WEST ALLIS – It’s often asked: what defines art? Is it skill in design? Or perhaps how close to the original source the artist can capture a model? For others, it’s about producing a work to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
I’ve always thought every piece tells a story. And numerous artists across the Wisconsin State Fair were busy story-telling during the annual Plein Air at the Fair competition.
Larry Schultz has served as the superintendent of the competition since 2015, and knows the role a piece of art plays in capturing a moment in time at the fair. “The liveliness, the busyness of it, the excitement and the fun…you just look at all of the pieces, and you almost sense the feeling of being at the fair.”
For Lydia Klatt of Manitowoc, that sense comes strongest from the area of Central Park right underneath the Skyglider, where thousands of attendees pass by every hour on their way to their next state fair adventure.
“Honestly, just a nice day at the fair” Klatt told me her acrylic painting showcases. “[And] just trying to capture all the different elements that mean a lot to me.”
The park was a popular destination for the Plein Air artists Monday, with half a dozen people busy at work painting with acrylics, oils, and watercolors as a full crowd provided plenty of possible sources of inspiration, or simply background noise.
Schultz says the different mediums face different challenges depending on the conditions; as the weather gets warmer and more humid, watercolors in particular can struggle to hold up as temperatures climb into the 90s like we experienced opening day. “Some artists, like myself, I’m stuck on oils. And they’ll work in any kind of weather, even in the freezing cold you can use those. Whereas with watercolor, that’s a little bit different, and acrylic is usually comparable to oils…you just deal with what’s there, it’s always an adventure.”
Marceline from Brookfield was working with acrylics on a painting of the Central Park fountain near the memorial marking Abraham Lincoln’s visit to the fair in 1859. While temperatures were in the mid-70s, quite comfortable for mid-August in West Allis, breezy conditions made for a bit of a challenge in keeping the palettes stable. “The wind isn’t doing me any favors today” she told me as a gust blew her paints dangerously close to her contribution to the “Tiny Treasures” collection that will be on display in the Exposition Center this week alongside the larger paintings.
In interesting contrast to other artists hoping to capture a story about the fair, Martha Hayden from Sharon, Wisconsin was more focused on the unique contrast her more abstract pieces of both a cow and the Wonderfair Wheel would present when compared to more detail-oriented works. “Painting is a visual artform…storytelling is a literary occupation” she told me as I observed the very Goncharova-esque design of her wheel. “I’m trying to hit your eye from his color, and some design. Something that you can look at and tell your own story.”
Artists will still be hard at work Tuesday, with pieces being delivered during the day to the north end of the Exposition Center. They will be available for purchase, and also judged for prizes. The “Tiny Treasures” pieces will be priced affordably for everyone to be able to take a piece of the 172nd State Fair home with them.
