By Kim McDarison
Whitewater residents were treated to a full day of art events Saturday as both the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) Art Walk and Exhibition, held at the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center and throughout the downtown area, and the city’s annual Iron Pour, held at the Wisconsin Makers building, displayed and produced art.
The student art exhibition, facilitated by the Whitewater Arts Alliance and the school district, featured the works of children from throughout the district. Saturday marked the event’s kickoff with a reception. The exhibition in the Cultural Arts Center gallery, 402 W. Main St., Whitewater, will run through April 24. The exhibition is free and viewable by the public Thursdays through Sundays, 1-5 p.m. Artwork also will remain viewable at participating downtown businesses through April 24.
Saturday’s reception offered a variety of activities and entertainment, including a drum team performance given by Lincoln Elementary School students and led by Christine Hayes, music teacher; various forms of line dancing performed by kindergarten and first-grade students from Washington Elementary School; performances from Lakeview Elementary School students; choral performances given by Whitewater High School students, and a finale performed by the WUSD Intermediate String Students.
Outside, as the sun warmed the day, children engaged in sidewalk chalk art and rock decorating.
While the student art show at the Cultural Arts Center is an annual event, student art displayed at several downtown establishments is new this year. Businesses displaying art include: The Hamilton House, First Citizens State Bank, The Book Teller, Dales Bootery, State Farm with Jennifer Visser, ARANDA-Be Unique, the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce offices, Rosa’s Pizza and Jessica’s Family Restaurant.
During Saturday’s reception, visitors to the Cultural Arts Center were invited to participate in an “art hunt,” the purpose of which was to encourage exhibition visitors to explore the other venues featuring children’s art.
According to Molly Fuller, WUSD communication and outreach specialist and a facilitator of the art walk and hunt, some 300 guests visited the reception Saturday and many participated in the hunt.
After participating in the self-guided downtown art walk, those who found all the businesses with art on display were invited to return to the Cultural Arts Center where they could win a door prize. Prizes were provided by Jersey Mike’s and Rocky Rococo, Fuller said.
The WUSD in-gallery art show also is available for viewing online on the Whitewater Arts Alliance website: https://www.whitewaterarts.org.
Whitewater Arts Alliance Manager Ashe McDarison, who was on hand Saturday to help with the event, said she continues to photograph student art for inclusion online. She encouraged art enthusiasts to visit the Cultural Arts Center, and take a stroll downtown, to get the full in-person effect of seeing collectively the expressive and colorful works produced by the community’s children.
Iron pour
Additionally, students from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Teresa “Tree” Lind’s metal studio class, along with some alumni, arrived Saturday at the Wisconsin Makers building, 200 E. Clay St., Whitewater, to participate in the annual spring iron pour.
During the event, students melted cast iron in a specialized furnace, and poured the material into waiting molds, many of which were “scratch molds,” a sand and silicone block into which designs can be “scratched” with various tools. A workshop to make scratch mold designs was held Wednesday in advance of Saturday’s pour.
During the pour, some artists continued to make their molds.
Event organizer and Wisconsin Maker member Ron Binning noted in an earlier news release that typically some 100 people come to the annual spring event to make molds and watch the pouring process.
This year, the pour was dedicated in memory of the late Pete Spangler, the owner, with his wife, Christine, of the Wisconsin Maker building, and president, until the time of his death, of the nonprofit makers organization that operates there.
Pete Spangler died unexpectedly in his Fort Atkinson home Tuesday, March 22. He was 66.
Christine Spangler, and several members of the Spangler family, were on hand Saturday to enjoy the pour.
Photos from both events follow.
Washington Elementary School student Hannah Scott, 9, poses with her art, titled: “Good Bye Night.”
The Scott family, parents Joe and Michelle, and children, from left: Joey, 7; Hannah, 9, and David, in front, 5, enjoy art on display at the WUSD Art Walk and Exhibition. A kickoff reception to the event was held Saturday.
A cow, as depicted by Lakeview Elementary School student Finley DePorter, watches from a display panel at the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center.
An estimated 600 pieces of art — these depictions of women among them — are on display in the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center and at several downtown Whitewater businesses. The children’s art will remain available for viewing through April 24.
