Bill Sahagian’s career as a painter began in 1950.  At age 17 he won the Carnegie Institute Award and attended the Art Institute of Chicago on a scholarship.  He also took classes at the American Academy of Arts and  Palette and Chisel Academy, both in Chicago. In addition, he also studied at the Icsei’s Art School in Florence, Italy.   Throughout his career Bill has come to learn what people like by observing their reactions to his paintings.  “They want color, they want the unusual and they want quality work.” he said. “Color is a big issue. It’s what makes people stop to take a second look.”  What inspires him most as an artist is the beauty he finds in nature, especially the bluffs of the Mississippi River, old dirt roads and rural scenes.  His work has won numerous awards and can be found in many corporate, public and private collections in the Midwest.  Originally from Naperville, IL, Bill now lives in Janesville, Wisconsin.

The Bell Gallery will feature the artwork of Beloit native, Isaic Pulliam.  Isaic’s work was first exhibited at the Beloit Art Center when he was an Art student at Beloit Memorial High School and caught the eye of board member Jerry Sveum, “We have been watching Isaic Pulliam develop as an artist through our high school art shows for several years. His innate ability to draw has been obvious to all, and he has won awards in shows in Rockford, Madison and Milwaukee, wherever he has entered. He has finished his first year of college at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) and we are proud to feature him in a solo show of his art. Read his artist statement. View his work. You’re going to love Isaic”.
Isaic explains his work as an exploration of in-depth detail of human figures. “Drawing is something I’ve done since I was a kid.  Included in my exhibit is a drawing called Fractured Emotions.  With this piece I express emotions that many want to push away. Instead, I hope the viewer sees it as motivation to overcome hardship and move on to pursue great endeavors”.

The Beloit Art Center will host a First Friday Opening  Reception on July 2, from 5pm - 7pm at 520 E. Grand Avenue, Beloit, Wisconsin.  The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will open until July 30.  Gallery hours are Monday 10am - 2pm; Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm and Saturday from 10am - 2pm.  For more information please visit: www.beloitartcenter.com

May 27,2021 - Beloit, Wisconsin - Beloit Art Center presents The Apple and The Tree
 
The Beloit Art Center welcomes summer with a mother and daughter exhibit featuring the artwork of Dava Dahlgran CPSA, CPX,  and Emily Weichbrod in June.

Dava is a charter and signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and has exhibited extensively across the country in local, national and international juried shows. Her work has been published in books and magazines.

In addition to pure colored pencil work Dava also creates mixed media pieces using colored pencil and metallic leafing. She enjoys working on a variety of surfaces such as raw wood, sanded pastel board, & gesso board in addition to traditional papers. She has used a fool-the-eye style to create images on furniture. Her favorite subjects range from still life to portraits with an eye toward things that gently poke fun at the state of humanity. Everything tells a story.

Over the years Dava has served on the boards of each organization to which she has belonged as a way of giving back. In addition, she has given demonstrations, talks, and artist-in-residencies for schools and juvenile detention facilities.

Dava teaches classes and workshops in many aspects of colored pencil painting. She has been praised for her encouraging, laid back teaching style which places emphasis on her students’ needs and interests. She strives to build on the individual talents and strengths of her students whether they are beginners or more accomplished artists. Many of her students have themselves gone on to have work in juried exhibitions across the country.

Commissions are accepted. “I never forget that it is the eye that creates, not the hand.”

Joining Dava is her daughter, Emily Weichbrod, who lives and works in Monroe, Wisconsin. She is a veterinarian by profession, but an artist the rest of the time.  Predominantly working in colored pencil, she enjoys drawing wildlife, pet portraits and fantasy artwork. Many pieces such as knotwork or zoomorphics also incorporate Celtic designs.

She draws her inspiration from Irish and Celtic music, stories, mythology and sometimes just the world around her. With no formal art education, other than learning at her mother’s elbow, no one has told her what she isn’t supposed to do so she has fun experimenting with different surfaces.

Her favorite surfaces to work on are suede board and shrink plastic. She says working on shrink plastic makes her feel 10 years old again.

The Bell Gallery will be featuring the paintings of Beloit artist Carol Spitznagel.  Carol grew up in Beloit and as a senior at Beloit Memorial High School  received a scholarship to Columbus College of Art and Design.  From there, she worked in marketing and advertising where her art training was put to good use. Spitznagel’s paintings often show people enjoying different aspects of their lives, creating inviting compositions through her use of color and subject matter. Carol has won top awards in the Beloit Art Center Annual Juried Exhibit, as well as state awards through the Wisconsin Regional Artist Program (WRAP).
 
The Beloit Art Center will host a First Friday Opening  Reception on June 4, from 5pm - 7pm at 520 E. Grand Avenue, Beloit, Wisconsin.  The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will open until June 25.  Gallery hours are Monday 10am - 2pm; Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm and Saturday from 10am - 2pm.  for more information please visit: www.beloitartcenter.com