As far back as new Wantoot artist LuAnn Widergren can remember, she has loved making art, with first works done in crayon on the walls of the family farm in Clinton, Wisconsin.  She grew up in a chaotic household of five children, where creativity was supported and modeled by talented parents. During high School, she earned her college tuition doing art commissions, which also honed her drawing skills.

After receiving a degree in art education from University of Wisconsin/Platteville, LuAnn headed off to be an art teacher. She enjoyed a rewarding career teaching art, and continued to learn with a MS in art education and E.Ds. from Northern Illinois University. She directed her school district's fine arts programs, and did seven-year detour as a principal for a sweet elementary school.

In 2014 she changed gears to focus on painting, and during this time, discovered the world of plein air painting through her artist-sister, Lynette Redner. As LuAnn works and studies representational painting, she has attained professional accomplishments. She has won numerous awards, in both national and regional shows, plein air events, and art festivals.

Rowboat Waiting 5" x 7"

Wisconsin Vistas from a farm girl features paintings of familiar Wisconsin vistas as well as several featuring water and boat subjects as exemplified in Day on the River and Rowboat Waiting. "I have fond memories of summers boating and camping on the Wisconsin River. Day on the River, is reminiscent of those childhood adventures, of "discovering" an island, with all nature's bonuses to explore. The set up for the painting came easily --not always the case-- being a place I've visited often, with the curving lines of the sandbar, wooded shoreline, and on a closer look you, a heron on the bank. Often, wild life goes unnoticed, until they take off, maybe fed up with our four-legged painting partner, Sadie, splashing through the water. The desire to capture this scene, to make you feel like you are there, is true for all my paintings, something I have had since probably holding that first crayon, and thankfully with time, I've been able to trade up for oil paints."

"Day on the River" 24" x 48"

LuAnn continues: "I've always been drawn to old boats, and water.  My Dad was probably a big influence, being a WWII Navy Veteran, always having a few boats to work on, and making sure we got to the river, partly due to five kids pressuring him. Even as a young kid, I would find ways to get out on the water.  One spring our farm had flooding, so at the age of 7, I took an old wood feed box and my 1st mate, my 4 year old brother, out on the temporary pond.  My parents found out when they saw the front page of the  local paper covering the flooding with a photo of us having a great time out on the water.  So are boats nostalgic, or am I just wired to love the old patinas of boats, being on the water, or close to nature in all its many forms? I think all of the above,  When I run across an old boat , or see boats out on the water, I try to paint on location, and if not, take photo references, sketching with notes on information the camera might not give.  Okay, just thinking about it, I can feel that same little kid inside!"

LuAnn Widergren: Wisconsin Vistas from a farm girl opens Friday, October 14, 2022, 10:00am online and in our Mineral Point gallery location.

We were thrilled to visit Wantoot artist Hartmut Ringel recently in his studio outside of Spring Green, Wisconsin. 

The charming idyllic place, one of the oldest structures in the area, was formally the Harrisburg Church. Since it was decommissioned about 60 years ago, the space has been largely vacant. Recently it was used as chicken coop.

Hartmut befriended the owner and now uses the space as a studio. An artist and furniture designer by training in Germany, Hartmut immigrated to the US with his family over a decade ago. He is now a proud American. Wantoot features Hartmut’s “Uplifting Objects” online and in our gallery. Recently we began displaying “Boats” in the gallery.

“Cups and Drops” is his latest installation. Comprised of only paper cups and strategically placed water sources, the installation captivates the viewer. 

Randomly-timed and differently pitched drops echo from a vast array of varying-sized cups.  

A  congregation of individuals, each with different thoughts and voices, is one obvious reference. 

The less obvious but perhaps more profound result of “Cups and Drops” is the joy it brings the viewer. This reaction was profound during the Opening Reception.  The mood of the attendees was a magical mix of joy, spirituality, human bonding, happiness and enlightenment. 

“Cups and Drops” more than fulfilled Hartmut’s goal of creating captivating art. 

There are many artists who consider themselves watercolorists but few transform water and pigment into images of arresting familiarity like Jim Faecke. A practitioner of the medium for over 40 years, Faecke (pronounced Fakey) made his career rendering architectural form. Fortunately for us, the CAD tsunami took over that business just as he was ready to retire.

