Feature image: Sara Willadsen’s installation wall of works in progress. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Photo: Artdose magazine.
Frank Juárez
In late January 2025, during the opening of A Creative Place: Art from Northeastern Wisconsin 1940 to Present at the Trout Museum of Art, I had a conversation with an artist who shared that there is a lack of opportunities for formal critiques. Critiques are something that many artists need – the space to talk about art, address studio challenges, build [art] community, get constructive feedback, and simply wonder what others think about when looking at an artist’s work.
An artist’s studio is a magical space where ideas, experimentation, and art happen. For many, it can be a place of solitude and familiarity. However, human connection, interaction, and relationships are essential. This is where Artdose decided to step in and try something.
Why not organize a series of critique sessions across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa? Ambitious? Hec yes! Realistic? Maybe. It is worth trying and see how things develop.
For now, let’s focus on Wisconsin.
On May 24th, we started our traveling critique sessions with a studio visit with artist Sara Willadsen at her Sheboygan studio.
Sara Willadsen
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
IG: @saraewilladsen
Photos: Artdose magazine.
Sara makes pictures that satisfy her curiosity in aesthetics and found materials. Combining these articles with reappropriations of her work allows her to employ past patterns and marks as prompts for new structures and environments. The aggressive process used to construct these secretive spaces is kept in balance with the consciousness to know when to stop.
Sara Willadsen (b. 1987) received her Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Northern Illinois University in 2014 and her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Graphic Arts from Lakeland University in 2010. Working mainly with paint and various collage elements, Willadsen’s work explores concepts of abstract spaces and objects guided by her surroundings. She has had work featured in New American Paintings and shows frequently in regional and national exhibitions. Willadsen currently works as a visual artist and graphic designer in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Source: sarawilladsen.com.
Next critique session is scheduled for July with Wausau-based artist Rachel Hausman Schall, @hoorachel
Interested in learning more about our traveling critique sessions or wondering how to join? Submit the form below.
