The Art World In Wisconsin Is Opening Up

Frank Juarez

Yesterday I attended the 41st Annual Secura Fine Arts Exhibition at the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, Wisconsin. I arrived around 5:15pm. When I was inside there were quite a a few people in the gallery viewing this year’s artworks, which were juried by Todd Mrozinski, Benjamin D. Rinehart, and Christina Turner. 355 submissions were submitted by artists from across Wisconsin with 116 artists selected for this highly anticipated juried group exhibition.

One of the benefits of running Artdose Magazine/Artdose Magazine Weekly is the opportunity to see how the art world in Wisconsin is opening up, gradually. With weekly submissions from arts centers, art museums, and galleries, there is an upswing of in-person receptions. As you know there are quite a few contributing factors, but I think it comes down to how comfortable someone is in the presence of other people in a public space.

Artists, art collectors, curators, gallerists, art patrons, and the broader community are eager to get out to see local art, buy art, and support venues that are continuing to provide a diverse arts program to its community. This was evident at the Trout Museum of Art. After about an hour of catching up with friends and artists, I finally took a stroll throughout the 3 gallery floors to look at this year’s selection. There were quite a few names that I recognized and many that I did not. This is a good sign.

I did have the opportunity to speak with Christina Turner, President of the Trout Museum of Art. She proudly shared the amount of submissions they received and where they were coming from. I was not surprised to hear that 44 out of the 355 submissions were from Milwaukee. A good amount of submissions came from the Appleton area and the rest sprinkled across the state. Artists are observant and analytical when it comes to showing work. From the moment they step into the gallery space to meeting staff, attending the opening reception to following the progress of the exhibition via social media can have a big impact on the success of an exhibition, but most importantly, on the experience. It is through this experience that artists are wanting to become part of this exhibition.

The caliber of the artists’ work in this exhibition is outstanding. Whether you are a traditionalist or non-traditionalist, you will find something that will capture your eye.

The 41st Annual Secura Fine Arts Exhibitions is now on view.

For a list of featured artists, click here.

Trout Museum of Art
Fox Cities Building for the Arts
111 W College Avenue
Appleton, WI 54911

Reception Photos

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List of Exhibitions (on view and upcoming)

The Warehouse MKE & Portrait Society Gallery of Contemporary Art (Milwaukee) | Shari Urquart: Musn’t Touch | June 25

Gallery 2622 (Wawatosa) | Ann Baer: When Words Fail | June 25

Levee Contemporary (Princeton) | MakeBelievable: Andrew Blanchard and William Goodman | May 28 – August 27

Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel (Milwaukee) | The Money $how (September 12), Hanging Out the Laundry: Maeve Jackson (September 6), Desintation Unknown: Ann Spalter (August 8), Artists Without Borders: Reflection on Art and Space (August 1)

Center for the Visual Arts (Wausau) | Indiana Green 2021 Invitational | July 23 – September 11

If you are hosting an exhibition, feel free to contact us. We would love to add you to this list.