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Opening Reception on Friday, July 6, 2018 - 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Show will run from July 6 - 27, 2018.
Wisconsin artist Victoria Bein’s highly creative and imaginative pastel drawings will challenge your mind.
Over the past five years Victoria’s work has been selected for numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout Wisconsin and the Chicago area. At this years 61st Annual Beloit and Vicinity Exhibition, Victoria won the Peoples Choice Award for her drawing “Manipulation Station”. She is also included in the very competitive Rockford Midwestern Biennial 2018, juried by Chicago gallerist Aron Packer.
Although Victoria has some formal training, her intuitive approach is akin to the Outsider Artist. Her process begins with a simple line drawing.
Bein: “I just start doodling, much like the automatic drawings of the Surrealists, allowing my unconscious mind to create the content.”
These sketches are the foundation of her work and most of the original lines are retained in the final piece.
Bein: “I tell stories that are not necessarily in a known language; often they appear to me as a puzzle or mystery to be unveiled. When I finish a work I sit and view it, much like the audience would, and let it speak to me. It’s like having a dream, waking up, and trying to understand it.”
She encourages the viewer to create their own story from her work, and through this process, perhaps uncover their own unconscious mind.
As the viewer spends time with her drawings, they will discover hidden content and an incredible amount of detail. In her figurative work she often combines human and non-human animal forms, projecting a blend of whimsy and dis-ease. At first glance, the work may seem playful, but with a closer look you will often find a serious, darker narrative.
Victoria speaks about her work as a process of integrating the conflicts of both her inner and outer world. Information from her dreams, imagination, and memory is gathered and organized, creating new realities and patterns, perhaps more truthful than our commonly recognized ones. Although the iconography is personal, the resulting images tap into a collective unconscious.
Bein: “I find the distorted forms that spontaneously come out in my sketches express more deeply how I feel than if I were to realistically render the image, although I will sometimes do more traditional landscapes or portraits between works as a palette cleanser of sorts.”
Working with pastel and carbon pencil on paper allows her to emphasize linear marks, ranging from bold to barely visible, and to build a rich surface of texture and shading.
Bein: “I’ve always loved drawing, even the way the pencil sounds as it moves across the surface of the paper, or the musical taps of the pastel sticks making marks.”
Key to her vision and compositions are palette restriction, layering, and the creation of transparency within forms. Broken shapes and simultaneity reveal cubistic influences, while the frequent use of flat outlined shapes give her work a graphic feel. Each final piece reflects her journey, blending representational elements with abstraction, finding unity and harmony in the chaos of fragments.
All of Victoria’s work is framed with acid-free mats and foam board, and TruVue 99% UV protected glass.
www.victoriabein.com
Show will run from July 6 - 27, 2018.
Wisconsin artist Victoria Bein’s highly creative and imaginative pastel drawings will challenge your mind.
Over the past five years Victoria’s work has been selected for numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout Wisconsin and the Chicago area. At this years 61st Annual Beloit and Vicinity Exhibition, Victoria won the Peoples Choice Award for her drawing “Manipulation Station”. She is also included in the very competitive Rockford Midwestern Biennial 2018, juried by Chicago gallerist Aron Packer.
Although Victoria has some formal training, her intuitive approach is akin to the Outsider Artist. Her process begins with a simple line drawing.
Bein: “I just start doodling, much like the automatic drawings of the Surrealists, allowing my unconscious mind to create the content.”
These sketches are the foundation of her work and most of the original lines are retained in the final piece.
Bein: “I tell stories that are not necessarily in a known language; often they appear to me as a puzzle or mystery to be unveiled. When I finish a work I sit and view it, much like the audience would, and let it speak to me. It’s like having a dream, waking up, and trying to understand it.”
She encourages the viewer to create their own story from her work, and through this process, perhaps uncover their own unconscious mind.
As the viewer spends time with her drawings, they will discover hidden content and an incredible amount of detail. In her figurative work she often combines human and non-human animal forms, projecting a blend of whimsy and dis-ease. At first glance, the work may seem playful, but with a closer look you will often find a serious, darker narrative.
