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Festive Wisconsin
November 11, 2015 – January 17, 2016
Patrick Doughman, County Fair Balloon Game, Acrylic
State and county fairs with all their lights, glitz, animals, iconic foods and rides are at the forefront of artists’ imaginations in this showcase of Festive Wisconsin. The pageantry of parades, the fun of outdoor concerts, the joy of Wisconsin’s short growing season or a winter snow day, the exuberance of ethnic festivals, cycling races, and the quieter celebrations of family, holiday or otherwise, fill out this statewide juried show.
The works included in this exhibition were selected by Leon Travanti, Emeritus Professor of Art at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Among the submissions, Travanti selected 65 pieces from 35 artists to be displayed in the show.
Artists chose to express the “festive Wisconsin” theme with watercolor, acrylic and oil painting, pastels, photography, scanography, mixed media, charcoal drawing, ceramic art, encaustic collage, embroidery, metalsmithed jewelry, punch needle embroidery, and basketry.
The Best of Show Award was given to Jerry Steingraeber, Mequon, for his slice-of-life oil painting, West Bend Germanfest that captures dramatic scale differences of a dancing couple and spectators at an ethnic festival. West Bend artist Jim Selle garnered first place with his oil and mixed media work of Wisconsin’s Circus World Museum entitled Baraboo. Second Place Award was given to Christopher Behrs, Mequon, for his theatrical pastel work, Summer Sounds – Encore, executed onsite at the popular Friday evening summer music concerts in Cedarburg.
Honorable Mention Awards went to Alan Eickberg, Cedarburg, for his oil painting, Neighbors, a strong statement with simple subjects; Susan Steinhafel, West Bend, for her photograph, The Delights of Pre-School Graduation that captures joy in the celebration of a family milestone; and Mark Stall, Mequon, for Man in October, a photograph of a fellow festively dressed in German garb conveying a sense of warmth.
Visitors to the Cedarburg Art Museum voted for their favorite work. The People’s Choice award was bestowed upon Barbara Jean McHugh for her fine art scanography work, Petal Party, which is an over life-size color rendering of summer flowers that grow in her rural Newburg setting.
Jerry Steingraeber, West Bend Germanfest, Oil on Canvas
Full list of participating artists:
Wendy Anderson, Nancee Ariagno, Elizabeth Bartlett, Chris Behrs, Erin Callahan Blum, Diane Boer Henke, Catherine Carlin, Kelly Darrah, Cynthia Delgado, Patrick Doughman, Alan Eickberg, Susan Hale, Linda P. Hancock, Walter Healey, Julianne Hunter, Bruce Hustad, Martin Keey, Claudette Lee- Roseland, Barbara Jean McHugh, Joan North, Katherine Paulin, Thomas Pscheid, Hal Rammel, Lynn M. Rix, Lynne Ruehl, Pamela Ruschman, Michelle Savas Thompson, Jim Selle, Mark A. Stall, Alanna Stapleton, Jerry Steingraeber, Susan Steinhafel, Soraya Villarreal, Barb Wagner, and Laura Weber.