The Nature of Light
August 1 - October 26, 2025
See the historic Paine estate transformed into a spectacular showcase of illuminated sculptures and environments with the second incarnation of The Nature of Light.
Exhibitions and Events
HYBYCOZO Sculptures in Daylight
August 1 - October 26, 2025
View the striking HYBYCOZO sculptures featured in The Nature of Light during the daytime throughout the gardens and mansion of the Paine.
Black Ash Baskets: A Local Collection
March 15 - June 29, 2025
On view in the Gothic Gallery, this exhibition features more than four dozen baskets by Native makers from the remarkable collection of Kirsten Buckstaff, a local resident. Her extensive collection primarily includes Black Ash works by Ho-Chunk makers, but it also holds pieces by Menominee, Ojibwe, and other Indigenous people.
Weaving a Legacy: Ho-Chunk Black Ash Basketry
March 15 - June 29, 2025
"Weaving a Legacy: Ho-Chunk Black Ash Basketry" presents the historically important and visually compelling tradition of Native basketmaking in Wisconsin, featuring more than 100 works by Ho-Chunk makers from the early 1900s to the present.
Microsculpture: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss
June 15 - October 13, 2024
Examine extremely fine pigmented scales, velvet-like surface textures, saw-sharp mandibles, swirling patterns and some of the most vibrant, iridescent colors seen in nature with photography by British photographer Levon Biss.
A Cabinet of Wonder: Artworks by Jennifer Angus
June 15 - October 13, 2024
Using exotic insects as her primary artistic medium, Jennifer Angus explores themes of beauty, pattern, ornamentation, relationships between humans and insects, and the important roles insects play in ecosystems.
Mao Lor: A Journey through Hmoob Paj Ntaub
February 10 - May 26, 2024
Journey through Hmong art, history, and culture with two-dozen intricately hand sewn and embroidered artworks by artist Mao Lor.
Rodin: Contemplation and Dreams
June 17 - October 8, 2023
Explore sculptures by Auguste Rodin through one of the most extensive exhibitions of the artist’s works ever shown in Wisconsin as well as the largest installation of sculptures presented in the Paine’s history.
Tom Uttech: One With Nature
February 11 - May 21, 2023
Explore more than two dozen photographs and a selection of paintings by renowned Wisconsin artist Tom Uttech, whose work is inspired by his pilgrimages deep into the remote wilderness and has been been described as Magic Realism.
Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence
February 19 - May 22, 2022
This dazzling exhibition at the Paine showcases a new form of bead art, the “ndwango,” developed by a community of women working together in South Africa.