By Kim McDarison

The artistic works of Janesville painter Woody Olsen and Waukesha ceramicist Jennifer Alexander were presented to the public during an opening reception at the Whitewater Arts Alliance’s gallery in the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center.

The event, held Thursday, kicks off the alliance’s most recent gallery exhibition which will remain on display throughout the month of June.

The two-artist show is titled: “The Beauty of Nature.” The Whitewater Cultural Arts Center, 402 W. Main St., is open Thursdays through Sundays, between noon and 4 p.m.

During Thursday’s reception, both artists offered a “talk” about their work, process, and creative path, with some 30 people gathered in the gallery to view the work, enjoy wine and light refreshments, and learn about the artists.

Event-goers additionally participated in a 50/50 raffle, during which Ruth Ramsey, a reception attendee from Chicago, drew the winning ticket, which belonged to Whitewater resident Angie Alesci. She won $60.

Wine was a new addition to the alliance’s gallery receptions, Whitewater Arts Alliance Gallery Director Kim Adams said.

Whitewater Arts Alliance Board member Jodie Raddatz and Olsen selected the wine, Alliance Board member Katy Wimer, who also served as bar tender, and Adams said, with some wines selected because they were produced locally and others, Olsen said, were selected because he liked them and wanted to represent “all the colors.”

Following the artists’ talks, Raddatz presented tokens of appreciation to each artist as well as newly elected Whitewater Arts Alliance President Jeff McDonald, and the group’s first president, who served in the mid-2000s, Dawn Hunter.

During her opening remarks, Adams announced that the upcoming Fran Achen Photography exhibition, which is in its 14th year and annually chaired by McDonald, received more than 160 submissions, which, she said, is the most the show has ever received. Some 90 pieces have been selected to appear in the juried show, which will be made available for viewing throughout July.

An earlier story about the exhibition is here: https://whitewaterwise.com/whitewater-arts-alliance-seeking-entries-for-annual-fran-achen-photography-show-contest/.

About the artists

Alexander said she began Alexander Ceramics in 2020 “to explore the creative path of making hand-pressed ceramic art tiles and hand-built ceramic boxes. The formation of each piece is a meaningful and satisfying process for me,” she said.

The artist said that most of the tiles she creates are a limited edition of 250.

“From the tile, I form a mold which is destroyed after the edition is completed. Some tiles are made without a mold, and these are significant with a star stamp on their back. These one-of-a-kind tiles have their raised line design applied by hand to the surface,” she noted.

She finds it “refreshing to connect with the beauty and diversity of the natural world,” she said, adding: “I love creating designs inspired  by what I observe in nature and the world around me.”

Olsen said he was born in Wisconsin and raised in the Lake Geneva area. He resides today in Janesville and is a member of the Association of Wisconsin Artists.

According to his website, Olsen lived in Chicago for more than 40 years and was a member of the Arts Club of Chicago. He recently retired from Northwestern Medicine Health Information, in Chicago.

Olsen studied art at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design where he earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art. While at Layton, he studied under the late watercolorist Anne Miote. Additionally, Olsen attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he studied art history, studio arts, etching and printmaking.

Photos from Thursday’s event follow.