Gallery of Wisconsin Art features abstract art in three-part exhibition

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Feb. 17, 2018

DRIVEN BY ART

Gallery of Wisconsin Art features abstract art in three-part exhibition

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

Ric Hartman just knew there was a lot of underappreciated artwork sitting in Wisconsin basements and attics.

An art collector since his college days, Hartman wanted to create a safe home for work he considers important pieces of history.

The Gallery of Wisconsin Art, 303 Water St., West Bend, will unveil a three-part exhibition March 3 showcasing the evolution of abstract art and artists in Wisconsin, going back to the early 20th century.

The exhibition, “Abstraction X 3,” is divided into three segments: “Three Generations of Abstraction,” “Sculptural Abstraction” and “Contemporary Abstract Artists: The Female Perspective.” It ends April 28. “One of the neat things about this show is it’s going to span three generations of artists,” Hartman said.

Artists representing the three generations are Santos Zingale, Fred Berman and Richard Lazzaro. Zingale died in 1999 and Berman died in 2011.

“Throughout their careers, the three artists extensively exhibited their work nationally and internationally and are represented in several museums, private and corporate corporations in the U.S. and abroad,” according to a news release announcing the exhibition.

The sculpture exhibition will showcase works by Bruce Breckenridge, Artistotle Georgiades and Jerry Anderson, while the female perspective will be represented by Claudette Lee-Roseland, Susan Bartsfield and Melissa Dorn Richards.

The Gallery of Wisconsin Art opened in June and so far, Hartman said, the response has been overwhelmingly positive for the 6,500-square foot facility, which now shares a building with the headquarters of the Volunteer Center of Washington County and The Hub, a coffee shop.

“The reception has been amazing, far exceeded our expectations,” Hartman said. “The support is tremendous.”

One reason behind the support, Hartman believes, is its unique focus on Wisconsin art with themed exhibitions throughout the year. The gallery and gift shop also offers artwork for sale.

“No one in the state anywhere supports and promotes or sells early Wisconsin artwork,” Hartman said, adding early artwork was defined as early 20th century — between the 1900s and 1940s.

Contemporary art is in the line from the 1950s into the early 21st century, Hartman said, while modern art refers to the last 20 years.

“A lot of families, literally, have basements full, attics full, sheds full of paintings and in many cases, literally they’re rodent infested and aren’t climate controlled,” Hartman said. “These families don’t have resources to promote it, don’t know

where to go with it, what to do with it.”

Hartman studied art in college and owned a graphic design company in Menomonee Falls for nearly 15 years. He calls himself an artist by trade.

But he also has great appreciation and respect for some of Wisconsin’s earliest artists, which is why he gravitated toward collecting their work — more than 200 pieces.

“A lot of them during that period were self-taught,” Hartman said. “They were not professional artists. They were teachers to survive and then sold artwork.”

He said art in the first half of the 20th century was a cultural record book.

“The only stipulation is that you painted the common man and the common America,” Hartman said. “So people would go out, paint these paintings and they’d take to the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and gave them the $20, $40 or $50 and the WPA would give them to banks and schools and libraries and government offices, anybody who would take those things.

“It was the first time the history of America was documented.”

He also thought it was inspiring to paint about challenging times, such as the Great Depression, and do so in a positive way.

“They’re saving money to buy paint because they’re passionate about artwork,” Hartman said. “They were driven by the art.”

Hartman named Jackson Pollock and Georgia O’Keeffe as examples of abstract artists.

“Abstract really means you take a subject and you take it apart, you abstract it,” Hartman said. “Instead of painting something realistically, like a landscape, you see painting where things are broken into shapes or cubically.”

The gallery is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and by appointment. For more information, visit www.galleryofwisconsinart.com.

‘The Voice’ contestant Hannah Mrozak’s first single from debut extended play album ready for release Feb. 23

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Feb. 16, 2018

Richfield woman lays down tracks

‘The Voice’ contestant Hannah Mrozak’s first single from debut extended play album ready for release Feb. 23

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

What’s the saying? Good things happen to those who wait?

That appears to be the case for Richfield’s Hannah Mrozak.

Mrozak announced Tuesday via social media and said Wednesday her first single from her debut EP will be released Feb. 23.

The song is called “My Way,” which is the title track for the EP.

