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

"A Lineup of Rogues" Exhibition at the Beloit Art Center Features Fine Art on the "Most Wanted List!"
 
BELOIT, WI …In their first Beloit showing, the Rogues Artists Group is presenting "A Lineup of Rogues" hosted by the Beloit Art Center, 520 E Grand Ave, Beloit, WI. A few of these dangerously talented artists will be at the show opening Friday, May 7th at 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Never fear, artists will be masked due to Covid restrictions only. Social distancing will also be observed.
 
"A Lineup of Rogues" exhibit showcases the work of twenty members of The Rogues Artists Group. Media represented includes sculpture, pastel, pen & ink, watercolor, oil, acrylic, cut paper, etching, assemblage, photography, pyrography, motion and mixed media. Exhibiting artists include William Lemke, Michael Andryscyk, Laura Easey-Jones, Donna Staats, Akwasi Gyambibi, Jessica Poor, Carol Christ, JJ Joyce, Julie San Felipe, Rob Hoffmann, Barbara Friedman, Joyce Eesley, Shannon Moskal, Marcia Hero. Chuck Weber, Scott Olson, Laurie Runnoe, Cherie Raffel, Angela Otts, Suzanne Eli-Germaine and Cyndy Baran. Enjoy light refreshments and invest in a piece of original art for your home or office. There is no charge for the event.
 
It would be a crime to miss JJ Joyce's jewel-toned ode to Monet, titled "Tranquil." JJ's work represents a few of the beautifully executed landscapes in the show.
 
Chuck Weber's ode to film noir, titled "Femme Fatale" will send shivers down your spine with its threatening, mysterious tonal quality. Another portrait piece and one of the many unusual pieces in the show is "Moor," by Milwaukee artist Rob Hoffman. "Moor" is a moody portrait executed in acrylic, charcoal, and wax with gold leaf and pearls. A piece by Jessica Poor, titled "Octopus," incorporates motion.
 
The Rogue Artist from Long Island, Akwasi Gyambibi, presents six pyrographic works on wood with fabric, painting and designed printed paper. One of these colorful textural pieces is a portrait of poet Amanda Gorman.
 
3D art is well represented by Julie San Felipe and Scott Olson. Scott's work is an exploration of form and materials. His "Running Crane" is a painted wooden piece. Julie San Felipe's choice of materials in this case is watercolor on cut paper. Her hilarious sculpture titled "What in the World Were You Thinking? Is Your Head Full of Butterflies?" includes an amethyst bead "for sanity," wire, acrylic, metal weight, watercolor and cut paper.
 
For lover's of exquisite traditional still lifes and florals, renowned transparent watercolorist Joyce Eesley creates her colorful work using only three primary colors in warm and cool tones.
Fox Point artist Barbara Friedman's still lifes in oil are executed in a contemporary impressionistic style.
 
"A Lineup of Rogues" is a delightful showing of a wide range of artist expression from a fun group of very talented individuals.
 
The Rogues Artists Group is made up of forty artists producing investment-quality authentic art. The Rogues Artists Group was established in 2018 and exhibits at a variety of venues around the state.  The Rogues exhibitions often feature other disciplines like music and poetry. Membership in The Rogues is by invitation only. For more information visit www.roguesartists.org or email rogue1gallery@gmail.com.
 
For over twenty years the Beloit Art Center has been located in downtown Beloit, the cultural center of the city.  The Beloit Art Center is proud to provide the region with gallery exhibits and studio space featuring professional artists, emerging artists, high school students, and community members as they pursue their artistic talents.  For more about the Beloit Art Center, visit https://www.beloitartcenter.com

The exhibit will remain open through May 27th.  Beloit Art Center hours are Monday 10 am - 2 pm; Tuesday - Friday 10 am - 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am - 2 pm.  ​

Creating art has brought me happiness my whole life. I make art to share a moment or thought.   Primarily a painter, I enjoy working in various mediums.  A graduate of SAIC (School of the Art Institute of Chicago), my paintings, drawings and murals can be found in corporate, public and private collections.

