CROSSING PATHS: TRAVELING TOGETHER | Sveum Gallery Janine Bessenecker | Beth Mastin | Elizabeth Sawyer Kelly | Marcia Smith | Mary Tilton  Beloit Art Center is pleased to announce the September exhibits which will open with a First Friday Gallery Reception on September 1st from 5-7pm. A gallery talk featuring the artists will be held at 6 pm. Both exhibits will be open through September 28th. In the Sveum Gallery, the art of Liz Kelly and Friends will be featured. Liz Kelly embraces the challenges and techniques inherent in watercolor to allow the interplay of color, pattern, nurture, and relationship to dominate the story of her art. “My formal training as an artist consists mainly of local art classes and some inspiring workshops. I continue to grow and learn about the world of art and the infinite capacity to grow as an artist.” Janine Bessenecker paints in watercolor and enjoys the appearance of one color flowing into another and the layered effect it produces. Beth Mastin’s art features the unfolding arc of Fibonacci’s Sequence. Known to artists as the golden mean, it shapes and directs her lines and guides her in the overall balance and movement of her paintings. Marcia Smith finds inspiration in her travels and uses the idea of a high horizon and perhaps trees, hills, cliffs or water to explore the wonderful, fluid, and textured world of watercolor. And finally, Mary Tilton “... tells a story using shapes. How pieces fit together to create a whole is a foundation for all my artistic endeavors, just as words are used to relate a story. My attention will be caught by the sweep of a tree limb, the gentle curve of a hillside, a posture that conveys attitude, or some other evocative pattern, and that will be the beginning of a painting.” JENNIFER MURRAY | Bell Gallery In the Bell Gallery, artist Jennifer Murray will be featured. Murray creates art on canvas through the use of acrylics, oil pastels, water mixable oils, markers, watercolor, pencil, and alcohol inks. Her hope “ … is that you have an experience when you listen to or view art of any kind. The openness to stepping into a song, a photograph or a painting is a journey only you can take.”
Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Ave. in downtown Beloit. The gallery is free and open to the public. Gallery and gift shop hours are Monday 10 am – 2 pm, Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm and Saturday 10 am – 2 pm. Beloit Art Center is pleased to announce the August exhibits which will open with a First Friday Gallery Reception on August 4th from 5-7pm. A gallery talk featuring the artists will be held at 6 pm. Both exhibits will be open through August 27th. In the Sveum Gallery, we welcome Greg La Mont. Greg has been fascinated with art and artwork since he was young, always experimenting with wall art, illustrations, mechanical drawings, and caricatures for the high school name book, to name a few. Intrigued by creating in many different genres, he continued to build on his knowledge bank. A self-taught artist, he brings an eclectic mix to his body of work. “I enjoy visualizing and creating my work in varying mediums.” In the Bell Gallery, we are pleased to feature Kendra Kett. Kendra’s art is a collection of mixed media artworks about the power of healing and recovery after loss, betrayal, abuse, and grief. Using abstraction and color theory Kendra’s art attempts to visually communicate that sadness can be overcome and that healing is available to us every day. The Beloit Art Center is pleased to announce its upcoming art classes. Starting August 1st, the Art Center will be offering a new beginner six-week wheel throwing pottery course. It will be held Tuesday evenings from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.. The class is intended for beginners, but all skill levels are welcome. Sign up quickly as this course will be limited to 7 students. A new six-week session of Mosaic Mania will be starting August 8th. The workshop meets weekly and is held on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.. Students of all skill levels are welcome and can work on any project of their choice. To register for any course and to see information about all of the courses offered, visit www.beloitartcenter.com or call 608-313-9083. Thank you to all of the artists who decorated and donated a butterfly to this year’s Butterfly Beloit Fundraiser, held in July. The butterflies were auctioned and proceeds will be used to support Beloit Community Art programming and scholarships. Thank you to Bagels & More, The Villager, Walnut Creek, and Bushel & Peck’s for displaying the butterflies and to the many community members who bid on the butterflies. Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Ave. in downtown Beloit. The gallery is free and open to the public. Gallery and gift shop hours are Monday 10 am – 2 pm, Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm and Saturday 10 am – 2 pm. Sveum Gallery artist, Greg La Mont. Bell Gallery artist, Kendra Kett.  
