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Tone Madison

@tonemadison.bsky.social
21K followers 201 following 583 posts

Fiercely independent coverage of arts, culture, and politics in Madison, Wisconsin, that was worker-owned and reader-supported. 2014–2026. Archive available at tonemadison.com

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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
If you have been donating to @tonemadison.bsky.social and want some other ideas for supporting good writing/art/journalism with your money, I have some suggestions for you, including ongoing projects from some of Tone’s wonderful freelancers:
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Grant @nothingunfinished.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
in my last true piece for Tone, I—maybe most appropriately—connected with an artist who has significant ties to my home state of Pennsylvania. highly recommend making it to at least one of the Midwest Video Poetry Fest programs this Saturday at Art Lit Lab artlitlab.org/events/2026-...
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amelia zollner 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 @manateemailbox.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
my final story for tone madison is about my favorite semi-niche hobby and the coolest guy to do it with in wisconsin! (he's been leading weekly walks, which i like to call "the berghain of birding," for around 13 years)
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
In our final Microtones, current and former editors—@scottgordonwi.bsky.social, @stinadale.bsky.social, @stevenmps.bsky.social, @nothingunfinished.bsky.social, Oona Mackesey-Green, and Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez—reflect on Tone Madison's life and legacy. Thanks for reading, 2014–2026.
tonemadison.com
The meanings of Tone Madison
Current and former editors reflect on the publication's life and legacy.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
"...If you have a network, bring them together, then tell them to bring their friends. Have an open door, be inclusive, and you're gonna end up just building something before your very eyes, before you even really know it," Porch Flowers player and arts organizer Evan Fernandez tells Aaron Grych.
tonemadison.com
Creating a music community on the isthmus with "Evan's style"
Musician and arts organizer Evan Fernandez discusses the importance of managing the HQ practice space for local bands and his own ensemble, The Porch Flowers.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
"...[Anne] Ciecko determinedly forges her own path through multimedia, and packs in a staggering amount of history in not only her vivid diction but in affectionate, architectural-focused footage around the rust belt city," writes Arts Editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social.
tonemadison.com
"Limerent Pittsburgh" intricately constructs a folkloric affection of place
Artist Anne Ciecko's 2025 videopoem is a highlight among the 30 selections of this year's Midwest Video Poetry Fest at ALL on April 4.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
"...Even in the winter on particularly birdless days, [Henrikson] enjoys looking at the patterns that ice crystals form and seeing if he can conjure birds in their shapes," writes @manateemailbox.bsky.social. 🐦
tonemadison.com
Good birding in all seasons with the storied Charles "Chuck" Henrikson
The retired lecturer and winsome ornithologist has been coordinating Tuesday birder hikes at the Arboretum for well over a decade.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
"[Lea Jacobs' JOHN FORD AT WORK is] rich in behind-the-scenes details, rigorous in frame-by-frame analyses, and readable with a strong, articulate voice that paints a vivid historical picture and line of thinking to guide the readers through the many elements at work in the films," writes Lance Li.
tonemadison.com
Lea Jacobs sheds new light on an old master in "John Ford At Work"
The UW Professor Emeritus' new book on the storied American director coincides with a five-film UW Cinematheque series this spring.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
"It's easy to build a great food culture in [Madison] just by going out more often, especially during non-peak hours.... One small change in dining habits would have a massive impact," writes @jesseraub.online in his final "Small Bites" column.
tonemadison.com
Small Bites: How I would fix Madison dining
Going out on Sundays and other thoughts on building a more sustainable food city.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
"...This is a challenge that really interests me as a filmmaker: of 'empty space' or the question about whether or not the camera and its mere presence in space can index a historical trace or the latency or the presence of a ghost past. Can that be transmitted purely by the presence of the camera?"
tonemadison.com
Inspiriting radical communal aspirations: an interview with Ben Balcom on "The Phalanx"
The Milwaukee filmmaker's latest experimental short premieres locally at the Chazen Museum during the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival on April 12.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
"...Lisa Low's REPLICA, after all, is a book of reconciliations: between who society expects us to be and who we are; between what our love looks like to others and what it really is; between the need to justify our existence and letting our defiance speak for itself," writes @rmbanting.bsky.social.
tonemadison.com
Lisa Low's "Replica" grapples with racial alienation and whiteness
Moving from childhood to adulthood, the author's new poetry collection confronts and reconciles expectations in order to live authentically.