Faecke’s approach to image-making creates paintings in which the artist supplies large forms, light, and masses of color – and we supply the rest. “Detail is in the mind of the viewer,” he has said, and Winter Haystacks, the product of a chilly drive from Madison to Mineral Point one February morning, exemplifies this attitude. After photographing the scene, he retreated to the studio to begin his attack. His careful editing and mastery of neutral color has rendered bright, brittle light falling across mountains of straw. We feel the chill of scumbled earth. It takes some examination to realize that his foreground is the product of “a little drybrush sort-of effect, sideways across the paper … Some of it is pulling the brush up - to give a grass effect, some of it is spatter. There are layers … because that’s what gives you the impression of texture there … a stubbly, mown, hayfield – rather than dirt.”

Winter Haystacks

With his eye for finding the universal in the ordinary combined with his technical prowess, Jim Faecke’s paintings transport us. A quiet creek skirting a pebbled sandbar on a midsummer’s day. An ancient orchard overlaid with the mystery of a master visionary and rendered ‘en plein air.’ The unlimited horizon of Midwestern farmland. Faecke draws us confidently into his space, ready to explore with him the endless possibilities he finds inherent in this, his medium.

Light and Vapor: James Faecke opens Saturday, March 7, 2020, 4pm with a reception for the artist. 

John's remarkable career spans six decades and includes artworks created in many mediums. Our Survey touches on the most recent twenty years of John's career. Featured are Icons from the early 2000s, and a variety of Truck sculptures--created in wood, silk screen on wood and bronze.

Recent Truck-themed paintings were created in John's new studio near Spring Green, Wisconsin. Featured are select works from his "Puerto Vallarta" series of small acrylic on panel paintings, as well as two larger works on handmade paper. 

Living and working in Spring Green has been fruitful for John's creativity. His Truck motif has evolved from drawing, painting, mixed media sculpture to work in bronze and sculptures created from vintage truck chassis. 

"Remains" which was created in his Wisconsin studio, and has been on loan to local arts group Arts Mineral Point, made an appearance during the opening of A Survey. 

"Remains"

In September, Spring Green's Rural Musician's Forum organized and performed a concert centered around John's "KB3 1947 IH" Truck sculpture. Titled "The Himmelfarb Project", musicians from Northern Illinois University performed musical pieces utilizing the percussion sounds from various components of the sculpture.

John's busy autumn continues with the inclusion of his "Leader" sculpture in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's 2019 Wisconsin Triennial. The opening reception is Friday evening, October 19. The show runs through February 16.

The curated exhibition is a survey of statewide contemporary art. "Leader" is one of a series of sculptures created from wood or metal. "Ruby Local Hero" created in wood, is part of "A Survey" show in the gallery and is also availalble online.

"Ruby Local Hero"

Terrence is a Wisconsin artist, educator, author, musician and actor with deep roots in the Milwaukee Third Ward and MIAD. Most recently his home and studio was located in Jefferson, Wisconsin.

This winter, Terrence made a significant life change when he relocated to Highland Park, Illinois to be with his partner Nell. The smaller format of many of the paintings reflect the smaller ceiling height of his new studio At Nell's  

Terrence in his Highland Park studio.

"At Nell's #22"

This body of work is an evolution of the work previously shown the gallery, and the work pieces currently the website. In addition to the many works in the At Nell's series, we chose several from the series titled "Landscape Near Lake Michigan"--also done in Ilinois.

"Landscape Near Lake Michigan #5"

The show includes several recent works from Terrence's "View from My Studio Rooftop" series created over a multi-year period in Jefferson.

"View from My Studio Rooftop #91"

At Nell's opens at Wantoot Saturday, August 3 with an artist's reception, 4 - 7pm. The show runs through September 29.

We asked Sandra about the meaning of the show. She explained that she frequently paints large animals and that she had titled a small recent work of a Bull in movement "Animals of Freeness." She thought that since her animal subjects come from the natural world where they are in movement and free, using "Animals of Freeness" as the title for the show was particularly appropriate. 

