With an office on the fifth floor of the Historic Third Ward's Marshall Building, C.R. Davidson Art Consultants have been supplying Milwaukee businesses with creative inspiration for 19 years. Owner Catherine Davidson says she provides her clients, which include Acuity Insurance, Foley & Lardner LLP and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, with her knowledge and expertise in discovering great Wisconsin art. Five years ago, Davis opened a "larger showroom," as she describes it, on the second floor of the Marshall Building to display the numerous artists she encounters through her work.
Since April, Davis has showcased Ozaukee County artists in her exhibit "From the Land of OZA Journey to the Historic Third Ward." Her show's intended purpose is to explore artists from outside Milwaukee County to bring their talent, sophistication and diverse artwork into the pulse of the city's art district. Davis accomplished this with a collaborative art show involving 14 artists: Marcia Boyd, Michael Casey, Wallis Coffman, Robin M. Fleming, Bob Hagen, Susan Hale, Sandra Pape, Lynn Rix, Pam Ruschman, Kitty Sturrock, Helen Waldschmidt, Jeff Weber, C.T. Whitehouse and Kyle Zubatsky. Each of these individuals displayed fresh work throughout the summer, and several artists were highlighted through smaller exhibits. The most recent show, the finale, opened this month and continues through Aug. 30.
The variety and affordability of artwork at these exhibits appeals to both beginning and experienced art collectors. Sandra Pape incorporates tiny found objects into her quirky miniature assemblages, and recently branched out into paintings and imaginative jewelry that mimic her three-dimensional art. Bob Hagen, a retired advertising creative director, now paints full time using oils. Besides his more traditional still-life paintings, his contemporary renderings of toasters and salt/pepper shakers bring everyday elements into larger-than-life focus. His flat brush strokes in silvery vintage grays, greens and rose colors create sculpted reflections and shadows when depicting ordinary housewares.
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Helen Waldschmidt's Zen-like ceramics offer the art enthusiast functional vessels, bowls and slab sculptures in serene hues (and all are very affordable). Kyle Zubatsky, a Thiensville art gallery owner, envisions landscapes by brushing vibrant greens, blues and yellows across her paintings. However, her newest works appear as small, abstract observations on the country haystack. With brilliant primary colors, Zubatsky captures these unique landmarks she's noticed when traveling America's iconic Route 66.
One of the most popular artworks this summer includes Robin M. Fleming's "Gentlewomen" dolls. Based on an idea Fleming conceived on a 1994 trip to Cambodia, these posed artistic figures feature no internal armature or facial features. Yet, stuffed with wool, they convey their own soulful personalities.
Given the show's success, and because this collection presents only a small sampling of her selected Ozaukee artists, Davis says she is thinking of continuing the exhibit past August. Davis adds that she "loves bringing people to her showroom, both artists and art collectors, to show the diversity of the creative spirit."
