11/07/09

August 2009 Art Show -- Summer Fun Superior Artists Gallery presents Summer Fun - August 1st to 30th.  You are invited to the Opening Reception to view new and original works and meet the artists, Thursday, August 6th, 2009, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Superior Artist Gallery. Refreshments will be served. Janice Kausz Benson, Dora Kling, Royanne Goossen   July 2009 Art Show -- P.S., We Love Art You are invited to the Opening Reception to view new and original works and meet the artists, Thursday, July 2, 2009, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Superior Artist Gallery, 109 W. Bayfield St. Washburn, WI. Mary Methven, Sara Balbin, Jan McFarlane, Mary McHugh P.S., We Love Art             And, so do you! Art and design is all around us. It's in your favorite cars, boats, homes, saunas, furniture, landscape, clothing, toys, billboards, computer screens, everywhere. Art is in every fiber of our surroundings.             This July 1- 30 well-known regional artists Sara Balbin, Jan Macfarlane, Mary McHugh and Mary Methven will showcase their original works of art at the Superior Artists Gallery in Washburn.  A harmony of color and movement, as well as serene pastel paintings, and metal sculptures for interior and exterior landscaping will be featured in the diverse show. On exhibit will be dynamic scenes of Lake Superior, sailing, nature, wildlife, domestic animals, and the study of the energetic human form.             Each of the show's artists has a unique story to tell. McHugh recently earned the April 2009 Artist of the Month Award sponsored by the Black Cat Coffee House at the 33rd Annual Bay Area Art Exhibition in Ashland, WI. She stated, "I spend a great deal of time outdoors. My pastel paintings mirror the environment with lots of layering, texturing, and rich deep colors."             Jan MacFarlane moved to Washburn four years ago, pursuing her passion for pastel paintings with the study of animals and nature scenes.             Mary Methven's lives by the Chequamegon National Forest with 11 sled dogs. She said, "I work with pastels, watercolor, oil and find inspiration in the outdoor natural settings that surround me."             Sculptor Sara Balbin combines steel, rock and flame to create works that reflect the nature of mankind and mankind in nature. Balbin's large public sculptures are well known in the Cable area of Northwestern Wisconsin.  Her smaller more intimate figurative steel expressions demonstrate fluid motion, spiritual reflection and individual character.             The Superior Artists Gallery opened its doors on July 1, 2002 as a cooperative venture for artists to celebrate the familiar and exceptional world that surrounds us. For more information on this exciting show with original works of art, contact Superior Artist Gallery at 715-373-5075.   June 2009 -- Local Scenes   May 2009 -- Bird and Garden Show The Bird and Garden Show will be on display in the Gallery for the month of May, 2009.  There will be an artist reception on Thursday, May 7th, from 5:00p.m. to 8:00p.m. with light refreshments.  Stop by and visit with the artists and see some of their best pieces in keeping with this theme.    December 2008 -- Hot Wired Mary McHugh, Linda Rise, Wendy Deerly Reese, Mini Crandall, Birgit Wolff Artists and “Show” are Hot Wired  “Hot Wired “ is the new art show hung at Superior Artist’s Gallery in Washburn . Opening reception and celebration is Thursday, December 4 from 5 to 8 p.m.  Five artists joined together to show their new work which spans a broad continuum from wearable and practical pieces to visual art to simply enjoy.  The creative variety presented to gallery visitors includes Mary McHugh ’s pastel paintings, Birgit Wolff’s stain glass mirrors, Wendy Reese’s pottery, Linda Rise’s beach glass jewelry, and Mimi Crandall ‘s watercolors.  Stage North is supporting the arts by offering a coupon for $1 off a drink at its bar after the Hot Wired opening. Coupons available at the gallery, Thursday.  Inspiration for art show’s title, Hot Wired, came from a conversation,  between Mary McHugh pastel painter and Mimi Crandall  watercolorist.  