Art fair showcases local talents

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Ironwood - For the 63rd time, some of the area's best artists put their talents on display as part of the Range Art Association's annual art show.

"We had comments today from people who visited and said they had no idea there were such good artists in our area," association treasurer Gerry Traczyk said. "And this is just a small sampling of the artists in the area."

Traczyk said she was pleased with this year's show, which was open Friday through Sunday in the Ironwood Memorial Building.

"(It) went very well - a lot of visitors, a lot of good comments," Traczyk said.

While many of the submissions were paintings, Traczyk said it wasn't limited to that medium.

"There was photography, there was some wood (pieces) and the rugs," she said.

Mostly locals entered works, with some entries coming from elsewhere in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula.

A number of awards and ribbons were given out, including two Best in Show ribbons and a People's Choice ribbon.

Traczyk's watercolor painting "Spring Flowers" and Arlene Sarkela's acrylic recreation of Vermeer's "The Milkmaid" took home Best in Show honors in the art show and masters categories respectively.

Ruth Morris' oil painting, "San Juan Capistrano," was named People's Choice.

Morris said she used a reference photo shot by Joan McDaniels when creating the piece, which she said was likely the hardest painting she has done due to it's depth and vanishing points.

While she has been making art since she was old enough to hold a crayon, Morris said she started in watercolors before transitioning to oil painting - a fact demonstrated by her continued use of water color techniques in the oil paintings.

Two Awards of Excellence among the masters class entries and two in the art show were also handed out, as were several technical awards.

Youth entrants competed for the Paul Castagna and Melba Rigoni award of excellence ribbons.