learn and keep up with the technology. The Milwaukee School of Engineering is building a $76.5 million artificial intelligence learning center, which will house its new center for applied artificial intelligence. Leaders from the private university announced the investment Monday as part of a $125 million fundraising campaign to expand artificial intelligence programing on campus. WPR reported that during an announcement ceremony on Monday, John Walz, the university’s president said “MSOE stands ready to become the national leader in applied AI education.” This announcement comes on the heels of a 2024 Reuters report finding that there is a skills gap related to A.I. Olga Imas, the director of applied AI education at MSOE, said students are already learning about AI. Imas said the building will allow the university to expand those efforts for years to come. Walz is hopeful the building will be open for students ahead of the fall 2027 semester. Full Story
