Antigo, WI — Antigo Visual Arts (AVA) recently welcomed the community to an opening reception for the Antigo Regional Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) Exhibit, held in collaboration with the Association of Wisconsin Artists. The exhibit is currently on display at the AVA Gallery, located within the Langlade County Historical Museum, and continues a long standing tradition of supporting and celebrating nonprofessional artists across the state.
WRAP, established in 1940, is designed to encourage creative growth through noncompetitive exhibits, professional artist demonstrations, and group critiques led by experienced judges. The program connects artists across Wisconsin while providing opportunities for learning, feedback, and recognition.
AVA welcomed the community to an opening reception on Thursday, March 19, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. The event showcased a diverse range of artwork and brought together artists and art enthusiasts for an evening of creativity and connection.
This year’s exhibit judge, Kim Schoenrock, led the evaluation process and selected several works to advance to the WRAP State Exhibit. Awards were presented as follows:
State Awards
1st Place and Artist’s Choice award to Tyler Reynolds for “Tsunagari.”
2nd Place to Beatie Gmeiner for “Come On In!”
3rd Place to Joanne March for “Misty Swamp.”
Additional State selections to Karen Now-Stimac for “Shady Garden” and Hans Schmitt for “Deep.”
Honorable Mention awards were presented to Emily Popelka for “Strong in Your Strengths,” Mary Hayes for “Glorious Forest,” Camille Converse-Smith for “Swan Song,” Vicki Eldridge for “Trialnair,” which also received the Viewer’s Choice award, Megan Hoha for “Illusions,” Michael Hagerty for “Standing Buffalo,” Judith McMillen for “Spring Robin,” and Patricia Packard for “Winter Moonlight.”
Participating artist Megan Hoha shared her enthusiasm for the event, stating, “This was such an amazing, well organized event. The energy of the people and the unique works on display has inspired and energized me to tap into more of my own artistic creativity. I’m definitely looking forward to becoming more involved with AVA.”
AVA extends special thanks to exhibit judge Kim Schoenrock for her thoughtful evaluation and continued support of regional artists. Schoenrock will also lead an upcoming WRAP workshop on May 21 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, where she will demonstrate her technique described as dry point sgraffito without the ink.
Additional gratitude is extended to AVA Gallery Director Vicki Eldridge for her leadership and dedication in organizing the exhibit, as well as to photographer Benjamin Baumgartner for capturing the spirit of the reception through his photography.
The WRAP program continues to thrive through collaboration between the Association of Wisconsin Artists and local arts organizations like AVA, along with the dedication of volunteers and coordinators who make these opportunities possible.
Additional information about the AWA Wisconsin Regional Art Program is available at https://wiscartists.wildapricot.org/.
