The Wisconsin State Fair returns to Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis for its 2018 run from August 2-12. Dreaming of cream puffs? Looking forward to that can't-miss concert? Interested in the visual arts events at the fair? The Shepherd Express' Wisconsin State Fair Guide has you covered! This special section is brought to you by the State Fair.
For Laura Jackson, winner of this year’s Wisconsin State Fair Poster Competition, art began early. “My sisters and I would have coloring book contests,” she says. “Two of us would choose our crayons and color a page out of a coloring book. My third sister would act as a judge announcing the winner of the prettier picture.”
As with many people in many fields, competition seemed to fuel her drive as an artist. “I entered art competitions in high school that gave me confidence to share my work with others.” Earning an associate degree in commercial art from Western Wisconsin Technical Institution in La Crosse and an associate degree in photography from MATC, she focused on photography and graphic arts while raising a family. When her daughter opted for studying painting in college, she rediscovered her love for oil painting and has exhibited at art fairs around the state.
Growing up in rural Wisconsin gave her an immediate sense of connection to the State Fair. “Nature soon became my best friend along with the menagerie of animals we had. Throughout my life, I have always turned to the outdoors, nature and animals to find my peace.”
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Now living in Muskego, Jackson hopes “to inspire those who view my work to look more carefully at the world around them and to discover beauty everywhere.”
Read more of our coverage of the Wisconsin State Fair and enter to win a 4-pack of tickets here.
