Anja Rathje + Elizabeth Helin

media release: The Driftless Historium (100 S 2nd St, Mt Horeb) will debut the 5th Annual Student Spotlight art show on Friday, June 21, featuring the work of Mount Horeb High School’s Anja Rathje and Elizabeth (Lizzy) Helin.

This partner installation, entitled “Unraveling Reflections” will be on display and open to all in the Kalscheur Family Foundation Community Gallery during the museum’s open hours (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) through Tuesday, July 30.

Drop by the Driftless Historium to meet Anja and Lizzy at the 2024 Student Spotlight Artist Reception on Saturday, June 22 between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and select works and prints featured in this show will be available for sale. All profits will stay with the artist.

While exploring exhibition themes for their joint show, Anja and Lizzy were quick to agree that art was their haven from and a reflection of the often-overwhelming experience of young adulthood. Their exhibition statement describes the artistic process as a route to “unravel[ing] the complexities of ourselves, other people, and the world”; a way to “disentangle our conflicts and clarify what is true.”

“Unraveling Reflections” includes a variety of artistic mediums and styles, each representing this creative and cathartic interpretation of reality.

The Student Spotlight program will serve as a steppingstone for the recently graduated Rathje, who plans to pursue a BFA in Studio Art; and it underscores the validity of outgoing junior Helin’s aspirations of a future art degree.

The Driftless Historium’s "Student Spotlight” celebrates the talent of area youth. This mentor-driven initiative provides an opportunity for young artists, selected by committee from a pool of applicants, to gain experience producing and promoting a public art installation in a professional setting. It was developed in partnership with MHHS Art Department educators Anna King and Dana Showers, with funding provided by the Mount Horeb Area Historical Society. For more information, call MHAHS Director Destinee Udelhoven at 608-437-6486 or email mthorebahs@gmail.com.