August 20, 2020 – The Miller Art Museum in downtown Sturgeon Bay is set to open a new exhibition on Saturday, August 29 featuring contemporary artwork by artists from the Northeast Wisconsin Lakeshore 
region, including Door County. The 45th Juried Annual—on display through October 19 in the main galleries of the museum—highlights work by 45 artists residing in Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Oconto, and Sheboygan counties. This year’s jury panel was comprised of industry professionals Tedd Lott, Artist, Designer (Grand Rapids, MI); Annemarie Sawkins, PhD., Independent Curator (Milwaukee, WI); and Elizabeth Wiza, Preservation Coordinator, Kohler Foundation, Inc. (Sheboygan, WI). Like any good juried exhibition, the 45th Juried Annual is about diversity and quality rather than theme. “Artwork representing a vast range of styles and techniques was selected, illustrating a wide range and mastery of medium,” says Curator of Exhibitions Helen del Guidice. “And, as is expected, the jury panel exhibited great respect and consideration to each submission and offered poignant, independent perspectives on the works.”
Examples include Zebra, a black and white scratchboard rendering, by Jeff Logic and Wonder Woman, a paper and fiber collage portrait by Liz Maltman. Other techniques presented include: the use of arylic and epoxy on mirror in Wood Ducks by Gary Gossens, raw-edge fiber collage in Gathering by Susan Hoffmann and oils on copper-relief in It’s Spring by Kandy Otto. While Brian Pirman’s computer generated work Corona II reflects on elements of chaos created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Randall Dettmann’s works The Root of All Evil and Bubbles of Bliss vigorously defends nature and the environment. Subjects and genres are wide-ranging and include wildlife, still life, portraiture, comical surrealism, abstraction and collage. Artist statements will enhance interpretation of the works both in the physical exhibition and in the virtual experience, with many artists reflecting on the subject of isolaton as a result of the pandemic.
The second-floor galleries of the Ruth Morton Miller Mezzanine feature a new selection of portrait and still life works from the Museum’s permanent collection. Highlighted are a series of black and white photographs by David Parris (b. 1935), who offers an atypical view of Venice, Italy in the early morning hours before its iconic piazzas and canals are filled with activity, people and pigeons.
“Along with the isolation many have felt during the time of quarantine, the possibility of pleasure travel or taking that bucket-list trip to exotic far-off places seems more and more remote. We invite the public to the museum to be transported through art; these works offer a visual journey at a time when we cannot physically go ourselves,” del Guidice continued.
Also on view from the permanent collection are beachscapes rendered with macro-perspectives including Beach Debris by Tamlyn Akins and Racing the Dunes by Lynn Gilchrist. Founder Gerhard Miller’s work can also be viewed in the Miller Gallery, also located on the mezzanine.
Following is a complete list of exhibiting artists in the '45th Juried Annual': Cristian Andersson, Alexis Arnold, Cheryl Becht, David Bueschel, Ginnie Cappaert, W. Joseph Christiansen, Daniel Cross, William Dais, Randall Dettmann, Kristine Diekman, Richard A. Geudtner, Gary Gossens, John Guger, Karen Hertz-Sumnicht, Phyllis Hoopman, Robert Hoopman, Thomas Jordan, Anne Kelly, Patrick Kennedy, Jim Leatham, Mitch Leavitt, Jeff Logic, Mary Ann Logic, Stephanie Lord, Liz Maltman, Janel Maples, Katy Moore, Hans Nelson, Abigail Newman, Dennis Ninmer, Kandy Otto, Sophie Perry, Brian Pirman, Susan Reynolds-Smith, Nancy Sargent, Mac Schueppert, Arlene Stanger, Seth Taylor, Hermke Timm, Christine Van Sickle, Linda Welch, Sara Willadsen, Patricia A. Williams, and Archelle Wolst.
The exhibition has been made possible with financial support from the following sponsors: The Boldt Company, Woodwalk Gallery, and Herb Kohl Philanthropies. Additional support has been provided by Third Avenue Playhouse, the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin, and the National Endowment for the Arts. It will be on display through October 19, 2020 and also available for virtual viewing through the Museum’s website after September 14 at www.millerartmuseum.org.
The Miller Art Museum re-opened on July 27 after a 4-month closure due to COVID-19, with limited hours. Temporary COVID-19 hours are Monday 12-7, Thursdays and Fridays 10-5, and Saturday 10-1. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Visitors will want to make note that masks are required for entry into the building and social distancing will be enforced. For Museum Store purchases, only credit or debit cards will be accepted and visitors will be encouraged to utilize provided hand sanitizer. A complete list of new safety protocol is available online at www.millerartmuseum.org.
The museum is located within the Door County Library at 107 S. 4th Avenue, Sturgeon Bay. Admission is free; an elevator is available to access galleries on the Ruth Morton Miller Mezzanine.