Kenosha museum hosting art exhibits
It's not unusual for the Kenosha Public Museum to host art exhibitions on its second floor, but it's clear the venue's current shows are different.
"Lemon Street Gallery: 25 Years of Creativity" highlights the works of local artists who are members of the gallery on Sheridan Road.
Close to 80 pieces are on display.
"In putting this show together, we met artists we hadn't known before," said Rachel Klees Andersen, curator of exhibits at Kenosha's public museums.
Museum staffers didn't see any of the works before they arrived at the museum, and they worked to craft a cohesive exhibit.
"A lot of these artists work together and inspire each other, and it shows in these works," Andersen said Wednesday during a Gallery Talk at the museum.
The show landed at the Public Museum after Lemon Street staffers called "and asked us if we knew of a venue to host a big show for them," Andersen said. "We said 'why not do it here?'"
The pieces, selected by Lemon Street, include some "in memoriam" works by deceased artists.
"That caused some people to get a little choked up at the show's opening reception," Andersen said. "They saw works by some of their close friends."
The official kickoff last month for the Lemon Street show "was one of our best-attended opening receptions ever," Andersen said. "It was exciting to meet the artists and hear the stories behind the pieces."
The museum exhibit is part of Lemon Street's 25th anniversary celebration, which also features a Halloween-themed fundraising event Oct. 26 at the gallery. The gallery is seeking sponsors and donors to help with the project. To find out more, contact Shelby Nesmith, Lemon Street's executive director, at or visit lemonstreetgallery.org/25th-anniversary .
Acrylic show
In the gallery next to the Lemon Street show are 44 paintings that make up the Acrylic International Biennial Juried Exhibition.
This year's show features works by artists from across the United States and as far away as Malaysia.
Juror Reginald Baylor, an accomplished acrylic painter himself, "had to look at 354 paintings that were entered online for the show," Andersen told the dozen people at Wednesday's Gallery Talk.
"He selected the paintings after two rounds of scoring," she said.
To be accepted into this show, a painting must be at least 80% acrylic paint, which can be applied by a pen or a brush," Andersen said. "That's why you see such a wide range of styles — everything from photo realism to abstract pieces."
The show also has size restrictions — which disqualified an extremely large portrait that is 150 inches tall — and the pieces must be able to hang on a wall.
"It's amazing how sometimes people don't read the details about a show," Andersen said. "One woman entered five gorgeous paintings, but they were all oil paintings."
The subject matter is open to whatever the artists choose "and we encourage a range of subjects," Andersen said. "We like to have a little bit of everything."
That's why visitors to the colorful exhibit will see everything from photo realism to abstract pieces.
The acrylic show first came to the museum in 2022 thanks to local artist Dan Simoneau, who at that time was the group's president.
Simoneau "loves the local museum and has had an exhibit here. So when the society was looking to fund an exhibit with an art focus, Dan campaigned for us," Andersen said.
The show, which was endowed from the International Society of Acrylic Painters, will continue at the museum every two years.
If you go
What: The Acrylic International Biennial Juried Exhibition and "Lemon Street Gallery: 25 Years of Creativity"
Where: Both exhibits are on display at the Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 First Ave.
When: Through Oct. 27. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Admission:
Coming up: A Lemon Street Saturday Gallery Talk on Printmaking, Photography and Mixed Media is 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.
Features/GO Kenosha
