On Saturday and Sunday, September 1-2 from 10 am to 5 pm, you are invited to sift the grounds of Gill’s Rock Coffee (the former Charlene’s Gallery Ten), festively populated with a village of tents filled with fine art, crafts and creative people at work.
One of many cairns created by Madison artist Jason Reid in the woodlands adjacent to the Gills Rock Artfest grounds in 2011
More than 15 artists will travel from as far as Texas, Michigan, Illinois and all parts of Wisconsin to celebrate the 12th Annual Gills Rock ArtFest on Labor Day Weekend. Despite the fact that Gallery Ten’s former queen bee has retired from the gallery business, Charlene Berg looks forward to hosting what amounts to a 2-day reunion and festival of the creative class in Gills Rock each year.
You can expect to find a variety of pastels, oils, watercolors, drawings and photography as well as works in 2 and 3-dimensional mixed media like the zany assemblages of Norm Knott. There will also be fine crafts and jewelry that include Beth Parsons’ glass beads, vintage and original jewelry designs. Mandalas, fiber arts, sun-catchers, and works in wood, plaster, encaustic, bronze and copper will all be on display. You can even sit for a quick-portrait, done while you wait or take a stroll through the woodland pathways to find the numerous natureworks of Jason Reid, cairns and assemblages created from found natural objects.
Returning artists this year include:
- Antoinette Cacciotti, Pewaukee, concrete and acrylics
- Joni Rae Doyle, DeForest, silver and copper jewelry
- Kris Franzke, Milwaukee, mosaic, clay
- Mark Haberly, Menomonee Falls, oil
- Ray Kapfamer, Appleton, oil
- Anne Nikolai Kloss, Waukesha, beaded jewelry
- Norm Knott, Rockford, IL, mixed media sculpture, paintings
- Mary Beth Mead, Ellison Bay, vintage jewelry
- Chris Meissner, Milwaukee, encaustic and oil, plaster
- Anne Nikolai Kloss, Milwaukee, watercolor
- Marcia Nickols, Ephraim, watercolor
- Beth Parsons, Chicago, IL, original jewelry
They are joined by new participants: Denny Moutray, Stella DeVenuta, Allie Sturomski and Katya Tea. Many of the artists will be working onsite. Gills Rock Coffee will be open for extended hours on both days from 8 am to 5 pm with a variety of tasty special treats.
There is no charge to attend any of the Gills Rock ArtFest events taking place over Labor Day Weekend. Telephone 920.854.9907 for further information.
