Madison Reporter

Back in 1981, Mark Moilanen was an undergraduate student at UW–Madison when he participated in curating an exhibition of artworks owned by Alexander and Henrietta Hollaender. This experience left a lasting impression on him.

The Hollaenders later donated over 250 artworks to the Elvehjem Museum of Art, now known as the Chazen Museum of Art. Moilanen, who earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees at UW–Madison, aspired to make a similar contribution someday.

That aspiration has been fulfilled with Moilanen's donation of a painting by Indian artist Jivya Soma Mashe to the Chazen. Mashe was instrumental in bringing Warli tribal art to global attention before his death in 2018.

Katherine Alcauskas, Chief Curator at the Chazen, commented on the significance of this addition: “Our collection of Indian miniature painting is already a point of pride, but this gift introduces to the collection a vibrant painting tradition historically rooted in the region.”

In 2006, Moilanen organized an exhibition featuring Mashe’s art while serving as director of K-12 art education at Shippensburg University. He developed a lesson plan on Warli art for schools across Pennsylvania and showcased students' work in an exhibit that echoed Warli symbolism.

Reflecting on his decision to donate the artwork, Moilanen stated: “It made me appreciate the idea of not keeping art to oneself but trying to have it reach its broadest audience possible.” He expressed satisfaction in following the example set by the Hollaenders: “Today, to have that happen makes me very happy and extremely proud.”