They were discussing ideas about creative process.  Crandall said, “we are each hot wired to create, it’s the way we are .”  McHugh added,” … I think, actually, most , if not all humans are wired to create, once their basic needs are met.”  Putting a show together develops even more electric energy for artists who already look at the world anew each day, reorder it, and see unique beauty. “This show has motivated me to try new things,” said Linda Rise.  “…each piece of beach glass I find is my inspiration. “ Rise searches for beach glass and sometimes pottery and stones on the beach below her home.  ”It is their shape directs how they are to be wrapped in fine silver”, she shared".  " I love the process of creating for a show.  I enjoy the forward drive of preparing a body of work.  It is similar to a swift current  sweeping me along... the energy created from creating pushes me forward towards completion," admitted Mary McHugh.  McHugh asks viewers to look for her use of  ‘orange as the secret color and violet as the friend’, a tip she recently learn from a blog of master pastelist, Richard McKinley, featured in her new  paintings.    November 2008 -- Expressions Janice Krausz Benson, Jason Terry, Mary Methven Jan Benson is a glass artist whose stained glass windows hang in homes and churches around the state.  She also creates mosiac mirrors which combines discarded glass pieces and other elements which creatively frame wall mirrors.  Her work also includes digital photography. Jason Terry is an Associate Professor of Art at Northland College who works primarily in printmaking.  The prints for this exhibition are inspired by his recent trip to Japan where he noticed an interesting intersection between the sacred and the secular. Mary Methven enjoys working in various mediums and in her new works for Expressions her pieces range from watercolor to pastel to graphite.  Although winter is fast approaching and gardens are beginning to hibernate, her focus for the November show is flowers and more flowers, bright and bold, with a barn thrown in for good measure. Opening Reception.....Thursday, November 6, 5 to 8 pm Show runs from November 1 - 29, 2008   October 2008 -- 'Three Artists      Three Media' Dora Kling                                  Oil Paintings Jan MacFarlane                           Drawings Louie Stensvad                             Gourd Masks Opening.....Thursday, October 2, 5 to 8 pm Click on image to enlarge                                           September 2008 -- 'Color My World' Artists Reception -- Thursday, September 4th, 2008, 5-8pm. Colorful art work of artists Eli Wilson, Royanne Goossen, Janice Kausz Benson and Catherine Sebeck is featured during the month of September in the Gallery Room at Superior Artists Gallery, Washburn. The September gallery show at Superior Artists Gallery, 109 W. Bayfield St., Washburn, is titled “Color My World”. The show features the work of area artists Janice Kausz Benson, Royanne Goossen, Catherine Sebek and Eli Wilson. These four artists work in different mediums and are presenting a variety of art that finds inspiration in the colors of nature. Eli Wilson, Washburn, works with clay, finding her inspiration from the natural area surrounding her.  She uses wood firing and high firing techniques with an emphasis in wheel throwing.  "Many of the forms in this show were inspired at a time when I was working under a tarp in the middle of the woods with a wheel and very long extension cord.  My home is colored with the beauty of nature itself," she said. Catherine Sebek, from Hayward, is a landscape painter using pastels.  She finds inspiration for her pastel paintings from the area in northern Wisconsin where she resides.  She says, "I want there to be an excitement about the richness of the colors, the play of light on the landscape along with a familiarity of place that creates a sense of peace for the viewer." Royanne Goossen, Ashland, reflects the colors of nature through her watercolor paintings.  "I have always been intrigued by how all the bold colors of fall can appear in one maple leaf as it transforms from summer green to its fall splendor," she said.  "My paintings in this show are from the warm side of the color wheel with fall scenes and from the cooler side reflected in summer flowers and the northern lights." Janice Kausz Benson, Washburn, works with stained glass, creating windows and glass mosaics of lasting beauty.  She also creates custom windows for clients.  Benson says, "I pride myself in the fact that I design all of my windows."  She develops her designs with the aid of her computer.  The beauty of the colored glass as the sun shines through it can be enjoyed for years. Meet these colorful artists at a reception Sept 4th, 5:00 - 8:00 pm.  This varied and colorful gallery show can be viewed Sept 1 - 29th, Monday - Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at Superior Artists Gallery, Washburn. August 2008 -- 'Summer' Artists Reception -- Thursday, August 7th, 2008, 5-8pm. Superior Artists Gallery proudly presents Summer, August 1st thru 30th with new works by Laurie Otis, Millie O'Leary and Dora Kling. "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible SUMMER."  Albert Camus           July 2008 -- Mélange.  Artists Reception -- Thursday, July 3rd, 2008, 5-8pm. Superior Artists Gallery proudly presents Mélange, July 1st thru 30th with new works by Mary McHugh, Mary Methven, Wendy Deerly Reese and Lois Stensvad.  Mary McHugh, Wendy Deerly Reese, Mary Methven, Lois Stensvad Mélange [may-lahnzh]  Noun a mixture or assortment:  a mélange of styles and mediums [French mêler to mix]   Mélange aptly describes the eclectic styles of the artists and art forms in the July show at Superior Artists Gallery. Mary J. McHugh paints landscapes of local gardens, woods and lakes with passion and vibrancy.  She gives close attention to the beauty surrounding us.  Her paintings reflect her lifelong love of the outdoors. Mary Methven’s impressionistic style comes through in her newest works for Mélange with her close up depiction of horses as well as the concentrated expressions of roosters and cats. Wendy Deerly Reese works with a variety of organic and man made materials to produce one of a kind  masks that explore what Carl Jung called “vessels for the archetypal powers”. What Lois Stensvad loves best about her gourds is that they come from the earth.  With just some basic tools, dyes, and paints, she creates three dimensional pieces with few artistic limitations.           June 2008 -- H2O.  Artists Reception -- Thursday, June 5th, 2008, 5-8pm. Lynn Trok, Royanne Goossen, Jan MacFarlane H2O is the title of the gallery showing at Superior Artists Gallery for the month of June.  There will be hard, soft, running, swift, dashing, foaming and gushing H2O rendered in pastel and watercolor.   Artists Lynn Trok, Royanne Goossen and Jan MacFarlane pictured are the featured artists who have produced the paintings for the show which runs June 2 - 30 and will be present at the artists reception June 5, 5 - 8 pm.  Dry land art of landscapes, birds and flowers plus new metal and stone sculptures by Sara Balbin are also included in the show.                     May 2008 Artists Reception -- Thursday, May 8, 2008, 5-8pm. Birds and Nature show.  Original art work by Superior Artist Gallery members and consignment artists depicting birds and nature in keeping with the theme for the Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival in May.                      December 2007 Superior Artist's Gallery in Washburn will present their December show entitled "Winter Solstice" with a reception on the evening of December 6th from 5-8 p.m.  The artists who are presenting their works during this month are Lynn Trok who revels in painting winter scenes in water color and Catherine Sebek who works in pastels and says that as a landscape painter she gets her inspiration from the farmlands, forests, lakes and swamps of northern Wisconsin.  Lois Stensvad is in the show exhibiting her art gourds.  She has become very popular with the novel artistic approach that she uses to transform nature to gourd art.  Milly O'Leary will have a range of watercolors in the show from seasonal to abstract. Finally Bev Dehn will exhibit one of her large watercolors. The exhibit will be on display throughout the month of December

