The International Wolf Center debuted a transformation of the Little Wolf exhibit at a grand opening event on Thursday, June 11.
The redesign highlights the story of a wolf’s first year in life, with large interpretive panels featuring custom work by local children’s book illustrator Consie Powell.
Executive director Grant Spickelmier said Little Wolf’s story aims to “set a different understanding of what wolves are and who wolves are” and has been a long time in the making.
“Forever our staff have loved Little Wolf and the opportunities it provides for kids to have really immersive play while they’re here,” said education supervisor Maddy Witt.
“When we had the opportunity to redo Little Wolf, I don’t think there was a single person on our education team that wasn’t really thrilled to revamp the space to give it a breath of fresh air and some new life,” Witt said.
The new exhibit represents a multi-year collaboration between Wolf Center staff and board members, Powell and members of regional Anishinaabe nations.
Ojibwemowin teacher Raeanna Connor provided support for language and cultural knowledge, with additional contributions from Fond du Lac Elder Ricky Defoe.
“It’s been a huge honor to be able to work with (the center) and make sure we highlight our language and relations to the wolf,” Connor said.
White Earth Elder Bob Shimek also contributed language, history and culture work. Shimek said there are still “pieces to develop yet,” including further language work, but he believes the efforts so far have been “important.”
“We really wanted it to be a story not only about Little Wolf but also about the ecosystem and the community Little Wolf belongs to,” Witt said, “We wanted to highlight the connection to land and other species in a way that made everyone who went into the exhibit feel like they were immersed in (the story).”
The exhibit came together with support from a number of funders, including private donations from Wolf Center board members, IRRRB grant funding and especially a financial gift from Keith Q. and Allison M. Hayes.
“It took this really, really incredible team and the incredible group of funders behind it to make it all happen,” said Interpretive Center director Krista Woerheide.
Artist Consie Powell said she most enjoyed the project’s collaborative approach. “We had such a good team,” Powell said. “It truly was a collaboration where we all fed off of each other. My part is very visible, but the parts that other people did, they’re not so visible, but they are equally as important.”
From the very beginning, Spickelmier said, the partnerships made it clear the project “was more than just a project.”
“It’s about building relationships and it’s telling a story that goes beyond the facts, words or even the pictures,” Spickelmier said. “It’s about telling a story about a community of people and living things that matter.”
