Spotlight on the Arts

media release: Mark your calendars for March 1 in Verona 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.

Locations:

1. Verona Area High School Student Art Galley 2-5pm (also, Spring Play Clue at 2pm; Tickets are $16 ($12 for students) and may be purchased here: https://vahs.ludus.com/index.php). Use the Fine Arts Entrance at Door 10 on the West Side of the building to visit the Student Art Gallery!

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. 

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.

http://www.kathykingpotterpainter.com/

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

ART House 360 will be open to the public for tours from 2-5pm. See the reinvention of the downtown 1917 schoolhouse into a dynamic new community arts hub for all!

https://www.arthouse360.com/

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!

https://audifaxart.com/ https://www.triangulador.com/

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!

https://www.crimsonartistcollective.com/

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.

https://www.greengoodies.art/

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.

https://www.sustainabletextiledesign.com/

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!