State Artists on Display in ‘Wisconsin Triennial’

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) strives for excellencein its upcoming exhibition “2010 Wisconsin Triennial.” Wisconsinartists submit work every three years for this state tradition, which hasevolved since its start in the late 1960s and features most every medium. Theartworks are then studied and reviewed for inclusion in this prestigiousexhibition. Curators travel thousands of miles to visit individual studios, wherethey interview each artist before finalizing their selections.

This year’s “Triennial,”which includes more than 40 artists, opens with a reception on Friday, May 21,at 6:30 p.m. Along with several site-specific installations, artists createdworks in ceramics, drawing, painting, performance, photography, printmaking andwatercolor.

Age and careerexperience remain inconsequential in this impressive Wisconsinart survey, as jurors omitted artist ages so as to include the broadest rangeof talent. Recent UW-Madison graduate Sofia Arnold, whose first solo showdebuted at Milwaukee’s Tory Folliard Gallery inJanuary, shows alongside the famed Warrington Colescott, who opens hisexpansive print retrospective in June at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Many other familiarnames represent Milwaukee as well, including provocative printmaker SantiagoCucullu; Peck School of the Arts Inova curator and text artist Nicholas Frank;abstract painter and Walker’s Point Center for the Arts member Richard Knight;surrealist oil painter Gina Litherland; elegant photographer Sonja Thomsen;installation artist John Riepenhoff; recent Charles Allis Art Museum “ForwardNow” grand-prize winner Linda Wervey-Vitamvas; and Milwaukee Institute of Art& Design professor Jason Yi, who presents sculpture and performance.

UW-Milwaukee facultymember Marc Tasman will exhibit his in-progress 10-year photography project.The artist shoots a daily self-portrait to document the progression of life,and his project will be updated for the MMoCA exhibition.

The “WisconsinTriennial” continues through Aug. 15 in the museum’s lobby, State StreetGallery, New Media Gallery, and main galleries at 227 State St., Madison.MMoCA will sponsor gallery talks and events by several artists, with theschedule to be released before the opening. Curator of Exhibitions Jane Simon“hopes everyone will come” to view this intriguing collection that representsthe state’s very best contemporary art.

Milwaukee artists also express themselvesthrough the May exhibition “Ink” at the BYOStudio Lounge (2246 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) in Bay View. Twelve hometownanimators, illustrators and graphic designers will fill the space with theirartwork. Included in this high-quality exhibition will be Elizabeth Brophy, KimHaller, Jeremy Lowther, Allison Alexander Westbrook and Steve Wierth, amongothers.

“Ink” opens May 22 withan artist’s reception from 4 to 8 p.m. The hospitable BYO Studio Lounge willalso introduce several summer cocktails, beginning with their refreshing“Strawberry Caipirinha.”