Mikel Kelley back for his 14th year on the Tour

May 14, 2021

Mikel Kelley back for his 14th year on the Tour

Mikel Kelley has been with the Spring Art Tour since the beginning

Mikel’s ceramics studio has been a part of the Mt. Horeb community for over 20 years, and he is one of the original organizers of the Tour. His work can be seen all over town—from private sculptures to his iconic Grumpy Troll mugs. Stop by 4th Street Ceramics June 4-6 to see the artist at work, view artwork, or commission a piece.

Mikel Kelley's mugs on display at Grumpy Troll

See Mikel Kelley’s work

during this year’s Spring Art Tour, June 4-6. Meanwhile, see a preview, get tour information and more at his Spring Art Tour Artist page!

Kelley Mikel, ceramic sculpture, 'Phuk Covid'

John Pahlas back for Spring Art Tour 2021

Apr 28, 2021

John Pahlas back for Spring Art Tour 2021

John Pahlas is back for the Spring Art Tour for 2021!

Pahlas is busy creating spectacular giant installations and tiny beauties that you’ll be able to see in person this June 4-6 at the Spring Art Tour!

On Social media he recently posted about an exhilarating, intense, and somewhat stressful (no one got hurt!) installation of a giant heron at K & A Greenhouse. Check it out:

John Pahlas' metal sculpture of a heron (in studio, in progress)

Thanks so much Angie & Chris of @ka_greenhouse for providing me with yet another fun and challenging project! As the truck backed in to prep for unloading the heron Angie said, “this must be kind of sad for you to say goodbye to a sculpture you’ve worked so much on”… and I can’t remember exactly how I replied, because I was so FULL to the brim with excitement to have A)successfully gotten the beast out of the bay with only a minor setback to the garage door (which thankfully didn’t take too long for the garage door guys to fix) And B)successfully gotten it loaded onto the truck with ease and zero injuries to anything or anyone.

John Pahlas beside his giant Heron scupture at K&A Greenhouse

And after getting it in its place and to hear the immediate responses from everyone at the greenhouse… there is no way I could feel sadness! I create art to share it with others and with each custom project I am encouraged to go that extra mile and share bolder visions through the infinite possibilities held within salvaged rusty steel! I did put my heart and soul into this heron, and to be able to share that with others is the entire reason I make art. Step into the greenhouses at K&A… and you will see they put their hearts and souls into those plants too! This current time in history, we need to share our heart n soul energy on unprecedented scales!! Step up and stand tall to accept the challenge! What a great project, onto the next!!

See Pahlas’ fabulous BIG and small steel sculptures

during this year’s Spring Art Tour, June 4-6. Meanwhile, see a preview, get tour information and more at his Spring Art Tour Artist page!

Robert Bergman: Big changes & new work

Apr 4, 2021

Robert Bergman: Big changes & new work

Big news

Bob writes: “The big news here is that after 52 years of running the blacksmith shop I will be selling to a new owner. He wants to continue and add to the history of 165 years of continuous service to the local community and nation wide market. I will do all I can to pass on the knowledge I have gained and do everything possible to ensure the new owner’s success.”

Please welcome Bob Bergman back for 2021; his 2nd year on the Spring Art Tour!

Bergman continues: “I turned 75 this year and want to focus more on my personal work. I have been experimenting in adding metal details to my wood turnings.”

We can’t wait to see the new work! You can see it for yourself at the 2021 Spring Art Tour, June 4-6. See a preview of Bergman’s work at his Spring Art Tour Artist’s page.

Breathtaking Art Glass from Barbara Westfall

Apr 1, 2021

Breathtaking Art Glass from Barbara Westfall

Art + Glass + Design

Barbara Westfall writes:

I am a glass artist and designer.

I am captivated by Nature and all its elements – earth, water, fire, air, space – and how they interact and influence each other…

I am fascinated by the way in which sunlight, water, and plants are affected by changes in the seasons, weather, and time of day.

I am overjoyed to capture and interpret these colorful elements and interactions into original art glass designs for you to collect and enjoy.

–Barbara Westfall

Inspirational seed catalogs

Westfall writes on Social:
This is what happens in winter when the seed catalogs come in.

Barbara Westfall art glass work in progress inspired by seed catalog

Barbara Westfall is back for Spring Art Tour 2021!

This is Westfall’s 4th year on the Tour. You will be able to see the breathtaking beauty of Westfall’s work for yourself this year, but in the meantime, please see her Spring Art Tour Artist’s page. Below is some of the awe-inspiring, large-scale work Barbara has done for corporate clients. See more of these at Barbara Westfall Art Glass Design.

Barbara Westfall, Faceted Rainbows, Art Glass

Barbara Westfall, 'Winter River,' Art Glass

Barbara Westfall, 3 Deep Breaths, Fused Glass

Hello Spring. Hello Spring Art Tour.

Mar 22, 2021

Hello Spring. Hello Spring Art Tour.

June 4, 2021: the Tour returns!

It’s a new year, and after taking a hiatus in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, the Spring Art Tour is back for 2021, June 4-6! Well, 29 of us that is, in slightly different studio spaces—some of us might be outside of our studios, in tents, garages, or barns… We will be wearing and requiring masks to be worn inside our studios. More info can be found at our Spring Art Tour page.

outside wall of Market Weight Press, the studio of S.V. Medaris

Zuzu on guard outside Market Weight Press during the height of the Pandemic, 2020

In 2006

…the first group of artists met at Zalucha Studio to make a plan and determine how to proceed. They included Peggy Flora Zalucha, and several artists who are still on the Spring Art Tour to this day: Tamlyn Akins, Jane Varda, and Mikel Kelley.

As Tamlyn explains: “We tried to join the Fall Art Tour initially but were declined because they felt they couldn’t expand their tour area. At that point we decided to create our own tour. We discussed the desire to create a high quality tour with the intention to have a Selection Committee who would be responsible for maintaining a high standard. We discussed in depth how the tour should be coordinated, conducted, and when it should take place. We also decided to create a non-profit arts organization so that we would be eligible for grants.”

Peggy Flora Zalucha

Tamlyn Akins

Jane Varda

Mikel Kelley

It would be a lot of work.

Needing to take it to the next level, Peggy and Tamlyn, working with an attorney and CPA to get all their legal ducks in a row, created the organization legally, filed for non-profit status and all of the necessary IRS and WI Dept. of Revenue documents. It took them almost a full year. Because they didn’t yet have their 501(C)3 status during the 2007 tour, they filed for grants under the non-profit umbrella of the WVA. Peggy, who had served on the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission/Dane Arts and knew a lot about grant writing, coached Tamlyn through the process. To this day, Tamlyn is responsible for all of the grant writing for our organization. She continues to secure grants for the Spring Art Tour, and the MHAAA—necessary financial support without which our nonprofit would not exist.

From 2007-2020, up until last year, when a new Board of Directors was formed, Tamlyn was responsible for designing the Spring Art Tour brochure, the website, writing grants, and helping in just about every aspect of the Tour (whew!), pushing to make the Spring Art Tour the professional, successful, popular event it is today, attended by hundreds every year.

Spring Art Tour brochure from 2020 (which was subsequently cancelled due to Covid)

With many thanks…

As the new Board of Directors works to ensure the Spring Art Tour is a continued success, we recognize the herculean effort, work and time Tamlyn put into the Spring Art Tour these past years, and we are grateful for her continued work as grant writer and co-chair of the Spring Art Tour to this day. From all of us at MHAAA: Thank you for all that you do, Tamlyn!

The Spring Art Tour: This project is supported by Dane County Arts with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.