Two pieces of art that will be selected from works on display in this year’s Part 2 of the annual Mary Hoard Art Show will be additionally placed on display for one year at the Jefferson County Courthouse, according to information released by Hoard Historical Museum Director Merrilee Lee.
Works to be hung in the courthouse will be selected by Jefferson County Supervisor Walt Christensen and Fort Atkinson High School art teacher Angie Szabo, according to the release.
Christensen and Szabo will choose one adult entry and one high school entry to be displayed in the boardroom of the courthouse, the release noted.
Artists whose works are selected for display within the courthouse will be recognized by the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors during its monthly meeting at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 311 S. Center Street, Jefferson. The meeting will be held Tuesday, May 14, at 7 p.m.
In its 62nd year, the Mary Hoard Art Show, Part 2, is held each spring at the Hoard Historical Museum, 401 Whitewater Ave., the release stated.
The two-part show offers a broad range of art created by students in grades K-12, with Part 1 featuring works created by students in grades K-8, and Part 2, featuring works created by high school students and adults.
Between the two parts of the show, some 900 to 1,000 entries are made available for viewing each year, Lee was quoted as saying in the release.
Both parts of the show feature works made by Fort Atkinson public, private and homeschooled children. Part 2 additionally features works made by adult artists who live, work or take classes in Jefferson County, according to the release.
This year, Part 1 of the show is underway at the museum and will remain available for viewing through Saturday, March 30. Part 2 will be made available for viewing at the museum between Sunday, April 14, and Saturday, April 27.
Those interested in registering artwork for inclusion within the Mary Hoard Art Show, Part 2, are encouraged to visit the museum’s website: www.hoardmuseum.org. Registration for Part 2 will begin Tuesday, April 2.
Both parts of the art show are available for viewing at the museum during its regular hours of operation: Tuesdays through Saturdays, between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Speaking with a member of the Hoard Historical Museum staff, Linda Ager, according to the release, Christensen said he saw displaying artwork from the second part of the Mary Hoard Art Show in the boardroom at the county courthouse as “a good fit,” because the museum’s show features pieces made by Jefferson County residents and includes a wide range of subjects.
According to the release, Christensen holds an art degree from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and has entered the Mary Hoard Art Show. Speaking recently with Ager, according to the release, “Christensen said he primarily paints landscapes in acrylic or oil.”
Szabo, too, holds an art degree, earned at UW-Madison, and also has shown her work in the Mary Hoard Art Show.
According to the release, Christensen recently told Ager that “he got the idea to hang local art in the boardroom several years ago. He approached Jefferson County Administrator Ben Wehmeier with the idea. At that time, Wehmeier recommended waiting until a multiphase remodeling project at the courthouse was completed. Although the entire courthouse project will not be finished until the fall of 2024, the county boardroom reopened in October, 2023.”
In his discussion with Ager, according to the release, Christensen continued: “There is nothing hanging in that room now, so there is the potential for more than two pieces, but we want to keep it simple to start.” He added that county staff supports the idea which, in turn, offers opportunities for the program to grow.
Additional growth within the program could include adding artwork for display in the boardroom created by students from other communities within Jefferson County.
According to the release, Christensen noted that artists whose work is chosen for display in the county courthouse will each receive $50.
The artwork will include artist information and indicate whether the piece is for sale. The artwork will be returned to the artists in April of 2025, the release continued.
For more information, about the show, the museum or its programming, call: 920-397-9914, or email info@hoardMuseum.org.
County Supervisor Walt Christensen, while visiting the Hoard Historical Museum, Fort Atkinson, views art on display within the annual Mary Hoard Art Show. This year, works included within Part 1 of the show will remain on display through Saturday, March 30. Christensen, along with Fort Atkinson High School art teacher Angie Szabo, not pictured, will select two pieces of art from entries within Part 2 of the show, which will go on display in the boardroom of the Jefferson County Courthouse for one year. An opening registration date for Fort Atkinson high school-aged students attending public or private schools, or who are homeschooled, and adults in Jefferson County who would like to display works of art in Part 2 of the Mary Hoard Art show is Tuesday, April 2. Registration information is found on the museum’s website. Contributed photo.
This post has already been read 2113 times!