“The EP is taking a little longer than expected because I have to fly out to Phoenix to record it,” Mrozak said in a phone interview Wednesday. “So I wanted to get something out there. My fans have been waiting patiently.”

Mrozak said the difference between an EP and an album is an EP is a shorter version of album that might have eight or more songs on it.

Her EP, “My Way,” will include five songs, carried

by the EP’s title track.

“I’m so excited. Been waiting for so long, wrote this song in November, late October,” Mrozak said. “It’s been in the works for quite some time.”

The EP comes on the heels of her appearance on Season 13 of NBC’s reality television singing competition “The Voice.”

Mrozak worked with producer Steve Burns on the EP in Phoenix. Because it is her first experience recording music for an album, the process has taken longer just to make sure everything is right. Of course, the distance didn’t help. She’s flown to Phoenix twice in the last few months to record the music.

Nonetheless, Mrozak, who turns 20 on July 27, is excited to get her own work out to fans, something she’s dreamed of for years.

Each of the five songs on the EP center on theme of life experiences, specifically with relationships. There is a mix of love songs and breakup songs, stemming from relationships she’s had.

“This whole album is pretty much all from the heart, based off real-life experiences,” Mrozak said.

The single will be available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Pandora.

She hopes releasing the single helps generate buzz for the EP, which doesn’t have a release date. When it is released, it’ll be available at her performances.

Mrozak hopes to have an album release party in April, but details are preliminary.

Bilicki enters Xfinity full time

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Feb. 15, 2018

Bilicki enters Xfinity full time

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

In 2016, Richfield’s Josh Bilicki turned a negative into a positive.

The 22-year-old was slated to compete in the Trans-Am Series, a support race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, at Elkhart Lake’s Road America.

“The car wound up not being ready to race,” Bilicki said.

Was he disappointed? Yes, but not for long. He contacted NASCAR teams that had “TBA” listed on their entry list.

He came across Obaika Racing, which had two vacancies, but had a hard time getting in contact with the team because the owner was from Nigeria.

So he sent a message to the team via Facebook and got a response. Within days, Bilicki filled the “TBA.”

“At the time, I didn’t think anything would come through,” Bilicki said. “It was surreal.”

On Feb. 5, that long-ago decision paid off when Bilicki signed with JP Motorsports to do a full NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule — his first full NASCAR season.

“It’s going to be an exciting learning experience, but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Bilicki said.

He will drive the No. 45 entry for JP Motorsports, a new team to NASCAR after it bought Xfinity cars and equipment from TriStar Motorsports. Soon after, JP Motorsports purchased a car from Joe Gibbs Racing, which is the car Bilicki will drive.

The season starts at 1:30 p.m. Saturday with the PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona International Speedway on FS1.

Since he announced his full season plans with JP Motorsports, Bilicki has had little time to reflect on the key steps that have gotten him to this point. He’s gone to the team’s shop to get fitted for the race car and get things in order for the season. He leaves for Daytona today.

“Four or five years ago, I never would’ve guessed that I would be running a full NASCAR Xfinity Series or even looking back when I was 4 or 5 playing PlayStation 1, playing NASCAR video games,” Bilicki said. “I remember that. I just don’t ever think it clicked that one day I would be racing this. It’s definitely really cool.”

Bilicki, who turns 23 on June 3, started racing when he was 4 years old. He raced go-karts before the training wheels were off his bicycle.

In 2008, he won the Supernationals, a go-kart event at Road America. In 2011, he moved into sports car racing, driving a Spec Miata with the Sports Car Club of America. A year later he dabbled with short-track racing, competing in the area sportsman division at Jefferson Speedway.

In 2015, things got serious for Bilicki.

He made his professional debut with the IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge at Road America and led some laps in the race, but was forced to make a late pit stop that prevented a quality finish. “We were really competitive,” Bilicki said. “That was kind of the point I said to myself, ‘OK. I have the skill.’”

❑❑❑

In 2016, he made his NASCAR debut, driving for Obaika Racing at Road America in the Xfinity Series.

He had very little sponsor support, the car was still being worked on at the track and there wasn’t enough room in the paddock for him and his team. He had to set up a makeshift “garage” away from the rest of the NASCAR teams.

He dealt with several issues throughout the weekend, including losing brakes while traveling in excess of 160 mph down the three-quartermile front straight. In the race, he retired after six laps because of a mechanical issue. He finished 38th. But it was the start of his transition from sports cars to stock cars.

