Seasonal Artisan Market 2015

VIVA Gallery will kick off its 4th annual Artisan Market at its monthly First Thursday opening on November 5. The market features the work of VIVA’s 18 member artists and several invited guest artists. With many different media on display, shoppers will have a delightful range of items from which to choose. And who wouldn’t like to choose beautiful and unique hand-crafted local items as gifts for the upcoming holiday season?

You might want to wrap up some fiber arts, like an intricate woven vest from Kathleen Aaker, a nature-inspired eco-printed textile from Sharlene Bohr, a masterfully woven scarf from Angela Feltes, or a beautifully embossed leather purse, belt and bowl by Daniel Gilbertson, all member artists. Guest artist Crystel Curley demonstrates her love of the practical and tactile with her colorful layered pot holders. If pottery pleases you, the bowls, tea sets and mugs of Maureen Karlstad are perennial favorites as are the tiles of Mark Herrling. Guest artists include Margy Jean Balwierz, who adds her colorful hand-made stoneware tiles and bowls to the mix, and Darrel Bowman, with his intentionally functional stoneware.

VIVA’s seven painters offer an amazing range of styles. The plein air paintings of Paul Bergquist and Deb Conlon capture the splendor of our Driftless landscape. The watercolors of Anne Tedeschi depict outdoor scenes and still lifes of indoor treasures; Bill Mapp’s watercolor and ink paintings portray people and animals in distinctive patterns. You’ll often find a small woodland creature in Fran Knapp’s ink paintings, which are a tribute to her natural surroundings. And you will likely find a cow or rooster among the oil paintings of Liz Quebe. Christine Larson’s bold and colorful paintings are a fun mix of contemporary and realism. And guest artist Mike Lind offers acrylics that explore the relationships between the topographical landscapes of the Driftless region and the flora and fauna (both natural and farmed) that inhabit these landscapes. 

Jewelry is always a perfect gift, and member artists make all styles of jewelry— beadwork from M’lou Wilkie, metalwork from Raelene Roberts, stone and wire works from Christine Larson and glass jewelry from Angela Feltes. Guest artist Ali Kauss handcrafts her work using the techniques of soldering, cutting, fusing, forging, reticulating, chasing, repousse and lots of hammering, while guest artist Jensine Wing is known for her lapidary.
Member artists Ken and Michelle Workowski will have their popular rustic bark mirrors, poplar bark baskets and delicate lamp shades, all made from elements native to our area. Jerry Quebe’s intricately constructed and beautifully finished cutting and serving boards are a great gift item, as are guest artist Terry Beck’s hand-carved wooden spoons.

Relief prints, etchings and monoprints by Mark Herrling, assemblages and photographs by Diane Dahl, prints by mixed media artist and illustrator Tammy Olson(a guest artist), and ornaments based on intricate color pencil drawings by guest artist Monica Jagel round out the incredible selection of artwork obtainable at VIVA.

Seasonal and holiday greeting cards will also be available, as will fun, creative chocolates from Roots Chocolate. Made in small batches on a 4th-generation family farm, each chocolate is a little work of art.

Toril Fisher and John Tully October Guests

Featuring

Collaborative Work by Toril Fisher and John Tully

&

Work By Each Alone

Toril Fisher
I studied painting and metals at the University of Wisconsin- Madison and completed my BFA at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington State. I currently reside in La Farge, Wisconsin and manage Second Cloud On The Left Farm, with my beautiful husband, Drew and my dear Mama and Pop.
Our farm specializes in growing all heirloom, endangered and rare varieties of produce. We are humbled and honored to grow food for our community.
When asked for an artist statement, I hesitate to write a formal statement about my work for fear of making frozen comments that potentially gain too much authority on what is depicted in my work. My only hope is that my art makes a connection to the viewer and evokes emotions of joy and a love inspired reminder of the interconnectedness of all things. Our journey on this planet is brief and the beauty around us is limitless... capturing a few fleeting moments of beauty on canvases is what motivates me to paint. Being an artist brings me closer to beauty. I can spend hours contemplating light, shadow, smells, temperature and energy. How lucky am I? 

Artist Bio John Tully John Tully has been painting most of his life. With the natural feel of a brush in his hand there is little hesitation in his process. Choosing acrylic for its fast dry time, exhibits John's comfort in deliberate decision making; bold design choices, clean line, and adept color field blending. For the last 30 years, John has worked as a Scenic Artist and Designer for theaters in the Milwaukee/Madison areas. He has been applying these same painting techniques to the surfaces of local homes and businesses. In October 2014, John returned to work on canvas. His abstract compositions, many born from shadow, play with rhythmic brush strokes, sculpting the source of light. “Rhythm and light. These are the two elements that come to play in most everything I do. The rhythm of the drum, the train in the distance, the horse passing by my window, the farmers in Star Valley, pausing in their rhythm to stand and wave, the sunflowers turning with the sun..”

Tile Artist - Margy Jean Balwierz

VIVA Gallery’s monthly First Thursday artist reception will be held on September 3 and will feature the handmade stoneware tiles of Margy Jean Balwierz, who produces colorful and imaginative tiles in her home studio in rural western Wisconsin in the Rush River Valley.

Margy Jean describes her methodology as “clay as canvas” and making one tile at a time seems just right to her. She first rolls and cuts coarse red clay, then after a day of drying, etches her design. She applies her glazes three coats thick with very small paint brushes, and after the clay becomes bone dry, it is high fired in an electric kiln to stoneware solidity. Another glazing and firing brings out the intensity of her colors.
Following a life-long interest in creative media and after retiring from a career as a Minneapolis public school science teacher, Margy Jean began making tiles in 2006. Her work can be found in galleries in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and she has been commissioned for custom tile installations in private homes and healthcare facilities.

