Arts in Waupaca

Posted by Barbara Fay Wiese on July 22, 2010 | 3 comments

A new venture begins right here with my first County Post Arts Blog! The Waupaca area has opportunities to experience the arts for every taste and timeline. But don't expect this blog to direct you to "age appropriate" activities or events. Part of the joy and surprise of artistic endeavor is the discovery of something you never expected would interest you. So, as you read this blog in the following weeks, be willing to go outside your personal comfort zone on occasion -- it might open up a whole new side of life for you.

Venues for the arts can be found up and down Main Street in Waupaca, are grouped on North Main Street, and are scattered throughout the county. It is a beautiful drive (or bike ride) from any point A to any point B - so take that short trip to see, hear, or participate in diverse events that come to your attention.

What part do the arts play in the summer life of Waupaca? I recently put this question to the managers of 3 adjoining arts shops on North Main Street. 

At the Waupaca Community Arts Center (WCAC, at 200 N. Main St.) Byron Nelson (a nature photographer) stuck his tongue firmly in his cheek and said, “When the weather is not conducive to outdoor activity, it’s a wonderful way to pass the time!” There is more than a grain of truth to that, and isn’t it great that we have a community that offers a wide variety of things to do besides sit on a beach! All outdoor play and no art makes Jack a lopsided boy!

Anita Golke and Bonnie Beck (jewelry artists) pointed out that the flavor of the talent in this area is readily available to people who stop in to the WCAC. Two recent visitors from the state of Washington were especially impressed with the quality of Mary Conradt’s baskets and Mary Beisner’s glass works. Visitors from Virginia and Rhode Island were very impressed with the wide variety of artists shown. Even in this somewhat shaky economy the operators of the Waupaca Community Arts Center take heart in the slowly growing number of sales of paintings and other objects, that indicate the arts are valued in this community.

Dave DeBolt’s Originals Gallery is next to WCAC, at 204 N. Main St. He has witnessed twelve years of change in the arts scene through his gallery, and is known for the high quality of artists that he represents. He notes that out of town people see Waupaca as an art area, and he says, “It’s fun! It’s festive!” Dave presents receptions for his artists, and the WCAC has Meet the Artist nights as well. The art events that are presented by the Waupaca Fine Arts Festival (in operation for nearly 50 years), Hidden Studios (in its 7^th year), Arts on the Square (in its 4^th year), the library exhibit room and various shops and restaurants in town make an impression, and this impression is growing.

Ingrid Lesley runs Ingeborg’s Cupboard at 206 N. Main St. (Mike Bolt’s 44^o Arts and Antiques is at the same address.) She notes five aspects of the arts in Waupaca:

1. The visitors who make Waupaca a destination for day trips. This happens more in the summer, but as events stretch into the fall and begin earlier in the spring, this stretches the benefit that comes to the whole community (restaurants, shops, hotels, gas stations . . .) from these visitors.

2. The folks who, since the 1890s and early 1900s have for generations returned to their cottages on the Chain O’ Lakes. These folks have bought local and regional artists works and have helped build artists’ reputations and the concept of Waupaca as an arts area.

3. The artists themselves are a community and thus develop relationships and connections and strengthen the art scene.

4. The community events on Main Street – visual and performing – connect the arts to families and casual passers by, and include the whole community in the arts scene.

5. The growing branding of our area as a resource, a place for artists, the arts, and people who love the arts, in the same way that Door County visitors think about that area.

She believes the opportunities for artists to have their work seen in galleries and stores on Main Street is a major resource, both for the artists and the contribution that the arts make to our economy. “Without the arts we would be a very minimal place – the artistic energy and spirit bring life here,” she says.

Now, this blog is for you, the readers. Please respond to this blog! Let me know of artists and arts events that deserve to be recognized. This area is loaded with artists, writers, and musicians. This blog is here to act as a forum on the arts. So, what part do the arts play in the summer life of Waupaca for you?