SCULPT…Form in 3 Dimensions

An impressive new sculpture exhibit opens in Gallery 110 North on Friday, August 9th in conjunction with the Plymouth Arts Center’s 20th Annual Cheese Capital Jazz & Blues Crawl Fundraiser for the Arts. SCULPT..Form in 3 Dimensions, features the diverse works of 16 Wisconsin Artists. The exhibiting artists are Richard Bronk-Plymouth, Nikki Cooper- Argyle, Tim Fonk-Adell, Wes Hunting & Wesley Hunting, Jr.- Princeton, Mary Lou Hager-Adell, Paul Klein-Amherst Junction, Aaron Laux-Madison, Teresa Lind-Oshkosh, Suzanne Miller-Monroe, Sylvia & Mark Mondloch-Silver Creek, Patrick Robison-Elkhart Lake, Kristin Thielking, Keven Brunett, and Lisa Beth Robinson-Amherst Junction.

The public is invited to meet the Artists (one week later) at a festive Opening Reception: Friday, August 16 from 5-7 PM. Admission is free. Live musical entertainment for the reception will be presented by the Gypsy Swing Chicks, Beth Munns, Keyboards & Accordion; Kate Pearce, Upright Bass; Karen Mani, Violin-acoustic/electric; Linda Kelly, Guitar & Keyboards. Complimentary appetizers and desserts will be served along with a cash bar.

The presenting sponsors for Sculpt…Form in 3 Dimensions, are Franz Backus and Barbara and Conrad Barrows. Special thanks to Gallery 110 North Visual Arts Team Member, JoAnn Kargl-Basky, for coordinating the exhibition.

Richard Bronk, “Wood is my material of choice. It can be so intrinsically beautiful that anything made from it becomes an object to admire or desire. I am most enthusiastic about executing designs that involve freeform joinery and intarsia (solid wood inlay). The themes are hard to define but some of these terms come to mind: abstract, organic, and chaotic. The aim is to create visual interest, to draw the viewer in, as a painting would invite closer scrutiny.”

Nikki Cooper, “My life’s goal is to leave this world a brighter happier place. I take doodles that have evolved from my youth and create art that feeds that happy spot in our soul and is good for our earth. My comical sculptures make people smile and open up the conversation on reusing and recycling items that often end up in our landfills.

Tim Fonk, “I make art because not making art would be worse. I blend organic and mechanical shapes into sculpture. My surroundings and nature are my inspiration. I use pencil, colored pencil, watercolor, and acrylic on paper to design my sculptural works.”

Mary Lou Hager, “At first you instantly recognize my art as a fish, a frog, a beetle, or mask, but you’re not sure what it is made of. You’ll want to touch it, look closer at it and then maybe you’ll change your idea of what you think it is. A piece of wood, a piece of paper, some clay, some wire, some beads, some fabric and all of that color mixed together creates something new. Discovering a new material, process or technique lends itself to a new creature for me to make.”

Wes Hunting, “Working in cast glass allows me to add depth to my designs in a way that I never imagined. I am able to incorporate light and shadow into the conception of each piece, as if they were additional colors of the palette.”

Paul Klein, “I seek to share the ebb and flow of life around us. Each piece has a story to tell… materials gathered and blended-as if they grew together…personal reflections on form-shape-texture-drama… images of people-places we’ve been or want to be. I hope each piece takes you to a special place… a landscape within Home.”

Aaron Laux brings innovative design to reimagine what is possible. He weaves together essential aspects of dreams, art, and life. Aaron has explored themes of place, mythology, beauty, and function over the last 25 years, through his fine art and large-scale installations. He immerses himself deeply in every project, while being guided by an ethic of environmental sustainability, community engagement, and reverence for the diversity of the natural world. Teresa Lind, “My work is essentially about the dignity and pride of being female and feminine and the reality of manual labor, hard work, and responsibility, and how we balance those things daily. My ultimate hope is that the work causes the viewer to laugh, self-reflect, or empathize and that, through that experience, they have a better appreciation for the role of art as something to make us pause and consider our environment, our own humanity, and that of others.”

Suzanne Miller, “I developed a fascination with creating something wonderful out of items others deemed as trash. My recycled process has been developed and refined over many years of practice, but my love of whimsical animals, mythical creatures and far-out people has remained constant. My sculpture tends toward the happy and appeals to people of all ages and different walks of life. The fact that it is recycled opens up important conversations on how we need to think about what we throw away and how it may be used in new ways.”

Mark Mondloch, “Clay and iron are both very pliable at certain stages: clay when wet, iron when hot. Many times Sylvia will suggest a form in iron which I think isn’t possible to produce. After she explains how she would do it if it were clay, I can usually find a way to move the soft, hot iron to the desired shape.”

Sylvia Mondloch, “I’ve always enjoyed working with a variety of techniques. Pieces are formed on a potter’s wheel or by other hand forming methods and fired in a gas kiln. I’m currently experimenting with adding small amounts of sodium and wood in the latter part of the firing to influence the molten glazes and raw clay surfaces. Mark and I like to explore ideas together; the kiln always offers up new surprises and all the amazing earth processes provide inspiration.”

Patrick Robison, “Life provides each of us with a unique chronology of experiences. If we watch and listen, the journey reveals an inner truth that becomes our passion. As an artist and teacher, I pursue my passion for clay with a sense of responsibility to share and celebrate the joy of the material.”

Lisa Beth Robinson collaborates with Kristin Thielking on pieces that focus on ocean conservation and shipwrecks as a reflection of the human condition, with waves as the embodiment of the liminal threshold we are traversing.

Keven and Kristin Thielking have exhibited their work widely, have participated in multiple artist residencies, and they have been commissioned to design and fabricate numerous large-scale public art projects, as permanent and temporary site-specific installations and sculptural pieces. They have their work in numerous national public and private collections.

Sculpt…Form in 3 Dimensions will be on display in Gallery 110 North through October 4, 2024.

About the PAC Fundraiser on August 9th: The Cheese Capital Jazz & Blues Crawl for the Arts is an exciting evening of the blended arts and PAC’s major annual fundraiser and signature event. View the new sculpture art show on display in the Gallery, place your bid at the silent auction featuring over 100 items including fine art, gift baskets/certificates, and more, enjoy 11 live bands performing at the PAC and at 7 downtown clubs and restaurants, trolley rides, Mardi Gras Beads, catering by PicADeli, and two cash bars. Festivities at the PAC run from 4:30pm to 9pm. Music continues throughout downtown Plymouth to midnight. Wristbands for the event are a $10 donation for the arts! It’s all cool, and it all happens in one night! The Jazz Crawl is generously sponsored by Masters Gallery Foods, Sargento Foods, the Sartori Company, Veritas Financial Services, and TDS. In-kind media support provided by Cow Country Radio Stations.

Plymouth Arts Center hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday, Noon-3 PM. Admission to the gallery is always free. The public is also invited to visit the PAC Gift Shop featuring fine art created by its member artists. For more information or a full line up of music and other events, call, 920-892-8409 or visit us online at www.plymoutharts.org.