(WHITEWATER – June 4) The Whitewater Arts Alliance will be hosting the Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) exhibit that features the works of non-professional Wisconsin artists at Whitewater’s Cultural Arts Center, 402 West Main Street, from June 4 through June 27. Visitors will be asked to participate in health and safety measures recommended by the CDC for COVID-19, to include wearing a mask if not fully vaccinated.
Artists from Wisconsin will be exhibiting art in a variety of media including 3D, acrylic, oil, and watercolor paintings, mixed media, and drawings. Artists and art-advocates alike are invited to view the exhibit free of charge. The exhibit will run from 2 to 4 p.m. beginning June 4th and running through June 27 Fridays through Sundays. The show can be viewed virtually from the Association of Wisconsin Artists website: https://awa-artwork.org/wrap/whitewater-2021-06-27/# or at Whitewater Arts Alliance’s website: https://www.whitewaterarts.org/wrap-2021
WRAP was established to encourage Wisconsin citizens with a serious interest in art – people who make art purely for the love of it, rather than for fame and fortune. The purpose of WRAP is to encourage nonprofessional artists to develop their abilities. The Wisconsin Regional Art Program consists of many artist workshop/exhibits that meet throughout the year statewide. Each one has a different artist demonstration or slide lecture and a different judge to lead the afternoon critique. Artists may enter as many Wisconsin Regional Art Workshops as they like. The program is run by the Association of Wisconsin Artists (AWA), formerly named WRAA.
Artists winning a State Exhibit Award are eligible to compete for monetary awards at the State Day in Madison. In order to enter the State Exhibit you must be a member of the Wisconsin Regional Arts Program – you can join the organization at any time before the state exhibit by going to wiscartists.org and click on the tab to register.
The first Rural Art Exhibit was held at the Memorial Union during Farm and Home Week in 1940. Under the guidance of John Stuart Curry, the exhibit grew rapidly, expanding from 30 nonprofessional artists in 1940 to over 100 by 1947. The energy and enthusiasm of Curry’s successor, Aaron Bohrod, the WRAP directors, James Schwalbach and Ken Kuemmerlein, and the help of the AWA have continued to make the exhibition and workshops cornerstones of activity for nonprofessional artists throughout the state.
WRAP is developed and administered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Liberal Studies and the Arts. WRAP exhibits and workshops began in 1940 to encourage the creative growth of non-professional artists from rural areas.
Big thanks to our sponsor, First Citizens State Bank!
The mission of the Whitewater Arts Alliance is to promote the visual and performing arts through an alliance of artists, individuals, educational resources, and organizations to promote creativity and diversity that will serve to educate and enrich the lives of the residents of the Whitewater community and surrounding areas.
The image on the homepage, “Hello, I Am Zinnia,” is by Alexandra Doaga, oil on canvas, 18″ x 24″ x 1.5″
