2024

Spring Art Show-Artist Free Play
 

April 13-14, 20-21, and 27-28 
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Photographs, Paintings, Wood and Metal Art (some for sale)

Free admission!

Another wonderful show at the WOWSPACE!

Greg Luedtke, the judge for the Artists' Free Play XI juried art show had a very difficult task this year in selecting the winners! Art is diverse! For the first time in 11 years, we had two winners who were graduates of Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School. Lauren Bushman won Best of Show (WBHS), Amy Martin won Award of Excellence, and the winner of the Award of Honor was Emma Meydam (WBHS). We have so much talent in this town! Congratulations to these winners, and to all who participated!

2024 Artist Free Play Contract

2024 Artist Free Play Rules

2023

Thank you, artists, for allowing the community to view your amazing artwork!

WOW's Artists Freeplay X Juried Art Show opened at WOW's Wine, Beer and Cheese Gala. Artists helped us celebrate our show by creating and entering one (or two) works of art. The freeplay theme gives the greatest latitude possible for creativity. Eligible techniques included photography, painting, printmaking, mixed media, wood and on and  on. It was a great night for folks to get out in the spring-like weather to be greeted by scents of fresh flowers donated by evolutions in design along with enjoying good wine, beer, cheese (and meats) and art at the WOWSPACE gallery. Judges Curt Knoke and Dave Ashenbrenner awarded Blaine Koch's "Segmented Hand Basket #2", a detailed and intricate locally sourced ash and walnut wood piece the Best of Show Award. Elaine Groshek's acrylic 2-D "The Merchant" received the Award of Excellence, Hans Schmitt's great eye-catching photography piece "Big Red" received the Award of Honor. The show was held Saturdays and Sundays from 11 to 3 April 15-16, 22-23, & 29-30 at the WOWSPACE. The monetary awards were sponsored by Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg and Friends of WOW. The fabulous and plentiful wine, beer, cheese and meats were donated by Fabiano Brothers, Nueske's Smoked Meats, Mullins Cheese, Sentry Foods, and Lisa's Sweet Shoppe and Bakery. WOW would like to thank all who attended, donated, or sponsored our event and show.

Blaine Koch's "Segmented Handbasket"

2023 Best of Show

Elaine Groshek's "The Merchant"

2023 Award of Excellence

Hans Schmitt's "Big Red"

Award of Honor

Rules for Artists' Free Play X

Contract for Artist's Free Play X

2022

Artists' Free Play IX Rules for 2022

2021

"ARTISTS' FREE PLAY: VIII"

JURIED ART SHOW

APRIL 24TH - MAY 9TH, 2021

Art lovers joined us at the WOWSPACE for this fabulous show.  Free Play means just that, whatever technique the artist preferred:  photography, painting, mixed media, printmaking, textiles. Attendees were amazed at the creativity and talent of our artists! Thank you to all the exhibitors, attendees and volunteers for their time.

The 2021 awards went to:

Best of Show - C. Steve Johnson for his Red Cedar Dream Table

Award of Excellence - Judith Gosz's St. Mary's Leopolis

Award of Excellence - Bear Trap Falls by Judith Gosz

Award of Honor - Hans Schmitt's In the Mix Photography

Award of Honor - Lee Ann Schulz's Cherry Blossom Garden Necklace

Even Cinderella made an appearance!

2020

“ARTISTS’ FREE PLAY: VIII”

JURIED ART SHOW

APRIL 24th – MAY 10th, 2020

     **** Canceled due to the coronavirus.****

2019

Spring Juried Art Show:  Artists' Free Play VII Saturdays and Sundays from April 27th, 2019 to May 12th, 2019  11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Many art lovers joined us at the WOWSPACE for this fabulous show.  Free Play means just that, whatever technique you prefer:  photography, painting, mixed media, printmaking, textiles, ..... The sky is the limit.  Community members were amazed at the creativity and talent of our artists! The show opened during the Wine, Beer and Cheese Gala and then was opened to the public weekends through May 12th.

2018

Spring Art Show – Artist Freeplay VI  took place place April 22 to May 13, 2018. It was the largest juried art show ever....74 entries.  The show displayed art of every kind.

September 22nd thru October 7th, 2018: “The More the Merrier” -- 

This exceptional fall show featured a variety of talented artists and their artwork:  painting – Alan Clough and Judy Pubanz, glassblowing – Hilary Rinke, fiber art – Jean Sredl,  jewelry – Angie Hendrikson, photography -  Jim Leuenberger and Focal Point Camera Club, graphite pencil – Emilee Lund, pottery, ceramic tiles, and woodworking – Carol and Bill Strand. The show was included in the Miles of Art weekend, October 6th and 7th, and was sponsored by Ho-Chunk Gaming, Wittenberg.....the WOWSPACE was booming with lots of first time visitors who simply could not get over the beauty of our gallery!

2017

September 16th thru October 8th: Annual FALL ART Show  ~ ""WOW!  Some of the Best of WOW", 11 AM - 3 PM on Saturdays and Sundays sponsored by Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg and Walls of Wittenberg, Inc.  Featured the artwork of:

Sharon Feathers

Jim Lenberger

Judy Pubanz

Len Pubanz

Jim Rowe III

We were once again part of the Miles of Art tour on September 30th and October 1st.  Artists and demonstrations were available during Miles of Art at the WOWSPACE where we had over 200 visitors.

