The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) and Roberta’s Art Gallery partnered together to host the First Annual Paint Wisconsin – A Tribute to Marilyn Fuerstenberg juried exhibition from Aug. 7 to Sept. 10.
“This art exhibit was to honor the legacy of Marilyn Fuestenberg, who was one of the founding members of the Whitewater Arts Alliance,” said Tonia Kapitan, a University Center services manager. “The class of 1961, with which she graduated, wanted to do something to honor her. Marilyn was a self-taught watercolor artist, and she helped a lot of people see what their gift was, including Thomas Jewell, who juried this show and also went to school with Marilyn.”
The exhibition showcases 110 artworks, with 80 pieces displayed at the WAA Cultural Arts Center and 30 works at the UC’s Roberta’s Art Gallery. An additional 161 submissions are also featured in a digital catalog. Each of the artists used their creativity to leave their own mark on the physical and digital walls being admired by visitors.
“I have a personal connection to Lush In The City,” said freshman Roland Buchholz. “My mom, Holly Buchholz, created this piece. I saw it when she was making it, because she has a studio in our house, so I was able to see the creative process, which I have seen throughout the years.”
Lush In The City is an acrylic painting featuring a silhouette of a city infused with plants with a vibrant mix of bright neon colors, including orange, green and blue, alongside a spring palette of colors such as purple, pink and various shades of green.
All 110 art pieces have a unique and artistic meaning behind them: some portray a background in nature, and some portray culture. Amazingly, they have created this in honor of the wonderful watercolor artist Marilyn Fuestenberg, and seeing all these artworks of artists from all over the area come together truly makes the exhibit feel alive. For example, the “Lord of the Conquest,” submitted by Joye Moon, caught the attention of many viewers who visited the gallery. It depicts a chief wearing vibrant colors of blue, white, red, black, and brown and tells us a story about culture.
“Working with the university has been an amazing experience,” said Kim Adams, the WAA Cultural Arts Center director. “Many pieces speak to me for different reasons. It was a good experience to have the university students work with us, and we all worked together to make sure the exhibit would take place.”
The WAA Cultural Arts Center announced the first-place winner, “Winter’s Last Light,” submitted by artist Connie Henke, which is a watercolor portraying the fading of the sunset into the night in the snowy season with silhouettes of trees far back, creating a setting as if the viewer were looking at it from a hillside. “Spring Time on the Farm,” won second place as an oil painting that tells the story of a close-up of a beautiful grassy clearing with a dirt pathway leading to a farm in the back setting.
The collaboration brought artists and enthusiasts together, creating an exhibit that shows viewers how art can make anything extraordinary. Visitors can see for themselves how acrylics, oils, pastels and watercolors frame life in Wisconsin.
