For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD – New Visions Gallery will be the first venue for the “Wisconsin Big Read: The Round House,” a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read event with the opening reception for the exhibit “Everyday Brave” 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14.

Artist Thomas Lindfors will give a gallery talk and a Wisconsin Big Read representative will be attending. Complimentary refreshments will be provided.

“Everyday Brave,” on exhibit from Jan. 15 to Feb. 23, features Lindfors’ photography work of Native American authors, teachers, and activists along with stories about the individuals photographed. Lindfors’ work has been exhibited in museums and galleries from Chicago to Santa Fe, as well as overseas.

“I use photography as a tool to explore the importance of community and the ways that people with different ideas, different histories, and different cultures learn how to live together,” Lindfors said. “I look for stories that demonstrate this. I believe that by practicing respect, employing education, and embracing diversity, communities cannot only unite but flourish. From Mexican American families working in the sugar beet fields of the Red River Valley to the tradition of the American Indian powwow, I believe how we embrace diversity will define the future of our American Experience.”

Wisconsin Reads: The Round House, a project of UW Colleges will take place in March and April across the state, including Marshfield, and explore Ojibwe writer Louise Erdrich’s award-winning novel, “The Round House.” Written in the voice of 13-year-old Joe Couts, the novel explores the challenges of prosecuting non-tribal violent offenders on tribal lands.

Events in Marshfield include a March Against Violence on March 10, book discussions, dinner and a movie events, lectures, and more. The Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library will display “Everyday Brave” Feb. 28 to March 31. Visit wisconsinreads.org for more information about Wisconsin Reads: The Round House, which is made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts/Arts Midwest, Wisconsin Humanities Council, UW Colleges, Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library, and Marshfield Area Community Foundation.

School and community group tours are available for this exhibit. Interested parties should contact New Visions Gallery to schedule a date and time.

“Everyday Brave” can be viewed 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at New Visions Gallery, located in the main lobby of Marshfield Clinic, 1000 North Oak Ave., Marshfield.