Victoria speaks about her work as a process of integrating the conflicts of both her inner and outer world. Information from her dreams, imagination, and memory is gathered and organized, creating new realities and patterns, perhaps more truthful than our commonly recognized ones. Although the iconography is personal, the resulting images tap into a collective unconscious.
Bein: “I find the distorted forms that spontaneously come out in my sketches express more deeply how I feel than if I were to realistically render the image, although I will sometimes do more traditional landscapes or portraits between works as a palette cleanser of sorts.”
Working with pastel and carbon pencil on paper allows her to emphasize linear marks, ranging from bold to barely visible, and to build a rich surface of texture and shading.
Bein: “I’ve always loved drawing, even the way the pencil sounds as it moves across the surface of the paper, or the musical taps of the pastel sticks making marks.”
Key to her vision and compositions are palette restriction, layering, and the creation of transparency within forms. Broken shapes and simultaneity reveal cubistic influences, while the frequent use of flat outlined shapes give her work a graphic feel. Each final piece reflects her journey, blending representational elements with abstraction, finding unity and harmony in the chaos of fragments.
All of Victoria’s work is framed with acid-free mats and foam board, and TruVue 99% UV protected glass.
www.victoriabein.com
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Opening Reception on Friday, June 1st, 2018 - 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Show will run from June 1 - 20, 2018.
In our main gallery, the Beloit Art Center will host local artists who are competing in a sanctioned Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) exhibit. WRAP exhibits began in 1940 to encourage the creative growth of non-professional artists. The art will be judged and meritorious pieces will be selected to advance to the annual State Art Exhibition held in September in Madison.
In the Bell Gallery, Valerie Saxer is the featured artist. Saxer is a creative artist who uses paint, compounds, metals and found objects to create her expressive art. Her exhibit, “You take the cake! Find something to celebrate” is a series of small scale cake paintings on canvas and wood, which are meant to remind us to find something every day to celebrate in life.
Show will run from June 1 - 20, 2018.
In our main gallery, the Beloit Art Center will host local artists who are competing in a sanctioned Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) exhibit. WRAP exhibits began in 1940 to encourage the creative growth of non-professional artists. The art will be judged and meritorious pieces will be selected to advance to the annual State Art Exhibition held in September in Madison.
In the Bell Gallery, Valerie Saxer is the featured artist. Saxer is a creative artist who uses paint, compounds, metals and found objects to create her expressive art. Her exhibit, “You take the cake! Find something to celebrate” is a series of small scale cake paintings on canvas and wood, which are meant to remind us to find something every day to celebrate in life.
Valerie Saxer - Bell Gallery
The exhibition opens Friday June 1st with an artist reception from 5 to 8 pm where the public can meet the artists. The reception is free and open to the public. Many of the pieces of art will be offered for sale with the Beloit Art Center retaining 30% of the sale price to help support its non-profit offerings. The Beloit Art Center is located in downtown Beloit at 520 E. Grand Avenue. The exhibit will continue from June 5th through June 20th and is open Monday from 10 to 2; Tuesday through Friday from 10 to 5:30 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
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The Beloit Art Center is proud to announce their May show, “Travel Tales”. The show features the work of Chicago artist, Nancie King Mertz, a Master Pastelist who has been named as one of nine Eminent Pastelists by the International Association of Pastel Societies. The show features her works in oil and pastels.
King Mertz has traveled to over 20 countries to paint En Plein Air, finding architecture, landscape and people as inspiration to paint on-site. From Europe to South America, Alaska to Cuba, California to Maine, Niagara to Florida, her work captures the culture and light of that particular location. Many of the pieces on display are from these travels. Mertz also teaches across the US and internationally and has videos and pastel sets in her name. Her work is in private, corporate and museum collections and is featured regularly on Chicago-based television. She and her husband, Ron, own ArtDeTriumph & Artful Framer Studios in Chicago.
In our Bell Gallery, Margaret Hesler Hynes is our featured artist. A sculpture inspired by nature and non-western cultures, Hesler Hynes creates fanciful ceramic totems, garden pieces and animal urns. She is a graduate of Beloit College.
Both shows open with a reception on May 4th from 5 pm to 8 pm. The reception is free and open to the public. King Mertz will be on hand to discuss her work as well as Hesler Hines. The work of both artists will be for sale with 30% of the proceeds going to support the Beloit Art Center.