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WP @gadus.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
A huge loss to Madison and local journalism. Tone has been an amazing source of impactful and insightful local journalism for over a decade, an an important voice in Madison politics and culture. I'm hugely grateful for the work they produced. It will be sorely missed.
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cyst o’donovan @trentaioli.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
great local publication that I am gutted to see go. we should all be so lucky to have the kind of coverage everyone over there was able to provide.
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sam @wisconsam.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
my favorite tone work i did was this four-part, seasonal series on dane county's oak savannas. I love oak savannas tonemadison.com/series-colum...
tonemadison.com
A Year On The Oak Savanna Archives – Tone Madison
A four-part series tracing a year in the life of Dane County’s oak savanna restoration projects.
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Rachel DL @racheldl.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Thank you @tonemadison.bsky.social and especially editors @stinadale.bsky.social & @scottgordonwi.bsky.social for working with me these past two years, with a lot of patience and flexibility, to publish more of my writing (7!) than any single news outlet. I will miss working with this publication ❤️
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Jason Joyce @jasonjoyce.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
@tonemadison.bsky.social did the damn thing and they did it on their terms. That's very difficult, especially now. I'm sad to read this, but everyone over there deserves congratulations and respect for doing what they did, how they did it.
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frood 🔨 @frood.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Tone was one of those things I'd point to when I'd talk about Madison and say "it's a city that punches way above its weight class" a real Lion of a publication that made me proud to live there. Scott created a small miracle that defined the kind of character Madison has at its best.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Tone Madison is saying goodbye on April 3. Though we're sad, we're also grateful. Over the next couple weeks, we'll be proud to bring you a few more fiercely independent stories on local arts, culture, and politics.
tonemadison.com
Tone Madison is saying goodbye
We are sad, but grateful too.
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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Sad to hear @tonemadison.bsky.social is closing up shop, but appreciate the years of hard work from all the great folks involved. They’ve been a unique and truly “progressive” voice (in a town that often doesn’t meet the meaning of that label). Don’t take your local independent media for granted!
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
From @tomkertschernews.bsky.social of @wisconsinwatch.org:
tonemadison.com
Wisconsin communities face scrutiny over data center secrecy
The town of Beloit is the fifth Wisconsin community with an NDA for a possible data center.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
"A Taylor win would prevent conservatives from flipping the court until at least the end of this decade... as Wisconsin faces continued legal debates on elections, abortion, labor, and the role courts should play in overseeing immigration enforcement," writes @burness.bsky.social for @boltsmag.org.
tonemadison.com
Eyeing voting rights, liberals aim to secure Wisconsin Supreme Court through 2030
In the April election, Wisconsin liberals are hoping to expand their majority on a body that could be a critical backstop for voting rights during the next presidential race.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Join us and Madison Music Radar tonight at 8 p.m. at Gamma Ray Bar for a "Rising Artist Showcase"—featuring Bloodroots, Alewives, Sapsucker, and Dicot! All proceeds will benefit a Minneapolis rent relief fund. 🌟
gammaray.bar
Madison Rising Artist Showcase, presented by Madison Music Radar and Tone Madison w/ Bloodroots, Alewives, Sapsucker and Dicot | Gamma Ray Bar
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
"...The only surveillance we need to keep each other safe is community surveillance on these technologies to ensure residents are informed of their presence," writes News and Politics Editor Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez in today's Microtones.
