by Luke Ulatowski
For The Beacon

Sheboygan Visual Artists (SVA) held their 11th annual Golden Frame Awards Friday May 31, 2019 at the EBCO Artworks Gallery, 1221 Erie Ave, Sheboygan WI.

Best of Show went to Kay Jelinek for her mixed media work “Tapestry of Spring, Petals of Friendship” and First Place to Kimberly Nysse for her large-scale self-portrait “Portrait 1(9)23” This is the 3rd award for Jelinek, receiving a 3rd place in 2015 and 2nd in 2017. Nysse took home 3rd place in last year’s event, her freshman entry. Although separated by decades, both of the top artists graduated from Viterbo University, La Crosse Wi.

Best in show – “TAPESTRY OF SPRING, Petals of Friendship” by Kay Jelinek was the big winner at the Golden Frame Awards, taking home Best of Show as chosen by juror Ric Hartman.

When Kay was growing up, there was no art offered in her schools. Her introduction to her art career began at Viterbo College.In addition to her BAE from Viterbo, Kay has earned a graduate degree from UW-Madison and UW –Whitewater. She spent 30 years teaching art in Janesville K-12 and adult education. “It has been an aim of mine to help educate and expose as many people to art as possible, since it HSA become so very important in my life.”

3rd place – “RILEY AND DEXTER” by Dale Knaak took home 3rd Place. Knaak has been with SVA since its inception in 2007.

Jelinek has been honored by SVA with the Presidential Award 2013-2014, is enshrined in the United Arts Alliance Arts Hall of Fame, was nominated 2014 Community Volunteer of the Year. She has worked in oil, watercolor, acrylic and many other media. Her art has been shown at Juarez Gallery, Blue Harbor, Two Fish Gallery, Brockton Art Center, MOWA, Indiana Green at Cedarburg Cultural center, Plymouth Art center and Glas Coffee House among many other locations. She is also an avid collector of art. All of Her art has a story and often that story comes from nature and the striving toward self-actualization. She cites as influences Chagall and Walt Whitman. Originally from Presron, MN, she now lives and has her studio in Sheboygan Wisconsin.

Stephen bowser – STEPHEN BOWSER’S “UNTITLED” earned him an Honorable Mention.

Adopted at a young age, Kimberly’s search for self has been more intense than it is for most of us. Her self-portraits are a direct extension of that continuous search. “I acquire the deepest knowledge of myself by exploring the most intimate truths, and then abstracting from that perception of reality.”

Kimberly’s background and education is in costume design for the theatre. The connection from stage to canvas is apparent. Her art is bold, saturated in intense color, and larger than life. Working mainly with acrylic on hand-stretched canvas, Kimberly’s style ranges from realism to the abstract, with carefully measured geometry forming the backgrounds and patterns seen throughout her pieces. Although her self-portraits are intensely personal, they also reveal universal emotion as they concretize the fundamental, yet ever-changing, views of herself and her existence.

Kimberly has the power to bring the widest metaphysical abstractions into the immediate. Her question with every creation is: Is this worthy of being called “the truth of it”? She is a student at Silver Lake College and lives and works in Sheboygan.

2nd place – BILL WEIDNER (right) receives a trophy from juror Ric Hartman for the 2nd Place-winning “Bird of Burden.”

Other winners were Bill Weidner and Dale Knaak. Honorable mentions went to Sandra Achterberg, Stephen Bowser and Terry Couch. People’s choice award was given to new member Celeste Marchi.

Golden Frame Awards is a juried art competition open to members of SVA. Ric Hartman, Gallery Of Wisconsin Art, was the guest juror. Ric selected over 100 pieces from member submissions. Artworks will be on display at EBCO Artworks Gallery Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm through June 16, 2019
About the Sheboygan Visual Artists

The Sheboygan Visual Artists is a 501 c3 non-profit organization, founded on July 23, 2007 by Frank Juarez. Its first gathering took place on this day with four artists; Dale Knaak, Stuart Howland, Mary Kuehl, Frank Juarez and one art patron, Dr. Jack Westfall. Since its inauguration its membership has grown from a few members to over 125 artists and patrons today working in all types of media. The purpose of SVA is to provide local and regional artists with a platform to support, empower, and promote them and their work.

Patron of the year – MARLA PAYNE CELEBRATES her Patron of the Year victory.