Additionally, at the opening reception we will be announcing the winner of our logo contest. Thirty-four conceptual logos were submitted for the contest. After serious consideration, the field was narrowed to ten ideas and then further reduced to the top three. The final selection will be announced on May 4th and unveiled to the public. The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. The King Mertz and Hesler Hines shows will continue through May 24th. The Center is open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday from 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3. The venue is free to the public.
King Mertz has traveled to over 20 countries to paint En Plein Air, finding architecture, landscape and people as inspiration to paint on-site. From Europe to South America, Alaska to Cuba, California to Maine, Niagara to Florida, her work captures the culture and light of that particular location. Many of the pieces on display are from these travels. Mertz also teaches across the US and internationally and has videos and pastel sets in her name. Her work is in private, corporate and museum collections and is featured regularly on Chicago-based television. She and her husband, Ron, own ArtDeTriumph & Artful Framer Studios in Chicago.
In our Bell Gallery, Margaret Hesler Hynes is our featured artist. A sculpture inspired by nature and non-western cultures, Hesler Hynes creates fanciful ceramic totems, garden pieces and animal urns. She is a graduate of Beloit College.
Both shows open with a reception on May 4th from 5 pm to 8 pm. The reception is free and open to the public. King Mertz will be on hand to discuss her work as well as Hesler Hines. The work of both artists will be for sale with 30% of the proceeds going to support the Beloit Art Center.
Additionally, at the opening reception we will be announcing the winner of our logo contest. Thirty-four conceptual logos were submitted for the contest. After serious consideration, the field was narrowed to ten ideas and then further reduced to the top three. The final selection will be announced on May 4th and unveiled to the public. The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. The King Mertz and Hesler Hines shows will continue through May 24th. The Center is open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday from 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3. The venue is free to the public.
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The Beloit Art Center (formerly the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator) is pleased to announce it will host its annual high school art show featuring a collection of art from Beloit Memorial High School, Beloit Turner High School and Rock County Christian School. The artwork includes both 2 and 3 dimensional pieces. This show always is an exciting event not only for the students displaying their work but also for attendees as the work is a glimpse into the future of art.
A free opening reception for the public, artists and family members will be held Friday April 6th from 5 to 8 pm. Many of the students and their teachers will be on hand to discuss the work. The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
A free opening reception for the public, artists and family members will be held Friday April 6th from 5 to 8 pm. Many of the students and their teachers will be on hand to discuss the work. The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
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Opening Reception on Friday, March 2, 2018 - 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Show will run from March 2 - 30, 2018.
This year’s theme for the annual juried photography show at the Beloit Art Center is “What’s Your Focus”. Opening on March 2nd, the show will feature 103 photographs that were accepted based on the photographer’s interpretation of the spirit of the show, creative and subject matter, and technical skill. This show is as interesting as it is very diverse. Additionally, from these photographs several will be selected to receive awards which will be presented during the opening night of the show.
The event is free and open to the public. Many of the photographs will be available for purchase with a small percentage going to benefit the Beloit Art Center. The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
Show will run from March 2 - 30, 2018.
This year’s theme for the annual juried photography show at the Beloit Art Center is “What’s Your Focus”. Opening on March 2nd, the show will feature 103 photographs that were accepted based on the photographer’s interpretation of the spirit of the show, creative and subject matter, and technical skill. This show is as interesting as it is very diverse. Additionally, from these photographs several will be selected to receive awards which will be presented during the opening night of the show.
The event is free and open to the public. Many of the photographs will be available for purchase with a small percentage going to benefit the Beloit Art Center. The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
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The Beloit Art Center (formerly the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator) is seeking entrants for its annual juried photography show. This year’s theme is “What’s Your Focus”. The show will be held during March with an opening reception on March 2nd. Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three photographs Entries are due by February 1, 2018. For further information please call the gallery at 608-313-9083.
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Opening Reception on Friday, February 2, 2018 - 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Show will run from February 2 - 24, 2018.