tonemadison.com
Police surveillance technology needs proper accountability
Grassroots resistance against Flock cameras are writing the blueprint for comprehensive reform.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Arts Editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social introduces our extended preview of the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival (April 9 through 16): "...May your experience offer a hopeful pleasure that reminds you of the potential for better days, and the collaborative power of art through community." 🎞️
tonemadison.com
Continuity and expressive experimentation in the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival
Eight writers share their initial insights on the eight-day extravaganza, April 9 through 16, across UW campus and Madison.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
"[mk zariel's] BOY APPARITION is a collection that breaks wide open everything we think to be true and provides us with curious and daring alternatives," writes @rmbanting.bsky.social.
tonemadison.com
"Boy Apparition" finds queer liberation by challenging normative constructions of masculinity
mk zariel's chapbook coaxes us to the edges of our imaginations, and is infused with the undercurrent of love that is necessary to keep going.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
"Running for local office should be an accessible entry point into politics, one where forging relationships with your neighbors and understanding your community matter more than working more formalized political connections," writes @scottgordonwi.bsky.social in today's Microtones.
tonemadison.com
Don't shrink the Common Council and County Board
Madison needs more representation, not less.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
New contributor and Madison Music Radar founder Aaron Grych rounds up five of his favorite local music releases (songs and projects) from January and February 2026. Grych's picks include @alewives.bsky.social, Cause and Control, Worms for Sale, Sandhill Strangers, and Hush Now, Sweet Halo. 🎶
tonemadison.com
Madison acts rivetingly ring in 2026
Five local bands offer new songs and projects, and capture a hopeful feeling in the new year.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
"Film has been a pivotal way for me to learn about Cuba," says programmer Victoria Gutierrez. Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez details the new Cine Cubano series at The Cardinal Bar as well as the venue's sustaining connections to the island nation. The next screenings are on Sunday, March 8. 🎞️
tonemadison.com
The Cardinal Bar's Cuban film series invites local support for Madison sister city
Cine Cubano bridges interest in Cuban cinema with the cultural exchange and aid mission of the Madison-Camagüey Sister City Association.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
"...The dream of the inexpensive starter home is not compatible with our economic reality, but a starter apartment under $200,000? That's more realistic," writes Managing Editor @stinadale.bsky.social in our latest Microtones.
tonemadison.com
Starter homes? No, we need starter apartments
As homeownership continues to be out of reach for too many Madisonians, we should build more owner-occupied, multi-family housing.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
"...All people, children and adults, are the arbiters of their own bodies and should not be forced into a box to fit someone else's design," writes @anodynerhyme.bsky.social.
tonemadison.com
The federal war on trans healthcare mirrors that of abortion
Hospitals are folding to anti-trans hate, but the community continues to advocate for trans youth.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
In this month's "Small Bites," @jesseraub.online meticulously meditates on making bread: the process, flour, flavor, time, and place. 🍞
tonemadison.com
Small Bites: How I make bread
Meditating on the process, flour, flavor, time, and place.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
This week - February 12 thru 17 - on Tone Madison! ✨
This week on Tone Madison:
Video: Sizing up local screening events and prominent performances of 2025. By Grant Phipps.
Madison needs a wake-up call. The longer we pretend this City is a progressive haven, the more people will be harmed. By Christina Lieffring.
Three video artists tap into personal histories in the 150 Artists x 150 Years exhibition. By Grant Phipps.
Read on ToneMadison.com // February 11-17, 2026.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
The past week-plus on Tone Madison: February 2 through 10! ✨
This week on Tone Madison:
RESURRECTION explores human perceptions through the historical labyrinth of cinema. By David Boffa.
Stop spotlighting new films by known abusers. By Grant Phipps.
Wisconsin energy utilities sacrifice affordability and sustainability to fuel the AI gold rush. By Kristen Billings.
Read on ToneMadison.com // Feb. 2-10, 2026.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
This week on Tone Madison: January 26 through February 1! We featured two stories by new contributors. ✨
This week on Tone Madison: What do we owe each other? Reggie and Anne navigate life without housing after the closure of Dairy Drive. By George Clyde.
USRowing's trans-exclusionary policies only divide us all. Amid institutional erasure of their autonomy, trans athletes deserve to be openly embraced by their teammates and representatives. By Cam T.B.
