In the Company of Artists
artists, arts, culture, wisconsin valley art association, wisconsin visual artists guild,
In the Wausau region, art is a community affair.
Two local art guilds keep drawing, painting and every other medium imaginable constantly in the public eye through classes, galleries and festivals.
“They’re very, very art-minded, more so than other communities,” says Jan Pflieger, who was president of the Wisconsin Valley Art Association for five years, until the beginning of 2009.
The WVAA is a group of artists, art teachers, gallery owners and art appreciators that meets monthly to hear from guest speakers and view artwork by its members and other artists. They contribute to the community by purchasing art supplies for local schools and organizations and awarding art scholarships for college students.
Each year, the group hosts the Art in the Park show as part of the Artrageous Weekend, a two-day festival put on by the Woodson Art Museum that includes Art in the Park, the museum’s Birds in Art exhibit and the outdoor Festival of Arts. Members also often display their work in exhibits at the Center for the Arts, part of downtown’s ARTSblock.
Pflieger, a drawer who has been in the WVAA for more than 35 years, sees art as a way to enrich the community.
“If you don’t have art, you’re pretty stagnant,” she says. “It’s a wonderful gift that God gave us.”
The area’s other art guild is the Wisconsin Visual Artists Guild. While WVAA’s primary focus is education and community awareness of art, the visual artists’ guild specializes in exhibitions. The group runs the Reaching New Heights Gallery in Weston to offer local artists exposure to the community, while also raising arts awareness.
The value of community arts organizations, Pflieger says, is that they allow anyone who is interested – from professionals to finger painters – to participate in the arts.
“We’re even open to people who claim they can’t draw a straight line, but just appreciate art,” she says. “That adds to the art community, as well. They have ideas that they can share with us. We welcome anybody.”
Story by Michaela Jackson
Photo by J. Kyle Keener
