Do We Really Love Door County Winters?

Winter along the Door County Peninsula can be trying.

Personally, I find difficulty in the transition phase between summer and fall, which are inevitably filled with chaos and teeming with splendor, and winter that seems to breed routines. Opportunities for socializing and exploring during the “off-season” don’t abound, so I find myself scheduling activities to provide little reminders that the core reasons I make Door County my home – it’s natural beauty, artistic charm and great people – exist throughout the year.

So, occasionally, when I find myself frustrated with the idea that “there’s nothing going on” while penciling in those activities, I just need a little nudge, reminding myself that this is a lazy conclusion. In fact, there are actually institutions in Door County, such as the Peninsula Art School in Fish Creek, that cater their winter programming to those of us who re-discover what free time is during the winter.

Cathy Hoke-Gonzales, the Door County Peninsula Art School’s Executive Director, emphasized this notion saying, “The Peninsula Art School is a community resource. Not only are we a destination perhaps for artists from outside the area, but also, at the same time, we are here for the Door County community; and, the winter is almost the best time for the local community to take advantage of the school and our facilities. There’s nowhere else like it on the Door County peninsula.”

The Peninsula Art School currently resides on a seven and one-half acre parcel of land in Fish Creek. The original property was purchased in 1965 by Madeline Tourtelout and over the years the school saw reorganization as well as growth. Thirty years after Tourtelout began the project, and after Abe and Ginka Cohn agreed to sell a parcel of their land to the school, the enterprise coalesced into its present form – a year round center for education and exploration in the visual arts, including its showcase exhibition space, the Guenzel Gallery.

Seventh graders from Gibraltar Middle School paint a wall of the Guenzel Gallery for the “We LOVE Winter” exhibit.

Currently, the Guenzel Gallery is evolving into an exhibit entitled, “We LOVE Winter.” Using Hans Christian Andersen’s “Snow Queen” as an overarching theme, the space is being transformed into a Door County winter wonderland by the artistic hands of children. The walls of the gallery are being painted into murals, where outlines of Caldecott Honor Recipient Susan Jeffers’ illustrations supply guidelines for the children’s brush strokes. The space is also permeated by life size sculptures of majestic animals, a Snow Queen and an ice palace.

Hoke-Gonzales explained that while the “structural bones” of the exhibit are in place, it was designed so that each child contributing to the exhibit through March 8 could feel as though they were adding something special.

The Snow Queen created by Sally Bahrke’s students presides over the exhibit.

Sally Bahrke, Gibraltar Middle School art teacher, whose students designed the full body casted Snow Queen for the “We LOVE Winter” exhibit, commented on the benefit of having the Peninsula Art School as a neighbor.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity, she said. “They enhance my curriculum. They provide us so many fun things to do; it provides a break, a change of pace, a change of scenery.”

Not only does Bahrke see the benefit this resource brings to her classroom, she also encourages students to explore the other options the art school brings to the community. Recently, Bahrke encouraged her students to enter their work in the “Gallery Salon.” With this exhibit, un-established artists can see their work hang on a wall of the Guenzel Gallery beside some of the peninsula’s finest artists.

A few other opportunities the art school provides during the winter include the Business of Art Symposium and the Studio Intensive for painters. The symposium highlights aspects of being a working artist, such as accounting and marketing, that may not be an artist’s strong suit. Although the art school’s studios are open to the public for a nominal fee ($12/day) throughout the winter, the Studio Intensive provides an arena for painters to submerge themselves in their craft. By surrounding themselves with the creative energy of others, this year’s 10 participants found much success, each finishing three to four works during the two weeks.

While those who step foot in a studio or participate in the programs the Peninsula Art School has to offer are certainly affected by their endeavors, the Door County art school is hoping to broaden their impact. Last year, the school put on “SOUP!” – a program modeled after the national “Empty Bowls” program – as a fundraiser for Door County’s Feed My People and the art school’s own Outreach Program.

Hoke-Gonzales explained, “The idea was to use art to create social change and awareness of potential social issues. The ‘Empty Bowls’ project was about creating awareness of hunger and the fact that hunger still does exist and is a very real issue in our country.”

While Door County community members have been crafting bowls for over a month, this year’s SOUP! project will culminate on February 9. From 11 am – 3 pm, the school will serve a buffet with 20 varieties of soup, and for a donation of $15, patrons will take home a handcrafted bowl to remind them of all the empty bowls throughout the world as well as along the peninsula.

“It’s a really great model that art can be a powerful agent for change,” Hoke-Gonzales concluded.

Gibraltar Elementary School art teacher Karla Donohue saw this notion first hand in her students who participated by making bowls to donate back to the “SOUP!” project.

“The kids are really excited about giving their artwork away to benefit the community,” she said. “They haven’t had that opportunity yet.”

Peninsula Art School Community Relations Director Cinnamon Rossman summed up not only the SOUP! project but all aspects of the art school.

“There are hardly any places like the Peninsula Art School in Wisconsin,” she said. “We compete on a Midwest regional level right now, and I think people take it for granted because it’s so close.”

So, rather than entertain the idea of boredom the next time it creeps up, I think I’ll take advantage of the Peninsula Art School, sipping on a warm bowl of soup and taking in the “We LOVE Winter” exhibit. Because even though winter in Door County can be trying, it’s not all that bad.

Peninsula Art School and Guenzel Gallery are located at 3900 County Hwy F in Fish Creek. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm. For more information on SOUP! or any of the school’s programs visit http://www.peninsulaartschool.com, email [email protected] or call 920.868.3455.