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Category: Art Features

  • Jenni Bateman Finds Inspiration in the Grit

    If Jenni Bateman resists easy categorization as an artist, blame her husband, David. An executive for Easterseals, he has moved them around the country: to the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida. And along the way, she has worked in textiles, watercolor, mixed media, ink and alcohol, illustrations, graphic arts and acrylics – […]

  • Vegas Impersonators at Southern Door Auditorium Sunday

    If you enjoyed the variety shows of the ’70s and ’80s, you won’t want to miss The Edwards Twins at the Southern Door Community Auditorium on Oct. 23, 2 pm. They’ll impersonate legendary singers during An Evening with the Stars, performing as Sonny and Cher, Billy Joel, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, […]

  • Ellison Bay Art Crawl This Weekend

    The tourist crowds are trickling out, but there are still great arts events to check out, including Ellison Bay’s annual Fall Art Crawl. Set for Oct. 22-23, 10 am – 5 pm, it comprises six artist studios/galleries and two libations stops. Here’s your guide: Clay Bay Pottery & Gallery 11650 Hwy 42 After 46 years of […]

  • Brian Pier: Constructing a Painter’s Life

    After Brian Pier spent 25 years working in construction, nobody expected him to become a painter – least of all himself. When he picked up a paintbrush at age 56, “everybody was kind of surprised. I was surprised,” said Pier, who was once a heavy-equipment operator in Libertyville, Illinois. Now, about 13 years after he […]

  • Miller Expands Reach in 47th Juried Annual

    The Miller Art Museum’s 47th Juried Annual exhibition, running through the end of October in Sturgeon Bay, features 70 contemporary, two-dimensional works by 52 Wisconsin artists.  This is the second year when the juried show has been open to artists from all across the state. When it began, it was open only to artists in […]

  • Creative Opportunities for the Absolute Beginner

    If stick figures are the extent of your artistic ability, the process of improving your skills might seem intimidating – especially in Door County, where we’re surrounded by seasoned artists. But you can go from doodles to Dalí (well, almost) thanks to local stores and galleries that offer an array of classes for beginners all […]

  • Alisa Landman’s DIY Approach to Art

    Alisa Landman’s open-design home combines the feel of a Soho loft and a white-cube gallery, with its chairs designed by modern architects and bright, abstract paintings illuminated by the morning sun streaming through windows that run the full length of the home. Her view out the window is not lower Manhattan, but Fincantieri’s shipyard across […]

  • Art – and Artist – in Process

    A conversation with Donna Brown Boredom does not bother Donna Brown for very long. The Sister Bay artist can switch from watercolor to oil to cold wax or monotype printing. And if that’s not enough, she can create sculptures from paper or cloth and encaustic, or design earrings from leaves and twigs found on walks […]

  • A Visual Builder: Hal Prize photography judge Lars Topelmann

    You’ve probably seen Lars Topelmann’s photography. You might even have stopped to ponder his images for a while as you flipped through the pages of a magazine in the waiting room at your dentist’s office, or took a second glance at a billboard.  But you probably didn’t know his name, and you almost certainly didn’t […]

  • Creating Connections: Artist honors Native American culture through portraits

    The exhibit of Tom Seagard’s Native American portraits that’s currently on display at the Door County Community Foundation, 222 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay, comes out of a decades-long spiritual journey. The show, titled Aho Mitakuye Oyasin – which means “We are all related” in Lakota – has special meaning for Seagard, but not […]

  • The Pursuit of Curiosity: The art and adventures of Seth Taylor

    Seth Taylor’s studio in Sturgeon Bay appears to belong to many artists. Lifelike portraits are strewn about a table alongside caricatures of politicians; several loose-lined ink drawings of animals — deer, horses, sturgeon — take up an entire wall; a watercolor is beginning to take shape on an easel near the window; and brightly colored […]

  • Miller Exhibit Exposes the Truth about Terrorism Propaganda

    Brandon Bauer’s exhibit at the Miller Art Museum shows what the propagandists didn’t want us to see The Miller Art Museum in Sturgeon Bay exhibits 600 landscapes, but fewer than 25 contain evidence of humans – cabins, power lines, people.  Humans are also absent from the pieces in its newest exhibit, Landscapes of Absence by […]

  • Plein Air Artists Discuss the Draw of the Quick Paint

    Ready, set, paint! When the invited artists of the 2022 Door County Plein Air Festival take to the Fish Creek streets July 30 for a fast-paced Quick Paint event, they will be viewing the landscape – and their craft – from a different vantage point.  “With a normal plein air painting, you’ve got maybe three […]

  • Digging Deeper: Painter Ginnie Cappaert focuses on texture, color and exploration

    Ginnie Cappaert’s artwork – with its bright, strong colors and themes of nature in varying degrees of abstraction – is readily recognizable. It makes one wonder how she keeps her work and the craft fresh with each new season. In her March blog post, Cappaert wrote, “My work this winter was focused on exploring what I […]

  • Local Steel Fitter Does More Than Just Welding

    Shipyard employees sometimes have more talents than they can show in the workplace, but steel fitter Aaron Delorit made a big reveal of his artistic abilities this spring and summer.  It began on a day off from helping to build ships such as the M/V Mark S. Barker, when he had watched a prolific local […]

  • Lily Bay Art Crawl July 15-17

    One of the easiest ways to sample the Door County art scene is to attend one of the several art crawls that area artists and galleries host throughout the year. The Lily Bay Artisans will showcase their work when they host their eighth annual art crawl July 15-17, 10 am – 5 pm.  At one […]

  • In The Hands of Fred Wahlen, Furniture is Both Art and History

    Fred Wahlen said he was never really good at art. His customers see things differently. “He’s a furniture artist,” said Marsha Krzyzanowski. Marsha and her husband, Steve, have five pieces of Wahlen’s specialty wood furniture in their Fish Creek home, including a custom-made coffee bar and plant stand.  The Krzyzanowskis’ interest in his work was […]

  • Marcia Nickols: Painting for the Love of It

    The two aspects of Door County that Marcia Nickols likes most as an artist are the natural beauty and the camaraderie of the county’s many artists.  She and her husband, Tom, started coming to Door County from their home near Madison during the 1980s. After retiring from a 34-year career as a high school arts […]

  • TURTLE RIDGE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS JEWELRY

    Turtle Ridge Gallery will host a jewelry show July 2-3, 10 am – 5 pm, featuring the work of Arthur Ragauskas. Born in Lithuania, he has been inspired by the historical significance of jewelry craftsmanship and mythology in northern Europe to combine modern metal forms and cuts with traditional styles to create matte, brushed and […]

  • Family-Friendly Art Stops

    Art stirs the imagination, cultivates creativity and is a great springboard for crafting fun family memories. It’s lucky for families exploring Door County that there’s an abundance of opportunities to experience art in its many forms. From visiting a gallery, to attending a workshop, to putting a paintbrush to a canvas, there’s something for all […]