November 2007

The month of November brings a new and exciting show to Superior Artists Gallery.  "Winds of Change" features works by four artists of Superior artists Gallery:  Janice K. Benson, Jody Johnson, Jan MacFarlane and Mary Methven.  The show runs from November 1 - 30, 2007.  The Artists Reception will be on Thursday, November 8, 2007 from 5-8PM.

Jan MacFarlane, Mary Methven, Janice K. Benson, Jody Johnson

Keeping the Winds of Change theme in mind, Janice K. Benson has created a stained glass window of a lighthouse showing waves crashing onto the rocks, a mosaic mirror using glass mirror pieces to represent the theme of wind, and also some fun digital photography where she has changed the colors to make exciting presentations.

Jody Johnson’s new works for the show include a couple of "mini-series" fantasy-landscape watercolors.  One set of three small paintings expresses the clear skies of southern New Mexico's mild winters.  Another set of two, the lush greenery within Ashland's own Prentice Park at the onset of summer.  And, "Wind" being a long time source of inspiration, a few new pastel "fantasy landscapes" representing the name of this month's show.

 Jan MacFarlane’s move to Northern Wisconsin from Minneapolis two years ago to start a new life prompted her to also start a new art form.  Drawing was her first love, but when she arrived for her first art lesson with Doug Thomas, he asked if she would like to try pastels.  "Sure, why not" was her reply and she hasn’t regretted that decision for a moment.  She painted lots of different subjects and then one day  while buying ice cream at Tetzner's dairy, spotted their goats.  She asked if she could photograph them for a painting.  Gregg Tetzner consented  and that painting has led to the series of goats for this show.  There are lots of wonderful goats in the Washburn area and so far Jan has done six paintings of them and she is aiming for a total of ten.  After those she’ll look around this beautiful Washburn area for another subject.  Water lilies?  Turtles?  Who knows?  but she’ll be ready with her camera and pastels.

 Mary Methven’s pieces in “Winds of Change” depict her impressionist view of the world.   Her “Sunflowers” pastel was created in France this past September while she was attending an art workshop with local teacher/artist Doug Thomas.   The inspiration came from bouquets of sunflowers which were abundant in the art studio where she worked.  “Honeymoon Flower Garden” depicts one of the many gardens at the Keukenhoff Gardens in Holland which she and her husband visited while on their honeymoon in 2000.  “Daisy Field” depicts the fields of wildflowers at the Sandstrom Farm on Madeline Island where she lived in the late 90’s.  Old Rusted Truck is from a photo given her by Peggy Dollinger, a great photographer in the Chequemagon Bay area.  And Lilypad Pond captures the Ashland slough on a day when the light was perfect.

 Make it an Art Walk in Washburn.  Art events also at the Washburn Cultural Center (Altered Book Exhibit and Group Exchange) and Good Thyme Bistro, November 8, 2007.

October 2007

Autumn Nocturne -- Oct. 1 - 30 -- featuring artists from Superior Artists' Gallery:

Mary McHugh, Laurie Otis, Peg Sandin, and Louie Stensvad

Opening reception Oct. 4  5-8 p.m.

Laurie Otis, Mary McHugh, Peg Sandin, Louie Stensvad

Mary McHugh.  The natural beauty of the north woods is what drew Mary McHugh to her home in Drummond in 1985 when she accepted a teaching position at the high school.  After getting established in the teaching profession, she explored creative pursuits on weekends and in the summer through evening art classes with Diana Randolph and playing keyboard in a rock band.  When Mary and her husband Steve started their family in 1992 she found that painting with pastels was a more adaptable to life with children than performing late into the night.  As her children have grown, she has had more time to spend in her art studio.  She started selling her paintings two years ago in Cable and last year at the Superior Artists Gallery in Washburn. 

Each of Mary’s paintings start with an idea suggested by something intriguing in the landscape.  She likes to explore the visual idea that inspired the painting with the impact of color and light.  Water is especially fascinating to Mary who enjoys spending time on or next to a lake or river and paying close attention to the reflective shapes of light.  Autumn is her favorite season and finds the bright foliage so precious since it is so short lived.  “My birthday is in the second week of October and I’ve noticed that usually right before my birthday is when the big winds come and knock down all of the leaves!” says McHugh,  “If the leaves last past mid October, I really appreciate it.”  Her new work is of favorite places in the woods and on the water near her home, as well as some favorites around the Chequamegon Bay area.

Louie Stensvad.  As one of the new members of Superior Artists Gallery, Louie Stensvad is one of the only  gourd artists.  Her work involves painting, carving, burning, and dying on many different gourd varieties.  For her latest work in "Autumn Nocturne", she has focused on autumn leaves such as oaks and maples. Some of her pieces have intricate cut work, while others have taken on a certain "art deco" look, with colors unusual to the natural leaf. She hopes you enjoy seeing them as much as she has enjoyed creating them. 