Mariclare leads our Thursday Night Open Studio Group from 5:30 - 8:00 pm each week.  Enrollment is open to any artist working in any medium.  At 6:00 pm there is a time for instruction, tips and tricks, and sharing. The rest of the time is open for creating and casual conversation.  Know an artist who may be interested?  Tell them to drop in sometime. Registration is not required, come when you can.  $7/per drop-in session.

      Mariclare with a recent painting.                   Thursday Night Open Studio.                     Mariclare at work in her studio. 

March 2, 2021 - Beloit, Wisconsin - Beloit Art Center Announces March Exhibits

2021 Juried Photography Exhibit
 
An opening of the Beloit Art Center’s Annual Juried Photography Exhibit will be held Friday, March 5, with a gallery reception from 5pm – 7pm. The exhibit will be open for the public and will feature an awards presentation at 6 p.m. The awards ceremony can also be viewed on the Beloit Art Center YouTube channel and on Facebook.

"The annual juried photography exhibit is an opportunity for participants to showcase their photographic skills and ability," said Jerry Sveum, Beloit Art Center Program Committee co-chair.  This year ninety-eight images were submitted from artists throughout southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.  Selected entries are reviewed by three jurors and each image is assigned points based on composition, creative subject matter, and technical aspects.  The three sets of scores are compiled and the entries with highest scores are given awards. Many of the photos will be available for sale.
 
In the Bell Gallery the Art Center will be hosting a memorial exhibit in honor of Dan Wuthrich.  Dan was a lifelong artist, receiving his first set of oils at the age of eight.  At fifteen, he had the opportunity to work for Walt Disney.  He attended the Layton School of Art and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.  His artwork has been exhibited and sold in galleries throughout the United States, most notably Merrill Chase Galleries in Chicago.  Dan loved creating art his whole life and often said, “An artist is what I am, not what I do.”

The Beloit Art Center is located at 520 East Grand Avenue. Both exhibits will be open through March 26. The gallery and gift shop are open Monday 10am – 2pm, Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 2pm.  For more information visit www.beloitartcenter.com.

February 1, 2021 - Beloit, Wisconsin - Beloit Art Center Announces February Exhibits
 
The Beloit Art Center will host a First Friday Gallery Reception on February 5, from 5pm - 7pm at 520 E. Grand Avenue, Beloit, Wisconsin.  The event is free and open to the public.
 
Janesville artist and writer, Mark Lajiness is the featured artist in the Main Gallery.  His exhibit features hanging and freestanding sculptural pieces made from copper, stained glass, upcycled woods and a variety of found objects, including parts of musical instruments.   Pieces include birds, fish, mammals (wolves, cats, bears, etc.), insects, humanoids (including angels, aliens and gnomes), and hanging geometrical figures.  Mark’s work is full of detail and color and is best displayed indoors, hanging down from a curtain rod or ceiling hook, near a sunny window. Ideally, pieces spin and move a little in a breeze.
 
The featured artist in the Bell Gallery is Dr. Pierre Charles, a general surgeon who has practiced in the Beloit area for the past twenty-four years.  He took up painting recently as a form of relaxation and self-expression.  Because he has no formal training, he has teamed up with local artists to improve his skills. Dr. Charles has a broad range of interests which are reflected in his paintings.  Acrylics and oils on canvas and masonite are his preferred media.  He plans to continue painting and improving his technique while exploring other media and visual art forms.
 
Both exhibits will open through February 26.  Beloit Art Center hours are Monday 10 am - 2pm; Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm and Saturday from 10am - 2pm.  for more information visit: www.beloitartcenter.com

Mark Lajiness poses with a few of his colorful and unique sculptures which will be on display at the Beloit Art Center in February. 
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Dr. Pierre Charles will be exhibiting his artwork for the first time in the Bell Gallery in February. He recently took up painting as a form of relaxation and self-expression.

