October Beloit Art Center Gallery

By Ellie Repinski

On Friday, October 4, the Beloit Art Center hosted their October First Friday Gallery Reception. Artists from the Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) are displayed in the Sveum Gallery, and pieces of Pam Veitenheimer are displayed in the Bell Gallery. 

WRAP is a program dedicated to creating and displaying the art of students, nonprofessionals, and emerging local artists. The art will be judged in late October, and the top one-third of the artwork will then advance to the state exhibit in Madison next August. 

Forty-five local artists are displayed in the gallery, and they all have different styles and mediums, including acrylic, watercolor, oil, textiles, photography, and more. Some have been participating in WRAP for years, and others, like Paige Stageman, have only just started to explore art as recently as the beginning of this year. Some of the artists displayed this month will have their own exhibits at the Beloit Art Center next year, including Alice Blue and Billy Bishop. 

Pam Veitenheimer, the artist on display in the Bell Gallery, has dabbled in art throughout her life. Her love for art started when she was eight years old, when she and her father would draw together. However, only once she retired did she dedicate herself to finding her two distinct art styles, acrylic paintings and joint compound pieces. 

“Find your passion… Then, make it your own,” Pam said when asked about inspiration, whether it be art, music, or otherwise. She certainly has.

Many of her acrylic pieces are inspired by the PBS shows she has watched. She was deeply affected by the destruction of wildlife shown. Animals make a common appearance in her acrylic paintings and oftentimes include an element of that destruction. 

The other style she has adopted, joint compound art, she picked up after watching YouTube videos by Paul Bozzo. In these pieces, she uses doilies and stamps to make impressions in joint compound. She then lets it dry, seals it, and paints it, to produce a textured and colorful product.

Artists in WRAP and Pam Veitenheimer will be on display until October 24.

Featured Image by Ellie Repinski