Urness art exhibit opens Nov. 2

The Sheboygan community is invited to visit the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan Fine Arts Gallery for its next art exhibition by Wisconsin artists Don and Eileen Urness, titled "Abstractions, Atrractions and other Celebrations.” An art reception has been planned for Friday, November 2, from 5-7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Gallery.

For more than 30 years, the Urness' have been making art together and although there work is extremely different in many ways, the one thread that holds it together is their celebration of creation. Both just enjoy making art. Although they have often shown together in group shows, this is the first time they will be showing together in a joint show.

Although mostly a self-taught artist, Eileen Urness has been surrounded by art and artists most of her adult life. She has explored many areas of art including jewelry, ceramics and painting. Lately, Eileen has been experimenting with epoxy paintings. She has found in epoxy a vehicle to represent the kind of depth, layering and color she was in search of. Her technique is largely experimental and self-developed, incorporating elements of collage, paint and raw pigment.

Don Urness is a papermaking artist from southeastern Wisconsin. Because of his interest in the environment, Urness began making paper from trash in the 1980s. He uses recycled paper pulp for his art projects, which also reflect his interest in light and how it affects nature and objects. Some of his works show how light can change the look of an object over a 24-hour time period by the way it reflects light. Recently, he has been involved in the undulation of color and its effect on the viewer.

Mr. Urness has been an art educator for the past 25 years and is currently instructing art students at Cedar Grove-Belgium High School. Mr. Urness has a Bachelor of Arts degree in art education from UW-Eau Claire and a master’s degree in visual studies from Cardinal Stritch in Milwaukee.

All artworks will be on display through November 30. The Fine Arts Gallery is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and located inside the Fine Arts Building.

For more information on the show, contact Dan Smith, Fine Arts Gallery Director, at (920) 980-1767 or e-mail dan.smith@uwc.edu.