New London native Natosha Daul named featured artist

NEW LONDON — Natosha Daul, a native of New London, is the featured artist at the Wolf River Art League’s 56th annual Mid-Winter Art Show. The show takes place Feb. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Crystal Falls Banquet Facility.
Daul joined the Wolf River Art League (WRAL) in 2019 when they sought artists for the street mural project. She helped kick off the first exterior wall mural, partnering with Season Polsin in the creation of the “Together” mural at Hilker Warehousing along the Wolf River.
Natosha went on to solo two additional murals, “Grow” and “Have Hope.” She took on the role of WRAL vice president for a few years and helped the league grow its media presence by launching its Facebook page and building the wolfriverart.org website.
Creating art is something Daul says she cannot live without. Her involvement in the art league reignited a passion for art that was deep inside her since childhood. After some years dabbling with art as a hobby, she decided to take it to the next level and opened her business, Natosha Lea Art + Design. Her website, www.natoshalea.com, launched in the summer of 2025. She released a coloring book for creative entrepreneurs, “Florals + Faith,” later that winter.
Daul loves to help other creatives “fan into flame” their business ideas and lives by the thought: “To study those ahead of you and pour into those behind you.” Her work is primarily acrylic on canvas, but she also loves pushing those ideas into digital forms.

She enjoys spending time in nature with her family and capturing its beauty later in her artwork. View her work and catch a glimpse of her art process as WRAL’s 2026 Featured Artist. This free art show is meant for community artists to reveal their work to others.
Some artists are students and non-professionals, hoping to get feedback and acceptance from their friends and family. A professional level allows visitors to experience work that has taken sometimes a lifetime to develop. Either way, there is plenty to see in more than 270 pieces entered this year.

This year’s judges
Judging the show and leading a Saturday morning critique at 10 a.m. are two teachers from the Oshkosh schools. Erika Welbes is a 2002 graduate of Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She obtained her Master’s in Educational Leadership at UW-Oshkosh in 2019.
“As an art educator, I have helped to develop rigorous curriculum in the Oshkosh School District,” Welbes said. “I enjoy building a team of art students who collaborate and create as a statement of their individual talents and interests.”

Melody “Mel” Wollangk holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts with an emphasis in photography, ceramics, and functional design. She owned and operated her own professional photography studio for 20 years, gaining extensive experience in both creative practice and visual storytelling. For nearly a decade, Wollangk has taught art in Oshkosh, where she is passionate about fostering creativity, strong design skills, and confidence in young artists. Her background as both a professional artist and educator brings a thoughtful, well-rounded perspective to the judging process.

What you can expect
A Saturday morning critique allows judges to share their notes with the public. Prize ribbons plus cash prizes are awarded to artists of all ages.
New this year are slideshows featuring the making of the community fish sculpture and another about painting the Weyauwega silo. A kids zone focuses on the dragonfly theme of the show, with free stations and giveaways for children to explore drawing and creation.
The show features art demonstrations and live music by locals including Patti Grossman, Melissa Mulroy, Strings and Things, Reed Schneider, and more.

The show is always a fundraiser for the WRAL art scholarship that supports graduating students going into the art field, whether it be fine arts study, teaching, or a selected discipline. Visitors may enter drawings and purchase art to help the league support students in their future plans.