Achieving a broader focus through music journalism in 2025. The fourth installment of our live music photo essay series centers a more personal vantage point. By Steven Spoerl.
Read on ToneMadison.com // Jan. 26 - Feb. 1, 2026.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
This week on Tone Madison: January 19 through 25!
This week on Tone Madison: Tone Madison's favorite records of 2025. A celebration of 20 local releases that defined the year. By Steven Spoerl.

One movie meditation after another: toiling through 2025. Nine writers processed these trying times through cinema, at the theaters and at home. By Grant Phipps, Lewis Peterson, Edwanike Harbour, Sara Batkie, Jesse Raub, Lance Li, David Boffa, Jason Fuhrman & Hanna Kohn.This week on Tone Madison. The Madison "uniparty" is not oppressing you, because it's not real. Local debates aren't what they should be, but they're not being crushed by the far left. By Scott Gordon.

Small Bites: The moral cost of meat. How a bad dream prompted more intentional eating in the new year. By Jesse Raub.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Nicholas R. Wootton's latest experimental short, LIKING THIS ANGLE, finds artistic inspiration in degrees of the edit, writes film section editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social.
A graphic that shows Grant Phipps as the author of: "Liking This Angle" finds artistic inspiration in degrees of the edit. Nicholas R. Wootton's experimental short, featuring sculptor Christina A. West, premieres at Art Lit Lab as part of Project Projection on January 21.A graphic that excerpts a quote from an article: "Liking This Angle is [Wootton's] best and most subtextually rich work to date, effectively capturing the mindset of a video editor who's been laboring and poring over a particular section of footage so meticulously that it's taken on a life of its own and transformed from the subconscious eye."
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
This week on Tone Madison: January 12 through 18!
This week on Tone Madison:
What's ahead in Wisconsin politics in 2026? By Christina Lieffring.
Tone Madison's favorite songs of 2025. By Steven Spoerl, Grant Phipps, and Dan Fitch.
Madison's musical odds and ends of 2025. By Steven Spoerl.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
RIP Hungarian slow-cinema master Béla Tarr. In 2020 and 2023, we published writing by @nothingunfinished.bsky.social and Lewis Peterson on Tarr's enduring works SÁTÁNTANGÓ (1994) and WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES (2000).
tonemadison.com
The surreal, trance-inducing dread of "Sátántangó" – Tone Madison
Saturday, February 1, 4070 Vilas Hall, 1 p.m., free.
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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
This year I took a big step back from the day-to-day at @tonemadison.bsky.social, but my colleagues there have kept up the fight. They’re still publishing adventurous and adversarial journalism. And still, no one else in Madison media is doing anything like it. Please help them meet today’s goal!
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
tonemadison.com/donate/ We're in the final hours of our year-end fundraising campaign, and there's still $6,800 that we could secure. These are make-or-break funds that will determine how many stories Tone Madison will be able to publish in 2026. Help us "look out for the little guy." 🙏
"Tone sets the standard for community-based journalism. When I'm looking for an arts and culture deep dive, they're my first stop. And their team consistently takes on the thorniest topics in local politics. Give Tone your support so they can keep looking out for the little guy!" says Faye Parks, News Producer at WORT-FM. 12x your new monthly donation. Donate Today.
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Christina Lieffring @stinadale.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
If today and tomorrow a total of 19 people donate to @tonemadison.bsky.social who have never donated before, we get $1,000 thanks to NewsMatch. If you’ve never donated to Tone, this is the perfect time to start. tonemadison.com/donate/
tonemadison.com
Support us – Tone Madison
A message from Christina Lieffring, Managing Editor We can’t do what we do at Tone Madison without support from our readers—nor do we want to. We publish hard-hitting investigations, deep […]
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
For today and tomorrow only, our latest local-music compilation, RESOLUTION, is 25% off. That's 30 tracks of demos, alternate takes, rarities, and unreleased material from Madison-connected artists of past and present for just $15. tonemadison.bandcamp.com/album/resolu...
