Work of Chad Nelson

Past Augustana College graduate Chad Nelson will be bringing his love of traditional printmaking to The BrickHouse Community Arts Center this April 21st for our next Double Header w/Nelson & Fogg, mark those calendars, and we’ll see you there!

We’ll share more in the coming weeks, stay tuned….

Watertown artist featured at art show

Emmeline Elliott

Work of Kari Lynn Steen

Nature is a recurring theme in the artwork of Kari Lynn Steen.

Steen is one of two artists featured at the Madison Area Arts Council’s Double Header art show March 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. at The BrickHouse Community Arts Center, 106 S.E. 2nd St. She will be joined by Lance Jeschke of Sioux Falls. The Double Header art show is a one-night event that is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Work of Lance Jeschke

Steen has lived in Watertown for more than 20 years, but grew up in Oregon. Her childhood experiences included frequent road trips with her family to coastal tide pools, redwood forests or deserts full of sagebrush. She said these adventures afforded her the opportunity to observe nature at an intimate level. This early familiarity with nature has carried over into her artwork.

Work of Kari Lynn Steen

“My main focus has always been emulating the natural world. Landscapes, animals and botanical elements are the common theme seen in my paintings, whichever medium I use at the time,” Steen said.

Steen describes herself as a self-taught artist. Her most recent paintings are done with acrylics, but she has also worked with textiles, found objects, ink and watercolors. Steen will have her acrylic work on display at the Double Header art show, along with a few older pieces made with fabric collage and pen and ink.

Steen has enjoyed using a drafting pen since she was a child, with its crisp lines and sharp contrast of black and white.

Work of Kari Lynn Steen 'Freedom Thief/War Pony'

“Layering dots or lines next to each other in a steady pattern was my form of relaxing, of creating order and routine, and had the added bonus of creating images I didn’t have to ‘think through’ or copy from a photograph,” Steen said of the pen and ink medium.

Steen’s paintings are much like her explorations of nature. They need a closer study to appreciate all the finer details.

“What I would most like to convey with my work is to look beyond what the initial image of the piece appears to be, to see what may lay within the tree’s ragged coverings or the mountain’s stony surface,” Steen said. “For the viewer to imagine their own story and place within the painting is my ultimate goal.”

MAAC meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at The BrickHouse Community Arts Center.

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We’re eager for our next Double Header this March, as Kari Lynn of Watertown and Lance Jeschke of Sioux Falls will be sharing their impressive work and talents on the cherished walls of The BrickHouse.

Our Double Header events are just for one night only, we like to say the art comes in and the art goes out, which makes for a great opportunity to connect and see some incredible things (and meet a few great friends too)

Double Headers are free and open to the public, refreshments are always served, and are organized by the Madison Area Arts Council.

Double Header w/Lynn and Jeschke

Thursday, March 22nd

7-9pm, The BrickHouse