He made two other Xfinity Series starts for Obaika that season, including a 28th-place finish at Phoenix.

By 2017, he cemented himself as a NASCAR driver, making six Xfinity Series starts and two Monster Energy Cup starts. The highlight of his career was finishing 12th in the Xfinity Series race at Road America.

“That opened up my eyes, too,” Bilicki said.

His eyes weren’t the only ones opened.

“I got calls to race Xfinity Series races, got calls from teams that wanted me to drive for them,” Bilicki said.

Bilicki watched the ARCA race at Daytona on Saturday, along with Cup qualifying and the Clash at Daytona — an exhibition race — on Sunday, keeping a close eye on how drivers bump drafted. He said he learned a lot.

Later, he posted a picture online watching the track activity while at home, dressed in his new race suit.

“I’m glad it happened the way it did because it certainly opened a lot of opportunities for me,” Bilicki said.

No Laughing Matter

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Feb. 10, 2018

NO LAUGHING MATTER

They have fun playing the scores of your favorite cartoons — but it’s not as easy as it looks

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

As an aspiring musician, Joel Pierson moved from Washington to the Big Apple to find a career.

He knew it was going to be difficult to stand out in that setting. But he had an idea he contemplated for years and believed it was his way into the music business: cartoon music.

“This was the best idea I had,” Pierson said.

It appeared he wasn’t the only one a fan of this idea.

Within two weeks, he was joined by six other musicians and a vocalist to form the group The Queen’s Cartoonists.

The group, formed in Queens, New York, will play for the first time in Washington County with a 7:30 p.m. show Feb. 16 at the University of Wisconsin-Washington County in West Bend.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for senior citizens (older than 62) and youth (younger than 17). Tickets can be purchased by calling 262-335-5200.

This is only the second year the group has toured throughout the U.S. And, so far so good.

“The response was very positive,” Pierson said.

The band features Pierson (piano), Rossen Nedelchev (drums), Ian Hutchinson (bass), Drew Pitcher (tenor saxophone), Mark Phillips (clarinet) and Greg Hammontree (trumpet), along with vocalist Tara Lynne Khaler. They’ve also already released a self-titled album, doing so last year, and have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, National Public Radio, RAI-TV (Italy) and CBS’ “Evening News.”

Pierson said the common thread each of the band members had was the desire to make music for a living. The struggle was figuring out how in a competitive market.

So, instead of recruiting members through jam sessions or gigs, Pierson decided to do word of mouth, sharing adult beverages.

The method worked and the idea grew.

“It only took a couple weeks to get a band together,” Pierson said.

“I think it gave me some encouragement that it was a unique idea and wanted to see what it could turn into,” he said when asked what it meant to him to have the rapid response from fellow musicians.

But, Pierson said because of the complexity of playing scores from cartoons, the band rehearsed for about a year before going out on the road.

“The guys were interested in a project that had less improvising,” Pierson said.

“It’s fast with sudden changes in tempo or style,” he said when asked what makes cartoon scores difficult. “Think of a chase scene then someone sneak around the corner or falls down the stairs. It’s very challenging to pull off.”

Pierson wanted to play this kind of music because who didn’t grow up watching Bugs Bunny or Goofy cartoons?

“It’s a real part of our cultural heritage,” Pierson said. “Some scores are 100 years old. Studios put a lot of resources into (the music). They pay a lot of attention to the scores. Plus all of us grew up to it.”

Pierson’s favorite growing up was Bugs Bunny, but also liked “The Simpsons.”

He pointed to Looney Tunes as one example of the influence music in cartoons has, using “Tunes” instead of “Toons.”

“Music was so important (to Warner Bros.),” Pierson said. “They wanted the music to accompany the cartoon and the cartoon to accompany the music.”

Pierson’s parents introduced him to classical music early in his life and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

“I liked playing piano more than playing soccer,” he said.

When he was about 7 years old, a few years into piano lessons, Pierson said that’s when he started to look at cartoons differently. That’s when he took more notice of the accompanying music.

“Some of the music I was playing was being used in these cartoons,” he said. “As an adult, it’s easier to get a perspective on how difficult it was to pull it off.”