Promotional graphic for the Tone Madison music compilation, RESOLUTION, centers an image of a compact disc with the album's cover photo of a bird perched on a power line (in the lower left corner). A sale sticker of "25% OFF" appears near the top right corner.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
We're in the final stretch of our make-or-break fundraiser. If 22 people donate for the first time, we'll also receive a $1,000 bonus. Help us reach our goal during NewsMatch so our small-but-mighty publication can keep publishing the perspectives you really care about. tonemadison.com/donate/
"Tone Madison is an invaluable resource to our community. From politics to music to film, Tone Madison understands what Madisonians care about and provides a space for all in our city to have their voices heard. As a journalist, I appreciate Tone's proclivity for covering stories that other outlets in the area can't or won't touch. Above all else, the people behind Tone Madison have always welcomed collaboration over competition, and at the end of the day, just want to see Madison become the best version of itself," says Hayley Sperling, Executive Producer of City Cast Madison. Donate Today.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
We only have four days left to unlock $8,400 in matching funds. Tone Madison could unlock a total of $21,000 for journalism that's "full of heart and unafraid to punch up." But we need your help to do it. tonemadison.com/donate/ 🙏
"Full of heart and unafraid to punch up, Tone Madison is my dose of bold reporting on Wisconsin politics, education, and labor. They're on the pulse of the Madison housing crisis, the local music scene, and so much more. It's their brand of independent analysis that cuts through a sea of corporate media," says Sara Gabler, Talk Producer at WORT-FM and Tone Madison contributor. 12x your new monthly donation. Donate Today.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
"I implore community members, our elected officials, and those participating in the confidential RFP review process to be critical of any deal that does not return proper value to taxpayers," writes Nick Pjevach, Madison Arts Commission chair, in a guest column.
tonemadison.com
Coliseum renovations should proceed with caution
Dane County should apply strict scrutiny of its partnership proposal with FPC Live, even if it's the only bidder.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
"The question of honest work in colonial systems and fine arts institutions raises the specter of censorship, particularly of art that is deemed 'political.' But what makes a work of art political or apolitical?" asks Managing Editor @stinadale.bsky.social after a visit to the Trout Museum of Art.
tonemadison.com
Could an exhibition like Guiding Ethos find a home in Madison?
A group show at Appleton's Trout Museum stands up for "political" art in an era of cowardice and compliance.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Help Tone Madison continue to be a "vital resource" for film and arts coverage through your donation during NewsMatch. An anonymous local donor has recently offered to match the next $2,500 contributed by our readers. tonemadison.com/donate/
James Kreul, film programmer at Mills Folly Microcinema, MMoCA Cinema, and Duck Soup Cinema (Overture Center) says, "As a film curator and programmer, it is reassuring to know that films from more niche genres (like experimental film) or by lesser-known filmmakers have a chance to reach wider audiences thanks to Tone Madison's commitment to spreading the word about what's playing in town." Donate today.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
"...Finding balance is all about mastering the layers of flavor being presented." As #doublethegarlic dominates social media, @jesseraub.bsky.social consults with local chefs and experts about reevaluating and preparing your recipes in this month's "Small Bites."
tonemadison.com
Small Bites: How much garlic is too much garlic?
With "double the garlic" dominating social media, it's time to reevaluate your recipes.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Despite public hesitancy, @wisdot.bsky.social wants an additional lane to stem congestion on 20 miles of the Beltline between West and South Madison. News and Politics Editor Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez reports.
tonemadison.com
Beltline expansion proposals suggest dead-end logic
"Another lane will fix it" still reigns at WisDOT, but the public is pushing back.
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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
This year we've... • Questioned how local governments allocate resources by pointing out the impacts on the most vulnerable. • Interrogated the narratives that lead to harmful economic policies. • Championed the perspectives of workers and organized labor. tonemadison.com/donate/ 🙏
"Tone provides the best analysis of housing and poverty issues in local government through a lens of the impact on economic inequality," says Andy Heidt, reader and board member at Madison Area Community Land Trust. Help us continue this crucial reporting. 12x your new monthly donation.
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