The Beloit Art Center’s February show will feature the photographs of a well- known figure in our community – Mark Preuschl. Often times, Preuschl will be seen around town and at various events taking photos. As he explains. “My goal is to create positive feelings, memory and outlook for our city and surrounding area. It's been too many years with too much negativity and too many bad vibes. We are long past that now and there's proof to be seen if you just look around. Let the photos speak for the present and see that our future looks bright indeed." This is an exciting exhibit that tracks the changes in our community and surrounding area.
Please join us February 2nd from 5 to 8 pm for the opening of this exhibit. Preuschl will be in attendance to discuss his work, his choice of subjects and his photographic vision of Beloit and the surrounding communities. The event is free and open to the public. The photographs will be available for purchase with a small percentage going to benefit the Beloit Art Center.
The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
Show will run from February 2 - 24, 2018.
The Beloit Art Center’s February show will feature the photographs of a well- known figure in our community – Mark Preuschl. Often times, Preuschl will be seen around town and at various events taking photos. As he explains. “My goal is to create positive feelings, memory and outlook for our city and surrounding area. It's been too many years with too much negativity and too many bad vibes. We are long past that now and there's proof to be seen if you just look around. Let the photos speak for the present and see that our future looks bright indeed." This is an exciting exhibit that tracks the changes in our community and surrounding area.
Please join us February 2nd from 5 to 8 pm for the opening of this exhibit. Preuschl will be in attendance to discuss his work, his choice of subjects and his photographic vision of Beloit and the surrounding communities. The event is free and open to the public. The photographs will be available for purchase with a small percentage going to benefit the Beloit Art Center.
The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
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Opening Reception on Friday, January 5, 2018 - 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Show will run from January 5 - 26, 2018.
The Beloit Art Center is pleased to announce their January show will feature the works of The Visionary Artists a group of painters from the Whitewater/Fort Atkinson area. Formed in 2008 as an art-critique group, they meet monthly with a goal to enrich their artistic energies and expand their creative processes. Six artists of this group will be showing over 100 pieces of their art.
The artists are:
Thomas Jewell an oil painter who draws his inspiration from nature often painting landscapes and water scenes.
Barbara Grant who looks at art as a playful, inventive process using accidents, smudges, mistakes and spills as a pathway to her creations.
Marilyn Fuerstenberg who works with transparent watercolors which allow her to capture subtle and vibrant color through multiple washes. Pigments are allowed to mix and mingle on the paper to create a spontaneous dimension while granulating pigments create interesting textures.
Joyce Follis uses the flow of colors and water as they mix together on a blank piece of paper to create paintings that draw the viewer into the beauty of what she has created.
Mary Nevicosi uses a simplistic approach to art responding to her surroundings, the seasons and the people and things she loves. She paints quickly and does not limit herself to anyone technique, style or medium.
And, John Dynkowski who discovered watercolor to be his medium of choice painting the scenery that surrounds him whether it is cityscapes or rural landscapes.
Opening night for this exhibit is Friday January 5th from 5 to 8 pm. The event is free and open to the public. The artists will be on hand to meet the public and discuss their art. The show will continue through January 26th. The artwork will be available for purchase with a small percentage going to benefit the Beloit Art Center.
The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit.
Show will run from January 5 - 26, 2018.
The Beloit Art Center is pleased to announce their January show will feature the works of The Visionary Artists a group of painters from the Whitewater/Fort Atkinson area. Formed in 2008 as an art-critique group, they meet monthly with a goal to enrich their artistic energies and expand their creative processes. Six artists of this group will be showing over 100 pieces of their art.
The artists are:
Thomas Jewell an oil painter who draws his inspiration from nature often painting landscapes and water scenes.
Barbara Grant who looks at art as a playful, inventive process using accidents, smudges, mistakes and spills as a pathway to her creations.
Marilyn Fuerstenberg who works with transparent watercolors which allow her to capture subtle and vibrant color through multiple washes. Pigments are allowed to mix and mingle on the paper to create a spontaneous dimension while granulating pigments create interesting textures.
Joyce Follis uses the flow of colors and water as they mix together on a blank piece of paper to create paintings that draw the viewer into the beauty of what she has created.