Sandra enjoys large animals as subjects because she believes they especially lend themselves to her strong gesteral style of painting. 

Her paintings of large animals often are large pieces themselves. One painting in the show, "Wolves with Still-Life" is substantial at 67" x 78" W.

Unique to the show is an array of nine smaller 16" x 20" works. While Sandra routinely works on several large pieces over a long given period of time, sometimes 3 years or more, we asked her if her process differed for the small works. "I start with the animal, I'm working the abstract style into the animals so the background often comes into play with the animals. Then I let the painting sort of tell me what it wants to become. The build-up of colors frequently come by giving the painting some time to sit, and then approching it the next day with a new color pallette."

Growing up in Wisconsin, Sandra says she can't remember when she wasn't painting. She foundly remembers as a little girl on cold Winter evenings,  speading wet paintings on the warm floor registers to dry. "Animals of Freeness" runs through July 28.

"Babagozome" detail

Titled "The Dynamics of Power and Freedom." The show is comprised of 13 mixed-media sculptures ranging from the ceiling-hung wire "Fish" to small wall-hung ceramic and acrylic Masks. For much of his career, Bill focused on functional ceramics. His skills are evident in the series of Masks, as well as the head of "Babagozome." 

Bill has also been deeply involved in developing community-based public art projects. He resume includes many projects in Madison and Milwaukee. Most recently he installed "Will Rust for Peace" in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The (rusting) steel sculpture features a life-size bison and her calf.

The works in this show combine Bill's love of collecting interesting objects, his technical artistic skills, his keen awareness of social issues and unmistakable sense of ironic humor.

"Fish"

"Mask 2"

The show runs through January 20, 2019. 

Cigar Boxes provide the three dimensional canvas for many of the mixed-media sculptures in the show. Found industrial artifacts are used to reinforce or compliment the message of the piece.

Manufactured Landscape

Labeled “constructs,” the pieces intentionally focus on the action of viewing an image or object. 

Minor details, as the direction a particular piece opens, dictate the viewer’s interface. 

Wallace notes, “Some constructs evoke a tinge of pleasure while others may create a distinct uneasiness.  One’s emotions are heightened by this channeled participation.  Hence the viewer becomes an intimate part of the piece.”

Anibus

CONSTRUCTS could be construed as a culmination of Wallace’s formal education as an Architect, his love of historic artifacts, his innate artistic ability, and his long-term work as a gallerist in Chicago, alongside partner Douglas Dawson.  Dawson comments, "…In many cases the conceptual ‘seed’ for the box was a surreptitious marriage of found object with box – one physically fitting perfectly with the other, then later suggesting the story.”

MEDUSA

CONSTRUCTS opens at Wantoot’s Mineral Point Gallery on Saturday, October 20, and runs through November 25, 2018. 

Originally from Washington, D.C., Kristin's youth was greatly influenced by her physicist Father. She learned to look at the world through a very inquisitive lens. Why is the sky orange? What caused hail? How are tunnels built under a bay?

Kristin still refers to these questions as "tunnel talk" questions. Her paintings start with questions like, How can wind and water be suggested? or What is the color of amber, iron-ore, pollen? The paintings gradually grow in layers, over many months, sometimes years.  

"Jacobs Ladder" Mixed media on paper 32" x 40"

SKY DETERMINES features works in oil on canvas, oil on board, and select mixed media works on paper. The works on paper were created using acrylic, gouache and ink and are displayed unframed. Kristin also works in a very large scale. These pieces are not part of the current show, but several examples are shown on our the website, for example. 

"Blow The Wind Westerly" oil on canvas, 20" x 24"

SKY DETERMINES runs through late December 2017. 

To celebrate, The art of Daithi converged with canvas, the human body and the music of Mineral Point musician John Birner during the August 5 opening. Daithi's process of creating art on canvas and the human body, simultaneously, was a joy to witness. 

 The Sanctuary 

Heart on a Sleeve 

Dreamers 

Daithi paints on model during the opening of "Convergence: The Art of Daithi" August 5, 2017 at Wantoot.

Daithi, John Birner, Leah, the painting. 