April 22nd, 2017 thru May 14th, 2017 - "Artists' Free Play V", welcomed art of every kind by any artist!  This favorite show was composed of rich diverse art forms and brilliant artists. The show was judged by Kathryn Petke and as she explored the exhibition she found such inventiveness and attentiveness to color, shape, line, pattern, and texture.  Award winners were:  Becki Frazier, Sarah Nerad, Jim H. Rowe II, Sharon L. Dowis and Karen and Bill Miltenberger.

2015

April 11 thru May 3, 2015: "ARTISTS' FREE PLAY: III," our eighth juried art show! Show opened on Saturday, April 11, 7-10PM, in the WOWSPACE, with the 8th Annual Wine, Beer and Cheese Gala. This eclectic show featured work of painters, photographers, three-dimensional artists and textile artists from across Wisconsin.

September 20, 2014 "The 100 Best Things About Wisconsin," 7th annual juried art show of paintings, prints, photographs, three-dimensional art and textiles by Wisconsin artists. This show opened on Setpember 20 and ran through October 12, joining the Miles of Art county-wide art tour on October 6  and 7.  Len Pubanz, Shawano, captured Best of Show for his highly stylized wooden scupture of a tree--aptly named "Tree House."  Awards of Excellence were given to 3 artists working in diverse mediums: Rhonda Bengtson, Antigo, for her acrylic flower on steroids ~ "Coneflower;" Carol Hettinger, Schofield, for the delicate pastel, "The Old Homestead" and Sharon Rotz, Mosinee, for her textile with a porcupine ~ "Poking Out." Awards of Honor celebrated 3 additional artists: Hans Schmitt, Birnamwood, for his photograph "6 Ducks in Spring Snow;" Lynn Ott, Wausau, and her photograph of a perky robin ~ "Early Return" ~ and Bill Miltenberger, Birnamwood, for his amazingly carved "Hobo Walking Stick."

This show was sponsored by Ho Chunk Gaming/ Wittenberg.

"Go Green," the 6th annual juried art show, opened on September 28 and continued through October 20. 24 Wisconsin artists interpreted our earth-friendly theme in their own unique ways: a quilt made of 40's and 50's flour sack scraps combined with contemporary fabrics, a cock-eyed robot of pots and pans and other recycled metals and much, much more! 

Julia Collins, Wauwatosa, claimed Best of Show with "PROGRESS," an oil and pencil work centered with a lush primeval forest circled by exquisitely detailed pencil drawings of strip mining, a clear-cut woods, piles of discarded tires and more while the words of Gordon Lightfoot created a border saying, "There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run ~ when the majestic mountains stood against the sky ~ long before the white man and long before the wheel ~ when the green dark forest was too silent to be real.! A challenge to the viewer to reconsider "PROGRESS" and what it means.

Awards of Excellence were earned by Bonnie Zuidema, Wausau; Alan Clough, Eland and Tim Feathers, Schofield. Awards of Honor were given to Cindy Markowski, Wausau; Mark Mittlesteadt, Rothschild and Sharon Rotz, Mosinee.

Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg sponsored the show and award sponsors were Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg, Harter's Fox Valley Disposal LLC, the Doris and Irving Hanson Memorial Fund and Anonymous.

June 8, 2013 " Along Wisconsin Trails," 2nd annual juried photography show.

"From Farm to Fork (to Fabulous!)

"Artists Free Play: II"

"Anything Old'

'The Art of the Quilter' - January

'Artists Free Play' - June

Art Contest 2010 - Summer of 2010

SAVORING SUMMER - June of 2009

24 artists from LaCrosse, Crandon, Shawano, Antigo, Eland, Hatley, Birnamwood, Tigerton & Wittenberg. 49 splendid works of art; oil, watercolor, acrylic, collage, pencil, photography and more!

$1200 in prizes to:

Best of Show: Jenn Bushman, LaCrosse, for "Southside Community Garden #1"

Awards of Excellence: Rhonda Bengtson, Antigo for "Coneflowers & Fuchsia"; Hans Schmitt, Crandon, for "Embryo"; and Milton Schmitt, Birnamwood, for "Frog Totems."

Awards of Honor: Brent Zeinert, Tigerton, for "Garlic"; Alan Clough, Eland, for "Summer Visitor"; and Miranda Nueske, Wittenberg, for "The Hunter".

Special Mention; Mikayla Tucker

49 works of art were submitted; 31 were for sale. Of these, 10 sold for $3370. An opportunity for an artist's work to not only be seen but also sold!

Spring into Summer Art Contest, May of 2008

Student and adult artists from Wittenberg and the surrounding area entered 40 works of art for the Spring into Summer Art Contest. Drawings, paintings, photographs, collages and origami! A visual delight! The judges were challenged to choose the prize winners and after much deliberation, $1050 in prizes was awarded to these talented folks:

STUDENT & ADULT WINNERS

Grand Prize - Beth Koeppel, Linda Pontefract

First Prize - Student from Homme Youth and Family Programs, Betty Zeinert

Second Prize - Megan Vliestra, Cathy Kirk

Third Prize - Megan Jensen, Elaine Groshek

Honorable Mention - Crystal Tourtillott

People's Choice - Beth Koeppel, Betty Zeinert