Gazette Staff

NELSONVILLE — The Rising Star Mill in the Village of Nelsonville will host the the 32nd Annual Art Show and Sale on May 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and May 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The mill, now on the National and State Historical Registers, produces the show to kick off the summer season of fundraisers which support the historic building.  The show is family friendly, and could make a great destination to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend.

Admission is free, and BBQ and sweet treats are available in the Mill’s Feed Sack Room. Attendees can tour the mill with its unique architecture, visit friends while sitting on the deck overlooking the Tomorrow River, and watch the artists as they demonstrate their talents or even participate in producing artwork of your own.

According to a press release for the event, the show is dedicated to John Morser.

“With heavy hearts, the committee is dedicating this show to John Morser, who passed away on April 25.  John had been committed to the Rising Star Mill for many years as a past member of the general committee and an ongoing influential member of the Art Show Committee.  His artistic photography was always fresh; he offered a wide spectrum of limited number images from which to choose.  He was the “show photographer”, making his way into each booth to get great candid shots of art work, artists, & guests.  He thought the children who attended made the most charming portrait subjects.   In his honor, his framed and matted images will be offered for sale in a booth dedicated to his work.”

The weekend will feature twelve “new to the show” local artists.

-Karen Dostal of Custer is a rug weaver but also weaves what she calls “market baskets”.  “I hope people will use them for shopping local foods at farmers’ markets.”
-Deana Hammel, Town of Lanark, uses eco-felting and eco-printing to create unique home and personal items with fiber from heritage and rare breeds of sheep.
-Jaime Konopacky, Plover, fashions wire and gemstone jewelry.
-John & Joe Makovec  a father-son woodworking team from Iola, work on two “vintage” lathes to turn vessels from local wood.
-Charles McConkie and daughter, Maia Johnson of Custer create unique and realistic-looking copper floral sprinkler heads to bring beauty and function to the lawn and garden.
-Brooke Newman, Stevens Point, uses bold desert-influenced colors to make her charming animal portraits.  Her art work garnered her a Festival of the Arts award as a senior in 2015.
-Carol Stewart Tully and husband, Janeau Tully, are from Stevens Point.  Carol has won numerous awards for her paintings and has work in several galleries throughout the state.  Jan was an art major at UWSP;  as an avid fly fisherman of forty years, he hand ties a wide spectrum of lifelike flies and bugs…”to fool the fish”.
-Andrew Williams,  Stevens Point, produces one-of-a-kind art that ranges from multi-media tribal/relic-type art to wood and metal furniture.
-Shane Zach, Stevens Point, has a passion for jade carving and will be showing his exquisite jade jewelry items.

Returning to the show this year are: Troy Abey – wood; Selene Bloedorn-Saeed – hand crafted goat-milk soaps & lotions, local grown wool, yarns and fiber items;  Jeanne Chase – painting;  Bob Cline – carved cottonwood; Linda Durrant – art quilting, fabric baskets, fiber;  Bud Eagon – turned wood;  Brenda Gingles – fine jewelry; Marsha Haynes – photo cards and unique walking sticks;  John McDonald and Margy Kettle – metal garden art; Roxine Kabowski – horse themed wire jewelry;  Marge Krogwold – loom made rugs and antique loom demonstration; Gary Landowski – ceramics; Jim McKnight – watercolor paintings; Ashley Megal – ink drawings and printed t-shirts; Mary Therese Murphy – silk fusion;  Linda Packer – needle felted fiber; Wayne Reineking – carved and turned wood pieces; Robert Rosen – photography; Karin Sieg – colored pencil drawings; Sue Semrow – weaving and loom  demonstration; Clark and  Sarajane Snyder – art baskets, wood carving and dyed silk scarves; Toni Starr – paintings and jewelry; Elise Thornton – willow and birch bark baskets;  Nancy Thorson – watercolor and collage/mixed media; and Lori Woldt – hand crafted fine metal jewelry.

The Rising Star Mill is owned by the Portage County Historical Society, a non-profit organization, and is maintained by the volunteers on the “Mill Committee”.  All proceeds from booth rental fees, refreshment sales, and retail sales fund the annual maintenance expenses.

The Rising Star Mill is located on Highway Q in Amherst Junction.