Join our Email List!
Blog

Topics

 

 

Dates

ARTservancy collage

ARTservancy: Year in review

December 21, 2020  |  Topics: featured artist


A difficult year in so many ways, 2020 proved fertile for the artists of ARTservancy. Perhaps it was because the only thing better than being alone in a studio this year was being alone outdoors in a beautiful natural area.

This was the second year of ARTservancy, the program that pairs Wisconsin artists with nature preserves in the greater Milwaukee area. A partnership between Gallery 224 the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, the River Revitalization Foundation, the Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy and the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory, its mission is to promote the visionary work of both the artists and conservationists.

The Natural Realm has featured in turn each of this year’s artists in residence. This recap is a brief look at all twelve of them. For the sake of brevity, in addition to a portrait of the artist, a single image representative of their artwork is provided, along with one of the landscape, flora, or fauna of the preserve. The titles link back to the original featured stories. They are in alphabetical order by preserve.

Barbara Manger at Donges Bay Gorge in Mequon

Barbara Manger among bluebells
Barbara Manger among bluebells
The gorge in autumn
The gorge in autumn
Gorge, a monotype by Barbara Manger

Mary Mendla at Fairy Chasm State Natural Area in Mequon

Mary Mendla overlooking Lake Michigan
Mary Mendla overlooking Lake Michigan
Virginia waterleaf in bloom at Fairy Chasm
Virginia waterleaf in bloom at Fairy Chasm
Silhouette, a digitally manipulated and painted photo by Mary Mendla
Silhouette, a digitally manipulated and painted photo by Mary Mendla

Kelly Alexander at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve

Kelly Alexander
Kelly Alexander
The artist and her dog, Dotty, on the trail at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
The artist and her dog, Dotty, on the trail at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Absorbing Nature, a paper cut collage by Kelly Alexander
Absorbing Nature, a paper cut collage by Kelly Alexander

Vicki Reed at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve

Vicki Reed overlooking a pond at Forest Beach
Vicki Reed overlooking a pond at Forest Beach
Forest Beach Migratory Preserve (with former artist in residence, Nicole Shaver)
Forest Beach Migratory Preserve (with 2018-2019 ARTservancy artist, Nicole Shaver)
Symmetry, an iPhone photograph by Vicki Reed
Symmetry, an iPhone photograph by Vicki Reed

Leslie Fedorchuk at Kratzsch Conservancy in Newburg

Leslie Fedorchuk amongst goldenrod gone to seed
Leslie Fedorchuk amongst goldenrod gone to seed
The artist at Kratzsch Conservancy
The artist at Kratzsch Conservancy
Winter 2, an altered digital image by Leslie Fedorchuk
Winter 2, an altered digital image by Leslie Fedorchuk

Eddee Daniel in the Milwaukee River Greenway

Eddee Daniel next to the Milwaukee River in Hubbard Park
Eddee Daniel next to the Milwaukee River in Hubbard Park
View of the Greenway from Capitol Drive
View of the Greenway from Capitol Drive
Portrait of Ken Leinbach, Executive Director of the Urban Ecology Center, by Eddee Daniel
Portrait of Ken Leinbach, Executive Director of the Urban Ecology Center, by Eddee Daniel

Glenda Puhek in the Milwaukee River Greenway

Glenda Puhek
Glenda Puhek
The West Bank Trail in the Greenway
The West Bank Trail in the Greenway
Lacy Cupcake Platter, ceramic, by Glenda Puhek
Lacy Cupcake Platter, ceramic, by Glenda Puhek

Devon Hugdahl at Sauk Creek Nature Preserve in Port Washington

Devon testing the creek water for phosphorus
Devon testing the creek water for phosphorus
The artist with canvas next to Sauk Creek
The artist with canvas next to Sauk Creek
Finished canvas "painted" by the creek
Finished canvas “painted” by the creek

Tori Tasch at Schoofs Preserve in Town of Erin

Tori Tasch
Tori Tasch
Schoofs Preserve
Schoofs Preserve
Installation of handmade butterfly books at Alfons Gallery by Tori Tasch
Installation of handmade butterfly books at Alfons Gallery by Tori Tasch

Danielle Pahlisch at Shannon Preserve in Saukville

Danielle Pahlisch in pine grove
Danielle Pahlisch in pine grove
Trail in Shannon Preserve
Trail in Shannon Preserve
Sandhill Cranes, a photograph by Danielle Pahlisch
Sandhill Cranes, a photograph by Danielle Pahlisch

Krista Allenstein at Sydney Woodland Preserve in Milwaukee

Krista Allenstein
Krista Allenstein
Sydney Woodland Preserve
Sydney Woodland Preserve
Tree, oil painting/collage by Krista Allenstein
Tree, oil painting/collage by Krista Allenstein

Emily Verbeten at Zinn Preserve in Town of Erin

Emily Verbeten on boardwalk
Emily Verbeten on boardwalk
Beck Lake and tamaracks at Zinn Preserve
Beck Lake and tamaracks at Zinn Preserve
Winter birds of Zinn Preserve, watercolor and micron pen, by Emily Verbeten
Winter birds of Zinn Preserve, watercolor and micron pen, by Emily Verbeten

The ARTservancy artists were not the only featured artists in The Natural Realm in 2020. For a complete list, go to our featured artist index. And stay tuned for more featured artists, including the next cohort of ARTservancy residents, in 2021.

All images of artworks are courtesy of the artists. All other images by Eddee Daniel, curator of The Natural Realm.