Spotlight on the Arts
Mark your calendars for March 1 in Verona, WI, and celebrate creativity at Spotlight on the Arts! This city-wide event features artists across diverse mediums showcasing their work between 2-5pm. Dive into a day of inspiration and connect with the stories behind their art.
1. Verona Area High School Student Art Galley 2-5pm and Spring Play Clue at 2pm
Use the Fine Arts Entrance at Door 10 on the West Side of the building to visit the Student Art Gallery or enjoy the VAHS production of Clue at 2pm!
The VAHS Art Gallery is featuring artwork made by students currently enrolled in Art courses at Verona Area High School. Artwork on display includes work from our Art Foundations, Drawing, Digital Media, and Ceramics classes.
Clue: On Stage (high school edition) presented by VAHS Theatre is playing at the Verona Area High School Performing Arts Center starting February 27th through March 1st. Based on the Paramount film and the Hasbro board game, the stage show is adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn with additional material by Hunter Foster, Sandy Rustin and Eric Price.
The show is described as a “murder-mystery comedy thriller” that follows six guests at a mysterious dinner party where they find themselves implicated as murder suspects when their host turns up dead.
Tickets are $16 ($12 for students) and may be purchased here: https://vahs.ludus.com/index.php
For more information, please contact hstheatre@verona.k12.wi.us
2. Linen and Clove 1-5pm
Potter and painter Kathy King was raised a Kansas girl, but calls Monroe, Wisconsin home for 42 years and retired from teaching art at Monroe High School in 2019. After many years of playing with different media, she chose clay to work in because the surface is an opportunity to do what she loves; drawing, painting, carving, and manipulating. She states, “pushing the clay to be many things is an ongoing challenge I work at.” Each piece is a unique one-of-a-kind piece and she strives to make sure each piece's surface tells a visual story.
3. Blossom Pet Salon 2-5pm
Shalicia Johnson, Pet Boutique Photographer
The name of Shalicia Johnson’s business, Arrowstar Photography, is a tribute to her beloved doggie, Arrow. A friendly, fun and experienced local boutique photographer, Shalicia specializes in child, family, and pet portraiture. It brings her profound joy to freeze invaluable moments in time and present them in a meaningful way.
4. ART House 360 2-5pm
See the reinvention of the downtown 1917 schoolhouse into a dynamic new community arts hub for all and experience interior and exterior murals by:
Julio Cachiguango Julio Cachiguango grew up in Ecuador, where his interest in art began at a young age. He attended school of the arts for four years in high school, then went to Europe to pursue music as well as art. He returned to Ecuador to continue studying art in University, then came to the United States, where he has remained since. Julio is Kichwa Otavalo, who are native to northern Ecuador in the Andes mountains, and his culture is present throughout his work. He works in a wide variety of forms and mediums, including murals, portraits, charcoal, acrylic, oil paint, metal etching, and sculpture. His art has been seen in a variety of places across the U.S. including Chicago and Seattle, with the United Nations for the bicentenary of Ecuador, and locally at the Verona library, Centro Hispano, and other organizations. In addition to his art career, Julio also has a store selling Ecuadorian goods and textiles.
https://www.facebook.com/CachiguangoArt/ https://shopsotavalo.com/
Monica Cliff Monica Cliff was born and grew up in Zacatepec, Morelos, Mexico. Monica Cliff is the founder of Inventiva Works, a company focused on providing art and theatre classes for kids, youth and adults in Spanish. Monica has over 20 years of professional experience in the arts, she has designed sets, costumes, puppets and props for local theatre companies such as Madison Opera, Children’s Theater of Madison, Theatre LILA, Wisconsin Film Festival, among others. Monica has a bachelor’s degree in Scenography from the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico and a master’s degree in Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership from Edgewood College.
Gina Cornejo
Gina is a Milwaukee born - raised - reunited autobiographical writer, immersive storyteller, solo performer, actor, and self-proclaimed professional feelings-haver. Multidisciplinary artist Gina Cornejo (she/they) is an Americana Peruana, Milwaukee born, and Queer identifying creative. Aiming for a pinnacle of honesty to be revealed by curating intimate autobiographical theatrical performances for our collective healing, the mediums they specialize in are writing, immersive solo performance, and storytelling.
ginacornejo.com IG: @ginawilltravel @dirtylaundry_avl @whensugarwassugarwassugar
SPITS MULLINS
HEIGHT: 6'2" ON TINDER WEIGHT: OVER HAILING FROM: CA/WI/CO SPECIES: ORANGUTARMADILLOSAPIEN LOCATION: ROCKIES FOOTWEAR: TIMBOS SPIRIT ANIMAL: BLANKA FROM STREET FIGHTER FAVORITE FOOD: AL PASTOR TACOS SUPER-POWER: MEMORY ERASE JUMPER FROM 3: WET MAKES MARKS FOR MONEY: YES CONSTANT ELEVATION: STEADY
http://spitsmullins.com/ https://www.instagram.com/spitsmullins/
Triangulador
Liubóv Szwako finds joy in experimenting with paint and finding ways to manipulate the layers while creating his own path through patterns and shapes that are both spontaneous and abstract. His work is uniquely connected to unconventional found objects, which led to a path to large scale mural projects and fine artworks that can be seen in a wide array of public and private spaces.