An abstract, the work of 5-year-old Lakeview Elementary student Nevaeh Lesik, is among those on display at The Book Teller in downtown Whitewater.
Karen McCulloch, owner of The Book Teller in downtown Whitewater, invites the public to visit her store and view student art.
First Citizens State Bank Chief Operations Officer Debby Bartolerio makes some final adjustments to children’s art on display in the bank’s lobby.
Lincoln Elementary student Cora Schimming, 11, atop her father’s shoulders, points to her piece titled: “Wolf on a Mountain Howling at the Moon.” The piece is among those viewable at ARANDA-Be Unique in downtown Whitewater.
Kinsley Egnoski, 5 and a student at Lincoln Elementary School, poses with her rendition of a fish.
The Egnoski family views a display panel which includes 5-year-old Kinsley’s art. Family members include, Liam, 11, from left, and the children’s mother, Kristin.
Lincoln Elementary School music teacher and Whitewater Arts Alliance board member Christine Hayes welcomes guests to the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center Saturday.
Lincoln Elementary School music teacher and Whitewater Arts Alliance board member Christine Hayes gives warmup instructions to the Lincoln Elementary World Drumming Ensemble before the students begin their performance.
Members of the Lincoln Elementary World Drumming Ensemble perform.
Following instructions from their teacher, kindergarten and first-grade students from Washington Elementary perform “Follow the Rainbow.”
Students continue to “Follow the Rainbow.”
Although not pictured, 3-year-old Alder Summit is dancing with his family. Family members beyond view, but also dancing include: Rowan Gabriel, 5, and the children’s mother, Tracy Hawkins.
Cousins, Damian Ramirez, from left, and Sofia Cerrillo, both 6 and students at Washington Elementary School, color rocks at a table set up outside of the Cultural Arts Center Saturday.
Whitewater Middle School student Atreya Wilson creates an eye in chalk near the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center.
Whitewater Communication and Community Outreach Specialist Molly Fuller, at right, explains the rules to an art exhibition reception guest looking to participate in an “art hunt.” Those who visited each of the downtown businesses displaying art were invited to return to the Cultural Arts Center to receive a door prize. Downtown businesses displaying art comprised this year’s “art walk,” which is a new addition to the full WUSD art exhibition experience.
Siblings Noah, 9, and Payton, 13, Brautigam, from left, and siblings Finley, 9, and Storm, 10, DePorter, hold up forms which they are filling out as part of the hunt for downtown art venues. The activity was among those held Saturday during the WUSD Art Walk and Exhibition reception.
A young reception guest listens to a performance.
Whitewater High School music and choral teacher Karen Tordera accompanies her choral student, who is performing on stage at the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center. Four choral students performed Saturday.
An audience member listens to a choral performance.
Surrounded by children’s art, community members listen to students perform.
A final performance at the reception is given by members of the Whitewater Unified School District Intermediate String students.
Children’s art is displayed in a window at the Hamilton House on Main Street in Whitewater.
Children’s art is on display in the window at ARANDA-Be Unique in downtown Whitewater.
A colorful sun, the work of Camilla Rangel, shines from a display panel at the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center.
Justin Mane, an art teacher at Washington Elementary School, hangs student art.
Sara Sixel, an art teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, places signs Saturday in advance of the day’s art walk.
Kim McDarison photos.
Iron Pour photos follow:
Two-year-old Arlo Lohuis Brulla, at left, and his mother, Danielle Lohuis, make patterns in their scratch block molds Saturday at the iron pour, held at the Wisconsin Makers building on Clay Street in Whitewater. The family is from Milwaukee.
Members of Saturday’s pour crew fire up the furnace used to melt iron which will next be poured into molds. The crew is comprised of students in Teresa Lind’s University of Wisconsin-Whitewater metal studio classes and program alumni.
Above two photos: Members of Saturday’s iron pour crew pour liquid iron into molds made by students and members of the public.
Scratch block molds wait to be filled with iron.
Kim McDarison photos.
Iron tiles cool as part of the process during a previous year’s pour. The tiles were cleaned and brushed for sharp edges by members of the pour crew before they were presented to the artists who made them. File photo.
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