September 2007

Kaleidoscopes have been popular attractions for young people and adults for decades.  There is an endless variety of symmetrical varicolored forms created through the loose fragments of colored glass reflected in angled mirrors.

The gallery showing at Superior Artists Gallery, Washburn, for the month of Sept. is entitled “Kaleidoscope” and features the work of four area artists: Beverly Dehn, Wendy Deerly Reese, Lynn Trok and Royanne Goossen. These four artists are presenting their work through a variety of mediums in a kaleidoscope of changing patterns and scenes Sept. 1 - 29, artists reception Sept. 6, 5-8 pm.
 

Bev Dehn has an Associate Degree in Graphic Design. Her background includes working at a local printing company that printed artwork images on garments.  Her specialty is in realism using a pointillist style with pen and ink, then completing the work using water color.
 

“I have attended workshops for watercolor and mixed medium for the past 15 years.  What I have learned inspired me to produce my artwork of varying patterns and vibrant colors, which are similar to the viewing through the kaleidoscope.  This effect was achieved through the process called marbling.”
 

Wendy Deerly Reese has worked with clay for over 30 years.  Her sculptural forms can be mysterious, colorful and either serious or playful.
 

“I like playing with clay, metals and glass to make a variety of sculptural forms.  I adorn these forms with a variety of organic and inorganic materials.”

Lynn Trok has recently become a member of Superior Artists Gallery.  She works in water color and pastels. Her paintings reflect an experience and expression meant to entertain all the senses of the viewer.
 

“I have painted many floral but my favorite subject is landscape, especially waterfalls and the play of light on every natural thing on God’s beautiful earth.  I enjoy the nurturing spirit of the other creative people at S.A.G.”
 

Royanne Goossen was an art education major at the University of Minnesota where she was introduced to a variety of mediums.  She has honed her use of water color by attending many workshops with well known watercolorists.  She teaches water color and oil painting classes in the classroom at the Craft Connection, Ashland.
 

“I spent many happy moments as a child viewing the ever changing patterns of color in my kaleidoscope.  The water colors I am presenting in this show vary from the pastel of a Chequamegan Bay sunrise into the intense colors and patterns of a peacock and also the waves breaking on the rocks of Lake Superior.  I recently observed a Pileated Woodpecker searching for a meal in a dead birch tree by our driveway.  That experience found its way into my painting.  Nature is always the source of my inspiration.”
 

Meet the artists at a reception Sept. 6, 5 to 8 pm.  This monthly Washburn gallery walk will also feature Catherine Sebek and Sally Sorenson at the opening of their show at the Brownstone Center.

Bev Dehn, Royanne Goossen, Lynn Trok, Wendy Deerly Reese

August 2007

July 2007

June 2007

May 2007

RANDOM SPARKS
Recent Works by Jeremy Ackerman, Bob Graf, Doug Thomas and Nick Wroblewski

Reception: Thursday May 10th
5:00PM-8:00PM

Spring has arrived and with it comes an exciting new group show at Superior Artists Gallery.  "Random Sparks" features works by three local artists and one from the far reaches of Minneapolis.  Random because these artists do not represent one set school of thought and Sparks because the work promises to ignite an internal dialogue with the viewer.

Jeremy Ackerman is a mixed media artist and musician whose current work has found him immersed in the art of cut paper collage.  Jeremy studied painting at the Massachusetts College of Art where he eventually found himself exploring conceptual based artwork.  His newest pieces use stark psychedelic imagery to illustrate his own personal "creation myths."

Jeremy currently lives in Ashland with his wife Alex and son Jonas.  He is the K-12 Art Instructor at Mellen Public School.

Bob Graf is a mixed-media artist whose current work finds him developing an evolving series of abstract narratives.  With his Masters of Fine Art from Indiana University, he is currently exploring a complex blend of toys, architecture, and his own visual library/playground to support these visual stories.

