Walker’s Point Center for the Arts (WPCA) begins its 24th year of providing the community with art, education and performance. Canada’s University of Manitoba selected the WPCA as one of a dozen full-service community arts centers throughout the United States and Canada to be part of an urban planning study. The study compared Milwaukee’s unique WPCA to New York’s The Point and Houston’s Project Row Houses.
This distinguished accolade comes as the WPCA presents its first 2011 exhibition, “Slow Start, Long Beginnings: New Collaborative Work by Karin Haas, Jessica Steeber and Cassandra Smith.” The talented trio will fill WPCA’s two gallery spaces with collaborative and individual artwork that will include site-specific installations.
Haas, whose works on paper reference organic images, graduated as a printmaker from MIAD and was selected as a 2010 Mary L. Nohl Fellowship finalist. Smith and Steeber currently serve as editors of Fine Line magazine, a quarterly pictorial featuring art from around the world. The magazine’s second edition is set for release in February. Steeber, who recently opened an exhibition in Chicago, continues to adorn animal heads in work that invests craft into fine art sculpture. For example, she covers deer antlers with netting and beading in a nod to Victorian hair ornamentation.
A conversation with Mary Overman at the WPCA revealed that the onsite installations and individual artwork will be a surprise at the exhibit’s opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, at which time the artists will be available to discuss their individual inspirations.
“There will be plenty of new work,” Overman says. “The artists are still finishing the final pieces for this exhibition.”
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Art Happenings
“Urban Fairy Tales”
Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, 703 S. Second St.
Fashion and set designer Liz Shipe teams with photographer Perry Heideman to present urban interpretations of classic fairy tales. A costume gala (costumes optional) 7:30-10:30 p.m. Jan. 28 will feature live music and refreshments.
“Seeing Peru: Layered Realities”
Mount Mary College, 2900 N. Menomonee River Parkway
Milwaukee photographer Eddee Daniel exhibits revealing photographs from two visits to Peru. Daniel will attend an artist’s reception in the Marian Art Gallery from 2-4 p.m. on Jan. 30.
