Wisconsin Visual Artists (WVA) was formed in 1900 as the Society of Milwaukee Artists. Originally organized by painters and sculptors, the membership came to include visual artists who worked in numerous media. After the formation of the group, the members began to meet in the basement of Milwaukee born-artist Louis Mayer. The Society included numerous prominent artists during the early twentieth century, most notably Richard Lorenz, George Peters, and Alexander Mueller.[1] Lorenz became the group’s first vice president and one of its most famous members.[2]
The Society of Milwaukee Artists held regular exhibitions to highlight the members’ work. In 1913 the Society changed its name to Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors.[3] In 2008, the group changed its name again, to Wisconsin Visual Arts (WVA).[4] The WVA is separated into three regional chapters: the Southeast chapter in Milwaukee, the South Central chapter in Madison, and the Northeast chapter in the Appleton-Green Bay area.[5] The organization currently sponsors the Wisconsin Artists Biennial exhibition, which is open to all Wisconsin-based artists aged eighteen years and older.[6]
According to the WVA’s website, all of the most famous Wisconsin-based artists since 1900 have been members. Aside from the prominent members of the group, WVA also ran “circulating picture groups” that traveled the state to department stores and schools. Sharing art in public places may have helped inspire the formation of the Milwaukee Journal’s Purchase award, which provided art to Milwaukee Public Schools.[7]
As of 2018, the membership stands at 489. There are five different categories of membership: professional, associate, student, supporting, and gallery. Each category has different requirements. Members of the WVA can enter its statewide exhibitions, receive a subscription to Wisconsin Visual Artists Magazine, and network with other local artists.[8] The WVA also co-sponsors the Wisconsin Visual Art Achievement Awards with the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters.[9]
Footnotes [+]
- ^ “Wisconsin Visual Artists: WVA History,” accessed February 20, 2018. http://wisconsinvisualartists.com/public/archives.php, now available at https://www.wisconsinvisualartists.org/about/history/, last accessed January 2, 2019; “Wisconsin Visual Artists,” accessed February 20, 2018, http://wisconsinvisualartists.com/index.php.
- ^ “Richard Lorenz (1858-1915),” MOWA: Museum of Wisconsin Art website, last modified June 2, 2010; “Richard Lorenz,” American Art News 13, no. 35 (August 14, 1915): 5.
- ^ “Wisconsin Visual Artists: WVA History,” accessed February 20, 2018. http://wisconsinvisualartists.com/public/archives.php, now available at https://www.wisconsinvisualartists.org/about/history/, last accessed January 2, 2019..
- ^ “Wisconsin Visual Artists: WVA History,” accessed February 20, 2018. http://wisconsinvisualartists.com/public/archives.php, now available at https://www.wisconsinvisualartists.org/about/history/, last accessed January 2, 2019.
- ^ Membership Options, Wisconsin Visual Artists website, accessed December 26, 2018.
- ^ “2018 Wisconsin Artists Biennial,” Shepherd Express, April 8, 2018, accessed December 26, 2018.
- ^ “Wisconsin Visual Artists: WVA History,” accessed February 20, 2018. http://wisconsinvisualartists.com/public/archives.php, now available at https://www.wisconsinvisualartists.org/about/history/, last accessed January 2, 2019; “Wisconsin Visual Artists,” accessed February 20, 2018.
- ^ History, Wisconsin Visual Artists, accessed December 26, 2018.
- ^ Wisconsin Visual Arts Achievement Awards website, accessed December 26, 2018.
For Further Reading
“Wisconsin Visual Artists: WVA History.” Accessed February 20, 2018. http://wisconsinvisualartists.com/public/archives.php, now available at https://www.wisconsinvisualartists.org/about/history/, last accessed January 2, 2019.
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