Margy Jean’s stoneware tiles, along with the works of member artists, will be featured at VIVA’s First Thursday reception on September 3 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The gallery is located at 217 South Main Street in Viroqua. For more information about this and future First Thursday events, contact the gallery at 608-637-6918 or info@vivagallery.net.

Karlstad Family of Artists

Maureen Karlstad

Paintings by Mag Karlstad

John Karlstad

Brendan Karlstad

VIVA Gallery’s guest artists in August will feature the work of member artist Maureen Karlstad and her family, husband John and two of their children, Mag and Brendan. John and Maureen have always been interested in the arts, and have instilled that love in each of their seven children. All of the artwork in their house is original and created by the family and their friends.


John Karlstad is a woodworker whose primary profession is building houses, but he makes time to create one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture in his shop. He also makes wooden swords, primarily for his children and grandchildren. Maureen, a member of VIVA since its inception, is a potter who specialized in functional pieces for everyday use. She also enjoys working in other media—calligraphy, photography and painting in watercolor.

Mag Karlstad has been painting in oils since she was fourteen. She has a degree in English from Viterbo University, and has creatively merged her interest in writing with her interest in painting; each of her paintings is accompanied by an essay. The paintings and essays in this exhibit are from a commission to study the life of Saint Brendon.

Brendan Karlstad works with both clay and wood. While attending St. Olaf College, he created many beautiful ceramic sculptures and was featured in the senior show even though he was not majoring in art. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York, and makes custom furniture in a cooperative woodworking shop.

Celebrating Local Art and Artists

VIVA Gallery’s monthly First Thursday artist reception will be held on July 2 and will feature the work of a number of local artists, celebrating the talents of the area and showing that “Buy Local” means buying beautiful, unusual, lasting and one-of-a-kind items.

Among those whose work will be on display are fiber artists Elin Haessley of Soldiers Grove, who will bring woven window wall hangings, and Susan Johnson, a master weaver and owner of Avalanche Looms near Viroqua.  Blacksmith/artist Nick Smolen of Westby will bring his forged metal cattails, a wonderfully decorative addition to any home.  The whimsical sculptures that are a trademark of Seneca’s Hans Gill will delight young and old.  Jaali Parrish, a talented young artist from Viroqua, will offer her stuffed soft sculptures.  The ceramic sculptures of Ira Slatter and Ellen Reyher, both of La Farge, will be available, as will wooden spoons and buttons by Terry Beck.  Finally, the oil paintings of Gays Mills artist Christine Myhr and the watercolor paintings of Viroqua artist Diane Splinter are waiting to adorn your walls. 

Nick Smolen, Hans Gill

Jaali Parrish

Ellen Reyher, Ira Slatter

Elin Haessly

Susan Johnson

Christine Myhr

Terry Beck

Drifless Area Art Festival Peoples Choice - Painter, Hannah Heyer

Hannah Heyer is VIVA Guest Artist

VIVA Gallery’s monthly First Thursday artist reception will be held on June 4 and will feature the paintings of Hannah Heyer. The gallery sponsors the People’s Choice Award at the Driftless Area Art Festival, and Hannah was the winner of the award at last year’s festival. She has provided the art for the festival’s 2015 poster.

Hannah is a self-taught artist who lives and works in rural southeastern Minnesota. Primarily in oil or watercolor, her work is a study of place, time and season. She loves the place where she lives—as familiar as the back of her hand, yet never the same two days in a row. Hannah enjoys the challenge of plein air painting, and the way it encourages taking a closer look to more fully take in what might otherwise go unnoticed. She tries to capture the beauty she sees in the sun shining through the trees, in the mist that rises out of the valleys after a rain, in the clouds that pile in the west, in the simple, everyday blessings, in faces and events subtle and breathtaking.

Hannah’s paintings, along with the works of member artists, will be featured at VIVA’s First Thursday reception on June 4 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The gallery is located at 217 South Main Street in Viroqua. For more information about this and future First Thursday events, contact the gallery at 608-637-6918 or info@vivagallery.net.

The Rooted Spoon bar will be open during the VIVA open house and VIVA members will provide hors d’oeuvres. Rooted Spoon regrets that for the first time since they began First Thursday dinners three and a half years ago, they will be unable to provide a dinner on June 4. Dani Lind and her crew will be catering the Midwest Women's Herbal Conference near Stevens Point (their biggest job ever—four days of meals for 300 attendees). Rooted Spoon will be back in action for the July First Thursday dinner. 

Guest Artist Fran Knapp in May

VIVA Gallery’s monthly First Thursday artist reception will be held on May 7 and will feature the relief and intaglio prints of Viroqua artist Fran Knapp. A true child of nature, Fran spent most of her youth outdoors, roaming the hills and valleys and exploring the creeks close to her home in the Driftless Area. Her return to the area inspired the series of prints on exhibit, an homage to her childhood wanderings and observations. The collection, says Fran, “breaks down the separation between humans and other creatures of nature in a dreamlike narrative, and encourages us to recognize the positive characteristics of the animal world in our own beings.”

Fran was born and raised on a farm outside LaFarge, and attended Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School and Youth Initiative High School. She continued her art studies at the University of Minnesota Morris and completed her BA in Art at the University of Southern Oregon in Ashland. Her emphasis was on printmaking. After graduation, Fran moved to Portland where she worked as an art instructor for adults with developmental disabilities. She returned to the Driftless Area in 2014.