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 James Toth creates a unique collection of works to complement each Next Act production.
A Winter Refuge
The drawings of Michael Andrysczyk
November 20 – December 15, 2024
Curated by James Toth
ALMOST, MAINE is a play featuring characters far away from the hustle and bustle of our over-crowded, impersonal urban centers. Being placed in the far north, it strips away all of the distractions and added complexities of city life, allowing it to focus on intimate relationships in a heightened way. However, a dynamic not explored in the play is the power of this remote environment to provide a refuge from the storms that are often a part of these relationships; the power of the forest.
This is the world that Milwaukee artist, Michael Andrysczyk, has spent a lifetime exploring. His meticulous drawings capture a solitude unique to a snow covered forest where sound is dampened and normally hash bare branches are softened by layers of fluff. A world where we are invited to pause and reconnect with nature. A world where we can suspend our often petty problems for a time and experience being a small part of a much larger whole, to be both humbled and uplifted. A world I hope to visit again and again in person.
James Toth
Volunteer Gallery Curator
Michael Andrysczyk began drawing as a print shop operator who needed to create advertising art for his customers. His inspiration comes from his many years spent in the woods hunting, studying the geology of Wisconsin and educating the public as a geologist and member of the Kettle Moraine Geologic Society. Mike’s passion and skills have led to his becoming an award-winning member of the Rogues Artists Group.
Exhibit Hours
The art exhibit opens Wednesday, November 20, and is open to the public Monday through Friday, noon to 5 pm, and prior to the start of any performance.
Additional Information
About Almost, Maine
James Toth is a retired art educator, now in his tenth season as Next Act’s volunteer gallery curator. 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 artists whose work complements our productions and enriches our patrons’ theatre experiences. Jim is especially pleased when the art and the play seem to have been meant for each other, as with ARTERYink’s organ-oriented designs and the heart transplant theme of Sean Grennan’s THE TIN WOMAN. 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 whose carved cement sculptures have been in numerous group shows over the years, most recently at MIAD this September. Jim and his wife Karen are long-time residents of Bay View.