Watercolor exhibit displays variety
‘Watercolor Wisconsin’ celebrates 50 years
Wisconsin 2016” captures the variety possible with a single medium.
The annual show celebrating its 50th year at Racine Art Museum’s Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts challenges artists to stick to aqueous-based media. This year 98 pieces from 71 artists are on display. A total of 272 works were submitted to the jury by 155 artists.
From bubbling brooks in Michael Kratochwill’s “Liquid Lace” to Matt Kuhlman’s geometric pattern in “Growth/Decay,” the exhibit displays a range of applications and techniques. The selection is organized thematically, starting with more traditional watercolor paintings of landscapes and nature. Moving through the exhibit, into the upstairs sections, the paintings become more contemporary in subject matter and feel.
It’s not just watercolors. The material definition for the competition is aqueous media, which includes acrylic paints and ink. Black-and-white ink drawings stand out in rooms of color.
Take “A Space-Cowboy Adventure ... Rocket Rodeo Round-up!!” by Christine B. Miller. It’s an intricate collage made from ink, acrylic marker and graphite on paper. The busy scene shows Martians blasting off into outer space with hidden pictures and words all encased in a green frame.
The juried exhibition began in 1966 as a collaboration with the Junior League of Racine. “Watercolor Wisconsin” is the Wustum Museum of Fine Arts’ longest running exhibition.
Through Feb. 5, a companion show honoring the past 50 years of the exhibition is on view at the Racine Art Museum on Main St. That show was curated by Lena Vigna from works acquired for the RAM collection after past exhibitions.
Some artists have for a long time made a showing at Wisconsin Watercolor shows.
In one of the Wustum’s upstairs rooms, visitors will find Edwin Kalke’s jeweltone circular work, “The Last Picture Show I.” Before Kalke passed away in Oc“Watercolor tober at age 71, he told Vigna his work had been included in all 50 “Watercolor Wisconsin” shows. The museum has been able to verify, so far, all but one of those years.
Vigna said even though some of the same artists appear in the show as in previous years, the work varies. Last year Kalke showed a three-dimensional work shaped like a drum.
“You have the chance to see how they take their signature technique into something different,” she said.