Mary Nevicosi uses a simplistic approach to art responding to her surroundings, the seasons and the people and things she loves. She paints quickly and does not limit herself to anyone technique, style or medium.
And, John Dynkowski who discovered watercolor to be his medium of choice painting the scenery that surrounds him whether it is cityscapes or rural landscapes.
Opening night for this exhibit is Friday January 5th from 5 to 8 pm. The event is free and open to the public. The artists will be on hand to meet the public and discuss their art. The show will continue through January 26th. The artwork will be available for purchase with a small percentage going to benefit the Beloit Art Center.
The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit.
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The Beloit Art Center is excited about their December show. Opening December 1st during Holidazzle, the Main Gallery and smaller Bell Gallery will be full of wonderful items ready for gift giving.
In the Main Gallery, the December show features three glass artists: Barb Westfall of southwestern Wisconsin, Richard Synder of Janesville and Peter Patterson of Mundelein, Illinois. All three are well known for their work with glass.
Westfall’s work is woven into her day-to-day interactions with the natural world around her home on the Sugar River. She describes herself as an ecological artist working in fused glass. Synder is well known for his original stained glass works as well as for his restoration of the Oak Hill Chapel in Janesville. Patterson whose work with Master Glassblowers has found his inspiration to develop his own style based on nature, life experiences and his underwater experiences as a scuba diver.
This exhibit opens December 1st at 5 pm. The artists will be in attendance to discuss their works and add insight into what led to their creating a particular piece of art. The show will close December 28th .
For Holidazzle, the Bell Gallery will feature writer Kimberly Vogel and artists Connie Fry and Alice Blue. Vogel’s works are fiction of various genres and make excellent gift items. Fry and Blue, both local artists work mainly in acrylics to create paintings with a wide variety of themes. The Bell Gallery will be open only during Holidazzle, December 1st.
The Beloit Art Center (formerly the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator) is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
In the Main Gallery, the December show features three glass artists: Barb Westfall of southwestern Wisconsin, Richard Synder of Janesville and Peter Patterson of Mundelein, Illinois. All three are well known for their work with glass.
Westfall’s work is woven into her day-to-day interactions with the natural world around her home on the Sugar River. She describes herself as an ecological artist working in fused glass. Synder is well known for his original stained glass works as well as for his restoration of the Oak Hill Chapel in Janesville. Patterson whose work with Master Glassblowers has found his inspiration to develop his own style based on nature, life experiences and his underwater experiences as a scuba diver.
This exhibit opens December 1st at 5 pm. The artists will be in attendance to discuss their works and add insight into what led to their creating a particular piece of art. The show will close December 28th .
For Holidazzle, the Bell Gallery will feature writer Kimberly Vogel and artists Connie Fry and Alice Blue. Vogel’s works are fiction of various genres and make excellent gift items. Fry and Blue, both local artists work mainly in acrylics to create paintings with a wide variety of themes. The Bell Gallery will be open only during Holidazzle, December 1st.
The Beloit Art Center (formerly the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator) is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Open Monday from 10 to 2, Tuesday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday from 10 to 3.
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The Beloit Art Center will host a number of talented local artists in their annual juried art show. Sponsored by Kerry Ingredients, the focus of the show is “Food” with the presentation of the subject being up to the imagination and creativity of the artist. From the entries three pieces of art will be selected to receive awards that evening. Judges are Dan Wuthrich, the center’s resident artist and Mariclare Sheil, graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Opening night for this exhibit is November 3rd from 5 to 8 pm. The event is free and open to the public. The artists will be on hand to meet the public and discuss their art. The show will continue through November 22nd.
The Beloit Art Center (formerly the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator) is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. The Gallery is open Monday from 10 to 2; Tuesday through Friday from 10 to 5:30 and on Saturday from 10 to 3:00.
Opening night for this exhibit is November 3rd from 5 to 8 pm. The event is free and open to the public. The artists will be on hand to meet the public and discuss their art. The show will continue through November 22nd.
The Beloit Art Center (formerly the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator) is located at 520 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. The Gallery is open Monday from 10 to 2; Tuesday through Friday from 10 to 5:30 and on Saturday from 10 to 3:00.
Thank you to our show sponsor Kerry Ingredients.