BRIAN HARTMANN | Main Gallery 

New art by Brian Hartmann to be revealed at Beloit Art Center
 
The Beloit Art Center will open an exhibit of over 20 new paintings by Beloit watercolorist, Brian Hartmann.  Brian’s paintings possess a nostalgic theme. Viewers will enjoy seeing recognizable Wisconsin sites produced with Brian’s intense color and detail.
 
While Brian has been creating art since he was a child, he didn’t exhibit his work or enter a juried art show until he entered the juried Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) at the Beloit Art Center in 2014. Brian won an award at the BAC show, sold his first piece of art, and he was on his way. Since then, Brian has won many awards including Regional and State WRAP awards that have landed his paintings at the Pyle Center at UW-Madison for month-long exhibits.
 
Brian contracted for a solo show in 2020 at the Beloit Art Center, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed his show forward to January 2021. Brian said that almost no one has seen the new art. He has been saving his pieces for a reveal at the BAC opening this coming Friday night!  

Artist Statement:
Being a father of four, my life is always busy. What influences me in my choice of subject matter is the world the kids take me into, taking a snippet of my everyday life to convey a thought or feeling that can be rekindled in the viewer’s own life. Working with watercolor gives me the opportunity to manipulate and express a technique that is one-of-a-kind.

​
Jan Crowley grew up in Clinton and now lives north of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.  Jan began creating art seriously after her children left home about 15 years ago.  She attended Milwaukee School of Arts (now the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, MIAD) for a year, however, she says she is mostly self-taught. 

Jan started working with pencil and found her way into watercolor about five years ago.  She also creates three-dimensional art including free-form sculptures and pots on a wheel.  Jan says she experiences peace while working with the spinning wet clay, adding that it has helped her get through the upheaval of the pandemic. 

In the last two years, Jan has been painting animals, particularly large birds. She says she is also very drawn to working with the human figure. Jan is a storyteller with brush, paper, and clay. She looks for the extraordinary moment of beauty and grace inside the everyday comings and goings of life. 

Lynette Redner was raised on a farm north of Clinton, Wisconsin.  After living in Arizona and other areas for twenty-five years, Lynette returned to the area in 2011 to be closer to her aging parents Donna and Jim Redner, who have since passed. Currently, she lives in Richmond, Wisconsin, a farming community south of Whitewater. 

Lynette's art is primarily self-educated. She has read many painting books and has attended community classes. In the last two years, she has taken intense week long classes from internationally known artists. Lynette works in a variety of mediums, and she paints in her studio, as well as outside in the rural areas of Rock and Walworth counties. 

Lynette describes how she acquires the inspiration for her paintings; "I am drawn to the shapes and how the light plays on the land, streams, and buildings. I see barns as an endangered species; they hold incredible history and strength, and they speak to the perseverance of the people who built them. My goal as a painter is to capture that moment in time, through my vision, choices of colors, and brushstrokes." She adds that when painting animals, "It's about capturing their emotion and translating that into a story for the viewer. ​

About the Wisconsin Regional Artist Program 

The Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) provides statewide art workshops and exhibits for nonprofessional artists. It began in 1940 with the intent of encouraging creative growth, which it continues to do today in these three ways:
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• Art work is shown in a noncompetitive exhibit in regional communities. Meritorious work is selected for the Annual State Art Exhibit in Madison. 
• A demonstration or slide lecture is given during the regional workshop by a professional artist.
• The exhibition judge answers your questions on design, composition, and technique during a group critique and evaluative discussion.

The Wisconsin Regional Art Program consists of many artist workshop/exhibits that meet throughout the year statewide. Each one has a different artist demonstration or slide lecture and a different judge to lead the afternoon critique. You may enter as many Wisconsin Regional Art Workshops as you like. Your art work will be on exhibit in different communities. If your work is selected for the State Exhibit at two different workshops, you may choose which ONE you want to submit to the Madison exhibit.