The adult attendees for a Queen’s Cartoonist show will get a chance to relive some childhood memories from the classic Warner Bros. and Disney cartoons. In addition, cartoons are synced to the band’s performance, playing the music from a cartoon while it’s projected on a movie screen, offering a different experience to watch the most well-known cartoons.

And, because of the cartoons, it’s a kid-friendly show, too.

“It is a show for all ages,” Pierson said.

In addition to the group’s selftitled album, their work can be found on iTunes. They’ve also recorded a live album.

“It’s gone very quickly from inception to actually being on the road,” Pierson said. “We’re very fortunate, but it’s also been a lot of work. We’re looking forward to doing more touring and turn this into a serious project.”

West Bend Theatre Co. presents Oscar Wilde’s comedy

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Feb. 3, 2018

West Bend Theatre Co. presents Oscar Wilde’s comedy

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

Rick Bingen repeatedly auditioned for shows in high school, but came up empty. His disappointment lasted maybe a day.

“You just move on,” he said.

That’s what he did. Never was he deterred from giving theater a try — a goal was accomplished during his sophomore year at Carthage College in Kenosha.

He was cast in the school’s production of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and played a shepherd, Silvius.

“I was beyond excited that I was cast in the show and a little bit nervous,” Bingen said. “There were plenty of actors in the show who were upperclassmen who I had seen. I really respected them.”

Bingen’s involvement in theater rapidly grew from there to where he will make his directorial debut with the newly formed West Bend Theatre Co.’s production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The are 7:30 p.m. shows Feb. 10, Feb. 15 and Feb. 17. Matinee performances are at 1 p.m. Feb. 11 and Feb. 18.

All shows are at Jug’s Hitching Post, 5781 N. Main St., West Bend.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for students. Seating is first-come, first-serve. A cash bar is available. In addition, all tickets include a coupon for a discount on a dinner at Jug’s through Feb. 28.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the historic downtown West Bend Theatre restoration project. That part was one reason why Bingen and co-male lead Chris Jenkins wanted to be a part of the show.

“I grew up going to that theater myself,” Bingen said.

Jenkins, who plays Algernon Moncrieff, added, “I love the historic downtown theater. I love that we’re trying to raise money to revitalize that both as an alderman and as someone who lives in the city and loves theater.”

“The Importance of Being Earnest” was written by Oscar Wilde and was first performed in the late 1800s in London. Jenkins said the story focuses on two friends — John (Jack/Earnest) Worthing, or J.P,. and Algernon. Earnest is played by Rob Wagner.

“Earnest is more stuck up, by the book, while

Algernon is more flamboyant and in your face,” Jenkins said, adding he likes playing roles of characters who have those traits. “The character really spoke to me.”

Algernon learns that Earnest has been living a double life — then admits he does the same thing.

“They’re using it as an excuse to either get away from their family or their loved ones just to get away and use that other person as an excuse,” Jenkins said.

But the story has an underlying theme, which is another reason why Nancy Storrs, a co-creator of West Bend Theatre Co., wanted to do “The Importance of Being Earnest.” She said ahead of the company’s debut performance with “A Christmas Carol” in December, the company’s goal was to not only raise money for local nonprofits, but also portray life lessons.

With “The Importance of Being Earnest,” there is the underlying story of personal integrity.

Jenkins said he does about one show per year in the community. His most recent show was “Murder on the Nile” by Musical Masquers. Bingen was a technical worker for the show.

“I’ve worked with a lot of different directors and Rick is a very laid back director, everything is going to fall into place,” Jenkins said.

Apparently, Bingen, who plays Lane and Merriman, has done a good job of “acting.”

“I’m excited and nervous,” Bingen said about the upcoming show. “I always get a little bit nervous when I get about a week out. I want everything to be perfect for the first time (directing).”

Jenkins believes that won’t be a problem.

“The show was very well cast,” he said. “Definitely every one of us who play the different roles … it’s really amazing how well we fit for each parts. I think that plays well for chemistry and our interactions on stage.”

Jenkins promises an entertaining and funny show.

“We’re a little all over the place,” he said with a smile. “Listen carefully to the words. Oscar Wilde was a wordy guy. But all the words are placed their intentionally and it adds to the comedy.”

The rest of the cast includes Sally Jude (Gwendolen Fairfax), Sam Crevensten (Cecily Cardew), Beth Reichart (Lady Bracknell), Don Pountain (Dr. Chasuble) and Angel Yako (Miss Prism).