The artists for this year’s awards were selected from nearly 400 applicants. Art was chosen for the award by a panel of five advisors, each of whom is either a working artist or a professional curator or critic.

“dog with botanyII” 48”x40” oil on canvas

Wantoot is celebrating Sandra’s grant by hosting a show of some of her most recent work. The show opens on June 3, during Galley Night. Meet Sandra between 5:00 - 8:00pm during the opening reception at Wantoot Gallery.

The Gottlieb Foundation is named after Adolph Gottlieb, who began his career as an artist in New York in the 1920s. He became one of the small group of artists who initiated the movement known as Abstract Expressionism, and achieved artistic and financial success far beyond his early expectations.

“mighty tree” 20”x16” oil on canvas

The foundation has been operating since 1976 with two main purposes. They offer grants to individual visual artists through two programs: an annual Individual Support Grant and a separate program to assist visual artists in cases of catastrophic events through an Emergency Grant program. They also maintain an archive on the art and life of Adolph Gottlieb and organize exhibitions of his art and that of others.

Over the course of his life Gottlieb had several friends and colleagues who, despite their artistic achievements, were not able to support themselves either through the sale of their art or through teaching or related work. Adolph and his wife Esther were known among their friends as people who would help out when times were hard or when someone was in serious need.

You can learn more about the Gottlieb Fountain and about the art of Adolph Gottlieb at gottliebfoundation.org.

"Oh, Joyous Spring" 20" x 30"

"Garden In the Deep" 24" x 24"

"Composition With White" 16" x 20" 

"Lodestars And Polestars" 14" x 14"

"Dirt Cloud"-- An example of Michael's earlier collage.

 Michael’s show FIELDS is his first exploration into the immediate and automatic act of mark-making, treating each picture plane as a field on which to make the mark. Just as games are played on fields, this body of work consists of a variety of art games where a rule or set of rules were created and followed to execute the work. Occasionally, rules may have been broken to make the piece work.

#2

#19

As the body of work continued to grow, themes and representation began to transpire from the automatic marks. Certain marks began taking on representational meaning: the sights and sounds of water, waves, streams, land, grass, dirt, mountains and natures’s textures became the most prevalently used. With these thematic attachments transpiring, the images then developed a distant relationship with ancient, writing systems such as hieroglyphs and aa variety of other pictographic scripts.

#25

#41

FIELDS  features over 17 artworks ranging in size from 5" x 5" to 24" x 36". 

L. Stephanie Tait completed a Bachelors of Arts in Film Studies from UW-Madison. She earned a Masters of Arts from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, and spent four and a half years pursuing a PhD with the University of Edinburgh's Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Department. She also spent her time in Scotland curating and organizing independent film festivals and screenings with the Film House Theatre in Edinburgh. In between her M.A. and PhD, Stephanie was the Marketing Director for the world-renowned University Research Park in Madison. Stephanie is the daughter of Steven Tait and Susan Whitworth-Tait, residents of Wantoot's home, Mineral Point, Wisconsin.

Putting her PhD on hold, Stephanie moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to continue her work in producing, writing, and directing. When not creating fantastical realities on stage and screen, she runs her new independent publishing firm, Verthandi Press, which specializes in Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Faerie Tale books written by female authors.

Verthandi Press’ mission is to be a company that serves to be the change that Stephanie has worked to see in the world: a publishing company that focuses on narratives about, and driven by, women.

Verthandi’s first project,"Telling it to the Moon", is a book of 15 original faerie tales by Stephanie. She recounts, “none of the stories are based on anything other than the crazy dreams and ideas that frequent my brain. These are characters with whom I have spent years writing, developing, and living. I'm excited to finally share them with the world and hopefully have people love them as much as I do.”

The book features 15 illustrations (one for each of the stories) by illustrator Brian Carroll. As Stephanie’s close collaborator (and husband), Brian created illustrations that beautifully capture essential storylines of all 15 faerie tales.

Stephanie will be at Wantoot on August 6, from noon - 2:00 pm and again from 4:00 - 6:00 pm, to sign copies of the brand-new 350 page hardcover book. Wantoot will exhibit book illustrations by Brian Carroll, that will also be available for purchase.