Originally born and raised in México City, Liubov is currently based out of Madison, Wisconsin which has been home for a little more than a decade. His use of spray paint, acrylics and long list of mediums create undeniably recognizable and pure work that has been part of exhibitions, fundraisers and collaborative projects with creatives from different backgrounds that allow him to bring some of his ideas to life and approach creative limitations as exploration challenges.
https://www.triangulador.com/ https://www.instagram.com/triangulador
5. Century School Park 2-5pm
Stop by Century School Park to meet the street artist Audifax and experience her new work "Imagination" -- and enjoy the vibrant work of Triangulador at each entrance to ART House 360!
6. Crimson Artist Collective 2-5pm
Crimson Artist Collective is a working pottery studio where we celebrate creativity every day! Join us for Spotlight on the Arts where we will be demonstrating wheel throwing and offering light refreshments. In addition, we will be featuring a wide array of pottery for sale from our staff members. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been up to!
7. Verona Area Community Theatre 2-5pm
Ruth Vander Horck: Ruth is a Madison-based artist who works primarily in clay. Vander Horck taught in public and private schools (pre-K-16) until 2015 when she was accepted in the Master of Fine Arts program in Visual Art at Indiana University’s Herron School of Art. Graduating in 2018, she set up her ceramics and sculpture studio in Madison, Wisconsin. https://www.ruthvanderhorck.com/
Roann Mathias: An intense love of letterforms, and the beauty of color and light in nature are the driving forces behind her work. She is inspired by spiritual writings, poetry and music, and occasionally writes the texts used in her art. https://www.roannmathias.com/
Samantha Cora: Writer, editor and photographer, Samantha Cora is also the creator of the organization Playful Acorns. She is the published children's picture book author of "Waverly Braves the Breeze: The Story of a Galápagos Albatross." https://www.samanthacora.com/
Shevanthi Weerasinghe Hettiarachchi: A representational impressionist artist inspired by nature. Currently her work focuses on blooms from our own garden, butterflies, birds, and bees with a focus on Monarch Conservation. I am drawn to nature and try to represent that beauty in my work whether it be in oils or alcohol inks. Her vision is to someday be able to give back to her birth country of Sri Lanka to support children in pursuit of artistic needs. https://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/shevanthi-hettiarachchi-14618
8. Verona Public Library 2-3:45pm
Sound Bath Experience by Shelby Kottemann
Shelby is an internationally bestselling author with a Bachelor's degree in Educational Studies from IL Wesleyan University. She is a seasoned Reiki Master Teacher, and trained in Sound Healing, Aromatherapy, Meditation, EFT Tapping, and Intuitive Counseling. Shelby founded Loves Nature LLC not only to offer her work everywhere, but also to share her mission to educate herself and others on two things: loving nature and the nature of love itself. You can book a private meditation experience in your home with a small group, receive a one-one reiki session, or explore any other services on her website www.shelbykottemann.com.
9. Alice Good Specialty Coffee 2-5pm
Green Goodies (GG) is a rising portrait artist and content creator based in Madison, WI.
While struggling to find relief in 2021 from a new diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder, GG turned to painting. Using art as therapy she spent countless hours teaching herself to draw, paint, film, edit, and produce high-quality pieces. To document her progress with portraiture, GG set out to paint one-thousand individual portraits, entitled, “The Garden of 1000 Faces.” The project aims to create a culture of consent and inspire people to cherish themselves and each other wholeheartedly.
10. The Sow's Ear 2-5pm
Sustainable Textile Design, Brand of Free Spirit Designs by Maday, LLC
Maday is a prolific art educator, published artist and magazine contributor, based in the Midwest, USA, committed to bringing innovation and artistry to the forefront of her work. She is also passionate about creating natural spaces the whole community can enjoy.
Her mission is to nurture artistic platforms across cultures and generations to foster inclusive, creative work, while finding ways to minimize environmental footprint.
11. The Toys Of Our Lives 2-5pm
Julie Sabo - animator, cartoonist, illustrator
Madison based animator, illustrator, and designer. Julie graduated from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago in 2013 with her BFA in Animation and Illustration and the University of Pittsburgh with her BA in African and African American Studies and a certificate in Asian Studies.
12. Toot and Kate's Wine Bar 3-5pm
Asiah Doyle, ACTOR/WRITER
Fresh off of his stint as the Wizard in The Wiz at CTM, Asiah has a long history of making amazing art in and around Madison, WI! Recently a college graduate from UW-Eau Claire, he has worked with Whoopensocker, CTM, Secondhand Stage, Make Music Madison, and many others.
https://www.instagram.com/asiahdoyle/reels/ https://www.arewedelicious.org/delicious-news/artistspotlight-asiah-doyle
