The Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, is facing mounting criticism and financial pressure after abruptly canceling multiple artist residencies, with critics demanding greater transparency and leadership changes. The museum, which describes itself as the only institution dedicated to preserving, studying, producing, and printing wood type, has come under fire from artists, community members, and a major donor over the controversial cancellations.
The crisis reached a new level in mid-October when the Windgate Foundation, a longtime supporter that has backed the museum for 20 years and currently provides more than $414,000 through an endowment, sent a letter calling for new leadership. Foundation Executive Director Patricia Forgy wrote that the controversy over canceled programming had escalated into a "full-blown crisis" that resulted in approximately 25 percent loss of the museum's earned revenue. "This trajectory is not sustainable," Forgy stated in the letter. "We are also increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency."
The foundation has threatened to withhold future endowment payments until several conditions are met: executive committee members must resign, the museum must present a clear plan to restore canceled programming, and there must be a commitment to bring in board members from underrepresented groups. "These steps are imperative to allow the Museum to recover and continue its important role in the printing community," the letter emphasized.
Earlier this year, the museum unexpectedly canceled several artist residencies, initially citing a leadership transition that required the board to manage day-to-day operations while searching for a new executive director. However, even after appointing new Executive Director Beth Kowalski, critics say their concerns remain unaddressed. In a November 1 statement, Kowalski acknowledged the controversy but indicated the museum would move forward. "We are aware of others' efforts to look back and, while we respect those individuals and groups' rights to voice their opinions, we also need to forge ahead in our important work," she wrote.
A particularly contentious incident occurred in early August when the museum canceled artist IBé Crawley's residency with just one week's notice. According to print art community members Desiree Aspiras and Jenn Graves, who launched a website and petition in response, Crawley was told only that the museum was "reevaluating their initiatives." In an Instagram video, Crawley described her frustration with the lack of explanation and communication. "I asked to speak to the president of the board or any of the board members, just to get a better understanding of why my residency was canceled," she said. "I was told that they did not want to speak to me. At that time, I asked if I could pay the $100 daily fee in order to be able to print there, and I was told that I could not print there at all."
Graves and Aspiras described Crawley's canceled residency as a tipping point that sparked broader community discussion. They reported that cancellations had also affected other Black artists' residencies and planned exhibits. "These things didn't just happen overnight. They've been going on for quite some time," Graves explained. "That's when it became more public. I think people knew there were issues that they weren't being talked about publicly until then."
Efforts to address the situation through dialogue have proven unsuccessful. In September, Crawley and Graves attended a Zoom meeting with board President Tracy Honn, during which Crawley requested that the museum continue its residency program aimed at artists who are Black, Indigenous, or women of color. "The conversation went nowhere," Graves reported. Julie Chen, a book artist and University of Wisconsin art professor who previously had a residency at Hamilton, attended a separate meeting with Honn in late August and described it as "very unsatisfying." Chen said, "Tracy was not really willing or able – it was hard to tell which – to give us hardly any information about the cancellation. It didn't seem to us like she felt like this was an important issue."
The controversy has had immediate financial and programmatic consequences for the museum. Multiple presenters withdrew from the museum's annual Wayzgoose fundraiser program, and registered attendees requested refunds in late August and early September, ultimately forcing Hamilton Wood Type to cancel this year's event entirely. The community response has intensified with a petition campaign that began in late September calling for the resignation of the museum's board of directors and executive committee. Organizers have also launched a postcard campaign targeting the museum's largest funder, the Reva and David Logan Foundation, asking them to intervene.
Despite the mounting pressure, museum leadership has declined interview requests and maintained a defensive stance. In response to questions about the Windgate Foundation's letter, Kowalski stated that the museum remains "thankful for Windgate's support" and expressed confidence in its position. "As to questions being raised by some, the Museum remains confident in its legal and financial position as we further our mission to provide critical preservation of our collections," her emailed statement read. The museum's board president also declined to participate in interviews about the ongoing controversy.