Who to paint? Brian wanted a distinguished face. Someone who might be recognizable to “Pointers” as they stopped-in or strolled by, would only be a plus. A Mineral Point artist, well known to us as Laura Cisler, happened to have a father who was a retired businessman; a nonagenarian, and who later in life, fell in love with painting. Enter Ralph Martin. When asked by his daughter if he would like to sit for a portrait--in a gallery--his answer was yes!

Ralph sat for Brian on the busy Fall Art Tour Saturday, and again on Sunday. He took the crowded gallery, noise and activity all in stride. He returned the following two weekends to sit for few more hours each day.  During all this time Brian and Ralph struck-up something more than a painter-subject banter. Ralph soaked-up Brian’s on-going explanation of technique and methodology with the zeal of a young student. Their time together was not only special for them--it was touching to everyone got a glimpse of their rich connection.

Brian Stuart is unveiling Ralph Martin’s portrait at Wantoot on Saturday, December 5 at 1:00 pm. It will be on display in the gallery through December.

"Material World", the theme of the conference, will be dedicated to the investigation of the complex ways that materials acquire meaning through the things that we make and those that surround us in our daily lives. Exhibitions and programs will expand on traditional definitions of fine and decorative arts, craft and design in the context of the 21st century.

These annual NCECA events are the world's largest in the field of ceramic arts. The organization itself is comprised of over 4,000 members involved in all aspects of ceramics. Thousands of artists, educators, collectors, and industry professionals are expected to attend the conference and tour the region. Visit the NCECA site and learn more: http://nceca.net/static/conference_home.php

Museums, art organizations and galleries throughout southern Wisconsin are hosting concurrent exhibitions. You can download an entire exhibition tour program here: http://www.nceca.net/static/documents/ShuttleTours2014.pdf

Wantoot's concurrent gallery exhibition is from March 17 - May 4. Simply titled, "Wantoot Artists: New Work", the exhibit features diverse new sculptural and functional work from Wantoot ceramic artists: Natasha Poppe, Steven Skinner, Ash Kyrie, Paul Eshelman, Nicholas Bernard and Lynda Ladwig.  We're listed on page 19 of the NCECA Exhibition Guide. If you will be in the area, we welcome you to attend our reception on Saturday, March 22 from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm. You'll get a chance to meet several Wantoot ceramic artists.

Palaver, Ash Kyrie 

If you can't make it to Mineral Point for the show, you can browse the exhibition on our online NCECA Exhibit. You’ll see many of the new works that will be on display in the gallery.

On a bright, balmy Sunday morning, we were enjoying coffee in the gallery office. We had just opened the gallery for the day, and the space was serene. The door opened, and rapid footsteps followed. FedEx delivery? Not a chance. It must be someone who had visited before.

We peeked around the corner, there was Ash Kyrie, with film crew--rolling!

Ash is a wonderful local Wisconsin artist we represent. While he works in many mediums, we currently show a series of his photographic works called Architectural Emphasis, both online and in the gallery. 

Ash is also an Iraq War veteran. After service in Iraq with the Wisconsin National Guard, and ultimately achieving the rank of Sergeant, he attended the University of Wisconsin and majored in Art. He went on to The Ohio State University and earned his Masters in Fine Art.

The film crew was from Artists for Awareness, a non-profit group formed to support veteran artists and to introduce art to suffering veterans and their family members. They were filming The Dirty Canteen, a film documenting the collaboration of 11 Artists. 

These diverse individuals are using art not only to come to grips with their own military experiences, but to expand overall public awareness. So the film crew we met that morning was traveling with Ash as he went about his routine--work, family time, contacts.

Watch the clip below. Ash is the chap in the straw hat. You can see him inspecting one of his photographs with Kathy at Wantoot.

Artists for Awareness plans to release The Dirty Canteen this Fall, but they need additional support to complete production work. They have established a fundraiser at www.crowdise.comTheDirtyCanteenDocumentary. Please check it out, learn more about the team, and lend as much support as you can.

 http://artistsforawareness.org

http://www.dirtycanteen.com

http://www.crowdrise.com/TheDirtyCanteenDocumentary/fundraiser/ashwoolson