Cedarburg Art Museum chills out with Winter Muse and Rug Hooking shows

Event time: Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm, and Sunday, noon to 4pm.

How many artists are eager to paint outdoors in the chilliest days of a Wisconsin winter?  An opening reception at the Cedarburg Art Museum on Saturday, January 28, 2:00 – 4:00pm, will showcase over 55 oil paintings of two Mequon artists who LOVE to paint en plein air--in open air--in Wisconsin’s coldest months.  Painting the Winter Muse features the winter outdoor paintings of Lynn Rix and Pamela Ruschman who can often be found painting at the frozen Lake Michigan shoreline or along country roads in wintry weather.

The exhibition also reveals the musings of these two artists regarding their outdoor adventures, their shared experiences, and their chosen subject matter.  The public is invited to the opening reception on Saturday, January 28 when at 2:30pm artists Rix and Ruschman will explain the winter gear and adaptations that help them paint outdoors in their favorite season of the year.

In addition, The Art and Craft of Rug Hooking opens simultaneously at the Cedarburg Art Museum.  A group of eight rug hooking enthusiasts who have been meeting together monthly for years and call themselves the Thrum Chums display a wide range of works.  This exhibition showcases the traditional folk art origins of the utilitarian craft as well as more contemporary pieces that are works of personal expression. The original intent of this indigenous North American folk art was utilitarian, but today similar techniques can be used for more artful purposes, taking the finished products off of the floors and onto the walls. 

The Art and Craft of Rug Hooking is the art museum’s second exhibition in the Three Fine Folk collaborative folk art project with the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts and the Cedarburg Cultural Center.  Works of Jo Fox (Cedarburg), Mary Alice Schueler (Campbellsport), Lynn Rix and Joanne Young (Mequon), Emily Robertson (Milwaukee), and Nancy Allen, Renée Haugen, and Kathleen Limbach of West Bend will be on display in the museum galleries.  Most rug hooking artists will also be present at the opening reception on January 28. 

The two new exhibitions at the Cedarburg Art Museum are open to the public January 25 through March 19.