For many people, watercolor paintings trigger fond childhood memories of a rectangular tin box filled with a variety of colors in perfectly shaped circles. These recollections may actually marginalize the medium, however, as viewers often assign watercolors second-class status behind more-prestigious oil paintings. In an ongoing effort to revolutionize the perceptions regarding this medium, the Racine Art Museum’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts hosts its annual watercolor exhibition, titled “Watercolor Wisconsin 2010.” The exhibit opens Dec. 12.
Traditionally, artists had worked in watercolor as a casual endeavor or preliminary study before embarking on a formal oil painting. Eventually, the medium started to flourish on its own, thanks to its low toxicity and superior translucency and versatility, along with the high degree of skill required to control the colors. Master artists like Winslow Homer extolled its virtues.
The Wustum’s exhibition requires images to be “executed in an aqueous medium or water-based with dry or mixed media.” Artworks include images in acrylic, ink and gouache incorporated into various paper surfaces, including collage, book and 3-D forms.
The 2010 jurorsMark Pascale, curator and adjunct professor at the Art Institute of Chicago, and Jane Stevens, associate curator at the Illinois State Museum Chicago Galleryselected from more than 250 entries.
The artists on exhibit vary every year, but familiar names always make the list. This year features respected names like Russell Bohn, Jerrold Belland, Lisa Englander, JoAnna Poehlmann, Anne Miotke, Francisco X. Mora, and Alice Rossman. Other talented selections include Charles Ausavich, Steve Horvath and Helga Hilbert-Robinson.
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The 2010 show features fewer works than in 2009, but the exhibit displays larger images, including the diptych and triptych, adding an intriguing complexity that should challenge preconceived expectations of watercolor paintings. A 2-4 p.m. opening reception Dec. 12 celebrates the artists and award-winners. Curatorial Assistant David Zaleski invites the public to attend and see “how exciting watercolor can be.”
Art Happenings
“Big Bangs/Small Bucks III”
Dean Jensen Gallery
759 N. Water St.
Jensen’s annual holiday show features 25 artists presenting a variety of affordable art. This year’s exhibition includes Santiago Cucullu, David Niec, John Riepenhoff, Claire Stigliani and Helena Wurzel. The opening reception takes place Friday, Dec. 10, from 6-9 p.m.
“Framing a Decade”
Milwaukee Art Museum
700 N. Art Museum Drive
The Milwaukee Art Museum has acquired almost 3,000 new prints and drawings since the 2001 opening of the Quadracci Pavilion. This new exhibition, which showcases 50 of the works collected from 2001-2011 and features artists like Rembrandt and Gauguin, opens Dec. 9.