Beloit Art Center honors Sveum for his dedication
Gallery named after long-time center promoter CLINT WOLF - Beloit Daily News Senior Reporter BELOIT — Jerry Sveum has been working behind the scenes and at the front door of the Beloit Art Center for over a decade, making sure the community has a place where art can be appreciated and where artists can display their works. Now, Sveum’s name will forever be a part of the art center as the main gallery at the downtown art center was named the Sveum Gallery during a ceremony Saturday. “We just thought it was time to honor him for all his work here,” said Dawn Stadelman, a member of the Beloit Art Center Board. Stadelman was the board member who suggested naming the gallery after Sveum. The board unanimously approved the idea. Gary Dencker, the current Beloit Art Center board president, said he couldn’t list all the things Sveum has done for the art center, because they are so numerous. “He is the ultimate promoter of the art center,” Dencker said. “Jerry talked me into joining the board.” Sveum has been a board member and a past board president for the art center. He also established relationships with area artists and art groups. He has maintained contacts with area art teachers so student art exhibits could be put together. He has served as master of ceremonies for the First Friday artist receptions. He has hung paintings on the walls and arranged art pieces in the two galleries at the art center. But, there is no job too small nor too menial for Sveum, Dencker said. He has been known to paint walls, plant flowers or pull weeds and work on the plumbing at the art center. On Saturday, art center supporters, friends and family members gathered at the art center to surprise Sveum with the honor. It was a double celebration with a birthday cake being served, since Sveum will turn 80 years old on May 15. Sveum’s two sons, Scott and Tim, attended the ceremony Saturday, as did his sister, Joanie Allison. “He’s been curating this are center for 15 years,” said Scott Sveum, who traveled from Vail, Colorado for the event. Sveum is well known in the community. He was a pharmacist at Grand Avenue Pharmacy, with his partner and fellow- pharmacist, Art Carl, who also was present at the gallery naming event. Sveum said he was truly surprised by the honor. “I thought it was a joke,” he said about his reaction to all the people turning out for him. “This is wonderful. I truly appreciate it.” The Beloit Art Center is at 520 E. Grand Ave. It offers monthly art exhibits in the Sveum and Bell galleries as well as art and photography classes. Kate May Fitch | Sveum Gallery     Beloit Art Center is pleased to announce the May exhibits which will open with a First Friday Gallery Reception on May 5 from 5-7pm. A gallery talk featuring the artists will be held at 6pm. Both exhibits will be open through May 25th. The Main Gallery will feature Kate May Fitch. As an artist, Kate shows the breadth of items that fall under the umbrella of art. From bronze statues in Illinois, to painted banners in Kansas Kate encapsulates the ambiance of the American mid-west by finding the beauty in the most common. Kate has received many commissions to create larger-than-life sculptures out of bronze and fiberglass. Most recently Kate has focused on a life-size bronze statue of a Native American woman. The statue is located at Hononegah High School in Rockton, IL. Kate and her husband recently purchased the family farm and have enjoyed building a new home with their three young children. In the Bell Gallery, we are pleased to feature the photography of Cindy Vondran. With her love of ancient history, Cindy decided to bring the classic Goddesses into the modern world in this series, using models and scenery to illustrate attributes as historically depicted in each of the mythological figures. As Cindy explains, “I find it very rewarding to incorporate my passion for history into my subject matter and hope you enjoy this exhibit.” Beloit Art Center would like to thank this month’s Main Gallery sponsor, Senz Insurance and Bell Gallery sponsor Christofferson Moving and Storage. Cindy Vondran | Bell Gallery     In addition to exhibits at our location downtown, each quarter the Beloit Art Center also hosts work at the Beloit Public Library. The current exhibit is by John Hines, a resident artist of the Beloit Art Center. John Hines is self-taught and was born and raised in Beloit. Most of his art instruction has come from reading books, taking online classes, and working with the Beloit Art Center Thursday night open studio artist group. In 2022 John was commissioned by the City of Beloit to paint the USS Beloit for the dedication ceremony commemorating the combat ship. John has won several awards regionally and his piece Time with Dad, received a 2021 state award from the Association of Wisconsin Artists. His exhibit at BPL will be open through June. John Hines | Beloit Public Library  Calling all young artists. Beloit Art Center is offering summer classes for students ages 8 – 18. Back by popular demand, Lynette Redner will be teaching classes in cartooning, watercolor, and acrylic painting. Pottery instructor Rebecca Rehpohl will be teaching pottery classes for teens. Anna Banwell will be offering a variety of one-day workshops including papermaking, felting, and creating a recycled art journal. Nancy Mayhew will return again this summer with two mosaic classes for kids. Visit www.beloitartcenter.com/summer-classes-for-students.html for all of the offerings and how to sign up.
This spring Beloit Art Center is excited to announce the 2023 BUTTERFLY BELOIT Fundraiser. Community members are invited to decorate a butterfly with their choice of materials and donate it to the Beloit Art Center. The butterflies will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to support community art scholarships and programming. If you would like to create a butterfly, 24” x 20” wood cutouts can be purchased for $15 at the Beloit Art Center Gift Shop. Be sure to get your butterfly soon, we expect them to go fast! If you need inspiration, Nancy Mayhew will host a free demonstration at 10 am on Saturday, May 13 in the gallery. The completed butterflies should be delivered back to the Beloit Art Center by May 31st. Please see our website for more May classes and events, including our weekly Open Studio Art Group, which meets on Thursdays at 5:30, as well as our monthly Photography Club, which meets the second Wednesday of each month at 6 pm. Beloit Art Center is free and open to the public and is located at 520 E. Grand Ave. in downtown Beloit. Gallery and gift shop hours are Monday 10am – 2pm, Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 2pm.  This month the Beloit Art Center is pleased to present the 14th Annual High School Art Exhibit. A First Friday Gallery Reception will be held on April 7th from 5 – 7 p.m. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators, as well as the public are encouraged to attend to see the collective talent of the young artists in Beloit. Participating schools are Beloit Turner, Beloit Memorial, Rock County Christian, and The Lincoln Academy. The exhibit highlights artwork ranging from painting, digital art, mixed media, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Several pieces will be selected to represent Beloit in the Association of Wisconsin Artists (AWA) Statewide Teen Art Mentor Program (STAMP). The work chosen will be exhibited and published at the Pyle Center on the UW Madison campus this August. Thank you to our April show sponsor, Hendricks Commercial Properties, for their generous support of this exhibit and the youth in Beloit. The exhibit will be open through April 27th. For more information about events happening at Beloit Art Center, read our April newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/6367bee5bb2d/gallery-shows-at-beloit-art-center-6273803 |
