Miller Art Museum Presents “Schomer Lichtner and Ruth Grotenrath: A Reverie of Painting”

“Ballerina with 2 Cows,” screen print on paper, by Schomer Lichtner.

On Saturday, Jan. 22 the Miller Art Museum will open an exhibition featuring 50 pieces by Milwaukee artists Schomer Lichtner and his wife Ruth Grotenrath. An opening reception will be held from 3 – 4:30 pm. At 3:30 museum curator Deborah Rosenthal will make a short presentation about the experience and process of selecting the artwork at the Kohler Foundation, Inc. in Sheboygan.

Lichtner died in 2005 at the age of 100; his wife had died 23 years earlier in 1988. They left behind a very full studio of eight decades of artwork. The dancers of the Milwaukee Ballet were a lifelong favorite subject of Lichtner’s artwork, along with Wisconsin scenes, flowers, and cows. Grotenrath focused on the details of her daily life, including many bouquets of flowers and still life compositions of her apartment and art studio.

The collection was selected by Rosenthal, along with Acquisition Committee member Malin Ekman, and museum assistant Michael Nitsch. This exhibition is sponsored by Bill and Betty Parsons and will remain on display through March 1.

The museum is open Monday from 10 am – 8 pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm. Admission is free; all galleries are fully accessible.

The museum is located within the Door County Library at 107 S. 4th Avenue, Sturgeon Bay. For more information call 920.746.0707 or visit http://www.millerartmuseum.org.