BEST GALLERIES OF DOOR PENINSULa.blink
BARNSITE ART STUDIO & GALLERY
AND KEWAUNEE ACADEMY OF FINE ART

Advocating the Arts Nationally & Regionally

Established in 2001, Barnsite Art Studio & Gallery has earned a reputation for excellence in exhibiting some of the finest representational oil painters in the United States. With the founding of Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art in 2005, art students are offered an intensive curriculum devoted to drawing and painting in preparation for careers as professional artists. Founded by Norma and Dick Bell, Barnsite Art Studio and Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art are fulfilling their mission to advocate the arts nationally and regionally.

The classical techniques and methods of the arts introduced before the Renaissance and perfected by the Masters—including Michelangelo, Rubins and da Vinci—evolved over five centuries. It is that method which Barnsite features in its gallery, studio and the Kewaunee Academy.

For more than 30 years Norma worked as a professional artist, creative director and designer. Dick’s career selling and managing the sales of large printing equipment domestically and internationally provided him with opportunities to visit fine art museums around the world. Combining their considerable knowledge and expertise in the arts, Norma and Dick created a unique gallery and academy in the Kewaunee countryside.

Located in a traditional 1914 dairy barn, the integrity of the historic building has been maintained throughout the two-level 9,700-square-foot gallery, studio and academy.The architectural elements of the structure have been preserved and are testimony to the sturdiness of the county’s early settlers.

The Barnsite Gallery, located on the first level, features 12 representational oil painters and sculptors from across the country. Displayed on the barn walls, the original beams gleaming overhead, exhibited artists include Lori Beringer, Nancy MacDonald, Lindy Duncan, Mary Jo O’Gara, Scott Tallman Powers, Bren Sibilsky,Tom Tittl, Ken DeWaard, Marcie Oleszkiewicz, Susan Diehl, Diane Rath, OPA, and Master Painters Jove Wang and Zhiwei Tu, OPAM. Throughout the season new works provided by the featured artists rotate into the gallery.

In response to a renewed request for classically trained artists, Norma and Dick premiered Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art (KAFA) in 2005. An Art Renewal Center approved “atelier” based on the French definition of “studio or workshop,” KAFA is an intensive program for serious, goal-oriented students. One of only 12 similar academies in the world, KAFA is recognized for its devotion and dedication to the highest standards of craft in drawing and painting.

Under the artistic direction of renowned artist Craig Blietz, KAFA offers a full-time program, two summer “intensives” and workshops. The facility has been built to provide the students with the very best experience. Students work in controlled artificial lighting conditions and in full spectrum natural light.

The faculty has been constructed with the philosophy that students benefit from being engaged with a variety of instructors. Students proceed through a multiple-step core program, proceeding only when each step has been completed and individually approved.

Finally, students begin work on subject matter and ideas that are unique and of particular interest to them. The Creative/Career portion of the program is designed to aid the students in their transition from student to practicing creative professionals.

Creating individual curriculums for each of 18 students, KAFA concentrates on personalized instruction. Under Craig Blietz’s direction, six teachers rotate among the students each month. The instructors include Bonnita Budysz, Ken De Waard, Aaron Holland, Lori Beringer, Steve Ohlrich, and Amy Lloyd.

Assigned designated work spaces—either private or shared—full-time students have access to three work studios. The 45-by-40-foot Life Room boasts a 33-foot vaulted ceiling and a double platform specifically designed for working from “live” models. Each week students have access to 15 hours or more of live model time.

The adjacent North Light Studio benefits from the natural light that floods the room. The recently renovated Sculpture Studio, located on the lower level of the barn, opens to students this fall.

Concentrating on a core curriculum that includes seven areas, students begin their course work with “Figure Studies.” With an emphasis on the life form, students draw from a live model, reinforcing the practice of sight-size with prolonged studies.

“Cast Drawing” is a time-honored method for training the painter’s eye through refined cast drawings using charcoal on white paper. Students then progress to the third area within the curriculum. “Cast Painting” is the student’s first venture into painting with oil using a monochromatic palette, the goal of which is to learn to draw and paint with a brush.

Demanding and exacting,“Portraiture” is an exercise that requires years of study and development. Beginning with charcoal, students concentrate on the head and facial features, progressing to pastels, and eventually to oil.

By the time students have advanced to “Still Life,” they have achieved a grasp of drawing and the fundamentals of oil painting. At this level of development, students progress from compositional sketches to a finished piece. It is a pivotal point in their development as an artist.

“Painted Figure Study” is the final challenge of the rigorous academy curriculum; painting the human figure is the greatest artistic challenge and ultimate goal of every student.

Throughout the curriculum, students are assessed on their individual progress, and advance based on the recommendation of the artistic director. The ultimate goal is the student’s ability to create as representational artists.

“Artist quality” supplies and hard-to-find art books are available for purchase in the Barnsite Gallery. Requests and orders for art books and supplies can be made by contacting the gallery or online at www.barnsiteartstudio.com. Tours of the Academy School are available by request. Barnsite Art Studio is located at 109 Duvall Street, Kewaunee, WI, 54216, and is open during the season daily from 10–5 p.m. For additional information, call 920.388.4391.