Beyond Galleries
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Artists find ways to display their work in all manner of places
Door County artists who are looking for places to exhibit their work have many choices beyond established commercial galleries – alternative venues that offer new and emerging artists a way to show their work and perhaps make some sales. Some venues take a commission on sales; others provide artists’ contact information and charge no fees.
Sturgeon Bay is home to the largest number of alternative-display and multipurpose venues in the county.
The Door County Community Foundation, for instance, at 222 N. 3rd Ave., displays three or four shows a year, said Deb Rosenthal, who has helped to design exhibitions at the foundation since she retired as the Miller Art Museum’s curator four years ago.
“Our focus has been on Door County artists since the Community Foundation focuses on Door County,” she said.
Recent shows displayed portraits of people who have had an impact on the county, then portraits of Native Americans by Tom Seagard.
“The building has the most natural light of any gallery I have shown in since I started as an artist,” said Seagard, who runs Mill Road Gallery in Sister Bay with his wife, Brigitte Kozma.
The current show features the work of Terry Warpinski and her husband, David Graham, who are both accomplished art photographers.
Bret Bicoy, president and CEO of the Door County Community Foundation, has a simple explanation for the gallery: “We want to show Door County artists, and we enjoy seeing art at work.”
Hope United Church of Christ, 141 S. 12th Ave., has taken advice about its Hope Art Alcove Gallery walls and lighting from the experts at the Miller Art Museum. Now artists can pound nails into carpet-covered wallboard and hang a big show fairly easily in one or both of the gallery’s alcoves.
“The church does it because we feel we are part of the community and hope people will enjoy the art,” said Mark Jinkins, who has coordinated the gallery and its opening receptions for several years. The gallery is free to visit during the day except when the room is being used for events.
Third Avenue PlayWorks, 239 N. 3rd Ave., also has a lobby gallery that will begin showing art again soon.
Get Real Cafe, on the city’s west side at 43 S. Madison Ave., has recently started showing art in its sunny main floor and in a basement coffeehouse space that’s available for meetings, book groups and special events.
The cafe is currently showing art by Sturgeon Bay artist Kandy Otto, who works in both copper panels and pastel over watercolors; as well as watercolors by Richard Helland, also of Sturgeon Bay. Get Real Cafe’s proprietors hope to participate in the next Sturgeon Bay Art Crawl and are open to showing work by other artists.
SWY231, 231 N. 3rd Ave., rents the space to people in the arts for $100 per day. Painters used it during the Sturgeon Bay Art Crawl two years ago, and musicians Jeanne Kuhns, Jess Holland, Katie Dahl and Jenny Bienemann performed there in February.
The Miller Art Museum also operates M3, 142 S. 3rd Ave., as a versatile space that’s available for exhibitions, classes, artist talks and volunteer events. Have an idea? See whether the Miller staff will find it interesting.
Drömhus, 611 Jefferson St., is an event space that’s also expanding to provide food and drink, and it exhibits art. Owner Heather Weasler recently showed work by David Nielsen, and in May, she’ll display the work of Jeanne Kuhns. Weasler likes to find work that fits the space, which she describes as having old-time charm – it has 1800s church windows – as well as new fixtures, such as the modern bar.
Outside of Sturgeon Bay, other venues beyond commercial galleries are home to art exhibits.
The Kress Pavilion, 7845 Church St. in Egg Harbor, hosts three shows annually. The winter exhibit is a timeline of the village’s history created by Giz Herbst of the Egg Harbor Historical Society. The Public Arts Initiative of Egg Harbor does the other two shows and is planning an exhibit of Indigenous art focused on Woodlands peoples with a connection to this area. It will open with a June 8 reception and run through September.
Shiny Moon Cafe, 4164 Main St. (on the second floor of Fish Creek Market) in Fish Creek, is currently showing the work of three local artists.
The Ridges Sanctuary, 8166 Hwy 57 in Baileys Harbor, uses two hallways to exhibit art, according to Linda Sanduski, coordinator of the nature store, and exhibit organizers look for artwork depicting nature in the wild. Jan Comstock had a big show of very realistic wildlife paintings, for example.
“Shows are up for six to eight weeks and have to fit nature in some way,” Sanduski said.
Chez Cheryl Art Space – Cheryl Stidwell Parker’s studio gallery at 8360 High Plateau Road in Baileys Harbor – is the site of the Door Prize for Portraiture, which will run June 30 – July 9 and feature both familiar artists and some newcomers.
The Meadows at Good Samaritan Society–Scandia Village, 10560 Applewood Road in Sister Bay, displays art on the first floor of a senior center, and a patron donated museum-quality lighting to the gallery. Tom Seagard, who curates shows there, said it’s developing its exhibition calendar and is coming out of the pandemic with caution.
Northern Arts Collective, 12044 Hwy 42 in Ellison Bay – open Saturdays in March and April – is currently displaying the work of local artist Katie Hohmann.
The Unitarian Universalist Gallery, 10341 Hwy 42 in Ephraim, has two-month exhibitions, generally involving artists of established or emerging reputations. It’s open weekdays, 1-4 pm, and Sundays, 10 am – 12:30 pm.
