Your overall theatre experience is expanded with art exhibits in our lobby gallery. Be sure to check out the beautiful work of these visual artists on your next trip to Next Act.
Curator Jim Toth creates a unique collection of works to complement each Next Act production.
AMPED UP!
The unexpected art of Shelly Rosenquist
“I have tried too in my time to be a philosopher; but, I don’t know how, cheerfulness was always breaking in.” ― James Boswell
Boswell embodied an ebullient, spirited view of the world. Guided by a wry sense of humor, he was ever open to experience from different perspectives and would most likely find the colorful, cheerful paintings of Shelly Rosenquist, our featured artist, exciting.
As she explains,
I like to amplify elements of my subject matter. My goal isn’t to be realistic, but to create a new way of focusing on the topic by providing an unusual angle, a different color palette or an unexpected relationship within the piece. In our hectic human existence, we have strayed from what makes this world a beautiful place. I like to use my work as a tool to remind people to look around them, to breathe the air, to appreciate the detail and miracles of the world around us.
To those artistic ends, Shelly not only creates vibrate art, she also provides a platform for other artists to shine in her brick-and-mortar gallery/creative space Rosenquist Fine Art located in South Milwaukee. Learn more at www.rosenquistfineart.com
Since the 2014-15 season, Jim has been curating and installing art exhibits for Next Act’s lobby gallery. Drawing on his connections as an artist and retired art educator, he has brought in a wide variety of local artists whose work complements our productions and enriches our patrons’ theatre experiences. He is especially pleased when the art and the play seem to have been meant for each other, as with Michael Andrysczyk’s detailed drawings of winter scenes paired with ALMOST, MAINE and Coree Coppinger’s powerful black and white photographs of MMA fighters paired with THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY. Before retiring, Jim had a two-career history, first as an Art Teacher and K-12 Art Coordinator for the South Milwaukee School District and then as the Director of Exhibits for the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum. In addition to his volunteer work for Next Act, he serves on the board for the Milwaukee Area Teachers of Art and as president of the south side community choir Cantare Chorale. He is also an artist who has show his sculpture at numerous art fairs including MAM’s Lakefront Festival of Arts and in many small group and gallery exhibitions. Jim and his wife Karen are long-time residents of Bay View.