Bob lives in Ashland with his wife Laura and has recently purchased the old Casperson Heating Building to house creative businesses through his new venture "ARTWERKS."

Doug Thomas has been an art instructor for over 30 years.  Doug's own work is a series of explorations into various media and techniques that are often used as instructional tools in his classroom.

Doug runs an art instruction studio in downtown Washburn called "D. Thomas Art" for all mediums and experience levels, at 308 W. Bayfield St., 715-373-5864.   He also teaches summer workshops in the area and fall and spring workshops in France.
 

Nick Wroblewski is a Minneapolis based printmaker specializing in hand-cut wood block prints.  He studied art at Bennington College in Vermont and later developed his technique of relief printmaking.  He makes "reduction" prints, carving a single block of wood differently for each color that is printed.  Nick's current work explores the beauty and elegance of patterns and rhythms within the natural world.

Nick works from his studio in Minneapolis.  He has shown work at galleries in Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin and displays prints at art shows throughout the country.

Doug Thomas, Jeremy Ackerman, Bob Graf

March/April 2007

Featuring work by
Steven Kreuser, Harvey Nelson, and Ros Nelson.  Ros Nelson will show her computer enhanced photography.  Steven Kreuser's work will be abstracts in nature and Harvey Nelson's work includes flowers and other nature photography.

Opening Reception

Thursday, March 8     5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Refreshments will be served.

January/February 2007

Welcoming Winter
January 2 - February 28

Featuring work by
Greg Alexander, Barb McFarland, Peg Sandin, Catherine Sebek, Karen Thiel
 

Opening Reception                 Special Showing
Thursday, January 18    5:00 - 7:00 p.m.               Friday, January 2  5:00-8:00
Refreshments will be served.                                 Light refreshments will be served.

Barbara McFarland and Greg Alexander

Karen Thiel

Welcoming Winter

December 2006

Dark to Light Art Exhibition
December 1 - December 30

Featuring work by
Sara Balbin, Karen Maki, Mary McHugh, Sara Qualey
Sara Qualey is a still life oil painter, Sara Balbin is displaying her steel and rock sculpture, Maki uses a variety of media, and McHugh is a landscape pastelist.
 

Opening Reception
Thursday, December 7   5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Refreshments will be served.

November 2006

Featuring 4 member artists:

Bev Dehn
Jody Johnson
Mary Methven
Wendy Deerly Reese

Showing November 1 - November 29
Opening Reception Thursday November 2, 5-7p.m.

Some pictures from the show

October 2006

Sayonara to Summer

featuring 4 member artists:  Mary McHugh, Jessica Gilbaugh, Janice Benson and Alice Ackerman.

Artists Reception Thursday, October 5, 2006, 5-8pm at Superior Artists Gallery

Washburn Art Crawl -- Thursday, October 5, 2006, 5pm
     Superior Artists Gallery, Washburn Cultural Center, Good Thyme Bistro

Some images from the show

September 2006

Artistic License

featuring 4 member artists:  Bonnie Bergman, Dora Kling, Lois Osterberg and Laurie Otis.

Artists Reception Thursday, September 7, 2006, 5-8pm at Superior Artists Gallery

Washburn Art Crawl -- Thursday, September 7, 2006, 5pm
     Superior Artists Gallery, Washburn Cultural Center, Good Thyme Bistro

August 2006

the Extraordinary Artists of August

featuring 4 member artists: 

Alex Ackerman / Intuitive water color
Artist Statement:  These new watercolors are an exploration of “underwater spheres”. The intense colors are reflective of the emotions I felt during pregnancy and the first year of my son’s life. The experience of childbirth and motherhood has helped me be more calm, patient, and free in my painting.

Birgit Wolff / 2&3 dimensional wool art
Artist Statement:  I have spent the greater portion of my life working to help the environment by teaching and lecturing nationally and internationally. My goal now is to convey environmental themes through my art. This series of wool felt sculptures entitled “Nurturing the Earth” carries out that theme.