ZDG Visiting Artist Series
The Lunch Bunch | June 2025
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What do you do when you are an artist who retires from your regular profession, but continue producing art? You may get together with other artists you know to talk about art and life in general. So it is with a group of artists that meet regularly for lunch in Marquette. They have all been involved with art education in one way or another and are all quite well known in the community. Several have been in the Guest Artists Series at Zero Degrees, and the group offered to do a show together as Visiting Artists for the month of June. The group includes former NMU ceramics professor, Marvin Zehnder, well known for his ceramic sculptures. Marvin’s wife, Monica Zehnder is a former art teacher herself. Although she has a degree in ceramics, she uses mixed media to create elaborate flowers. John Hubbard was a long-time professor at NMU where he taught drawing, painting, printmaking and the making of handmade paper. His intaglio prints were on display during May, but he will have some of his paintings of Ravens during the Lunch Bunch Show. Micheal Friend is a former art educator who is known for his distinctive style using small ovals and vibrant colors to show abstract landscapes and other patterns. Mark Rizzardi is a well-known musician who plays bass with the band The Union Suits. He has played at various venues around town, including Rochestra. Along with his musical talents he is an accomplished painter and photographer, and will be exhibiting his photography. Marc Himes is a retired physician who does woodturning. He joined Zero Degrees after retiring from medicine in 2013 and oversees the Guest Artist Series. Patrick Dragon is an internationally known artist who has had over 300 awards and even has a piece in the first White House Collection of American Crafts. He was the first exchange artist to represent the city of Marquette in Japan and has won Best of Show awards at Art On the Rocks several times. The quality of his work is exemplified by the fine pieces in this show. The Lunch Bunch Art Show will be at Zero Degrees through the month of June. There will be a public reception for the group on Saturday, June 14, 1-4pm with light refreshments. Meet with the artists, see their work and browse the rest of the work of the 42 permanent members of Zero Degrees, as well as the work of our latest mentored artist, Miles Spaulding. It should be a bunch of fun! 
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John Hubbard | May 2025
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Artist Statement This work is referred to as a “ Mixed Media“ approach to image making. The item starts out its life as an intaglio print, which is a process of drawing an image on a zinc plate, etching it with nitric acid, which cuts the image into the surface and then printing the image on paper through compression on a press. The next stage is a more traditional drawing process with soft pastels and colored pencils, which further develops the hue and brightness. Historically this method of “tinting“ the print has been an approach used to add color to the image and is all done by hand. My intent is not to make an edition of the print, but to explore the potential of further developing the image well beyond its initial beginnings . This work is therefore not considered a print, but a one of a kind “original” work, much the same as any painting would be the original work. The printing and handwork of coloring the image is all done by the artist from its inception to the final work. No commercial print shops are involved and thus the work is an original work of art, and is the only one created. Since the process determines the types of shapes created, they are perhaps read as being very organic in nature. The twisting , curving lines and shapes suggest how things grow and evolve over time. It is always a surprise to find new organizations in the patterns as they develop during the drawing phase. The final development is a process of exploration and adventure, which allows growth as an artist. |
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Shantina Hatfield | April 2025
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I am a wood and mixed media scroll saw artist located in Marquette, Michigan. My art focuses on subjects ranging from the natural world--that brings viewers to a familiar place, to the polarizing unnatural which makes viewers stretch their imagination and comfortability. I find inspiration from books, music, the Upper Peninsula, and mythology.
I have won several awards, including Best of Wood, Best of 3D, and an Award of Excellence at fine art fairs. More recently, I was featured as an Artist to Watch in Scroll Saw and Woodworking Magazine's Winter 2024 edition. To see more of my work, please visit Cedar Lane Designs MQT on Facebook. |
Kathy Binoniemi | March 2025
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Artist Statement
Having been born, raised, and still living in Negaunee, Michigan I am surrounded by inspiration for painting. Up until about six years ago, my primary mediums were pencil drawing and acrylic painting. That all changed when I discovered pastels. A favorite pastime is exploring the ‘off the beaten path’ areas of our peninsula and coming across a secluded pond with the early morning mist rising takes my breath away. That’s what I want the viewer to experience in my paintings and I’ve found that pastel allows me to do that. My paintings have been described to me as “atmospheric”, “ethereal”, “draws me into the scene” – to me that’s the excitement of painting in pastel. With pastel I can create a softness and depth to the scene that I hope makes the viewer experience the feeling I had when I discovered the spot. Kathy Binoniemi. Pastel Artist Lake Effect Art Studio www.kathybinoniemi.com |
Marquette Area Public Schools Art Teachers | February 2025
Jennifer Hamel, Linnea Gustavson, Danielle Levandoski, Alex Trotter, Kimberly Shefchik
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Kimberly Shefchik Visual Arts Educator | Artist | Renaissance Woman Kim Shefchik was born and raised in metro-Detroit. She attended Northern Michigan University for both her Bachelor's degrees: Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management (‘08) and Art and Design Education (‘15). She currently lives in Harvey, MI. As a teacher at Negaunee High School, she fosters creativity, critical thinking, and artistic expression in her students, helping them develop the skills and confidence to explore their own creative voices. With over 9 years of experience in teaching, Kim's approach blends traditional techniques with contemporary innovations, encouraging students to experiment across a variety of media, from drawing and painting to digital arts and sculpture. Kim’s own artwork reflects her variety of passions. Her first career path was in natural resources, which allowed her to travel the country for many years. She has worked professionally as a wildland firefighter, park ranger, and trail maintenance crew leader. She also worked at non-profit environmental education centers teaching field trip groups the wonders of the natural world. Ultimately it was her time at these environmental education centers that caused her to pursue a teaching career. |
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Jennifer Hamel
Jenny is an art teacher at Gwinn Community Schools, a member of Zero Degrees Gallery, and proprietor of Blue Lake Sunrise Pottery. 
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Alex Trotter
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Alex Trotter is an art teacher at Ishpeming Middle/High School who graduated from NMU with a concentration in illustration. As an educator, Alex encourages ingenuity and experimentation in her classroom, using her dual roles as artist and teacher to inspire her students to create new life out of ordinary objects.
In this work, Alex blends textiles, found materials, and hand painted elements to create multi-layered pieces that explore the relationship between created and manufactured. Drawing inspiration from the tactile qualities of each found object, Alex’s pieces emphasize transformation, inviting viewers to engage with familiar materials (such as knit sweaters, necklaces, and dish towels) in new ways. |
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Danielle Levandoski
Linnea Gustavson
Marquette Area Public Schools Art Teachers | January 2025
Sarah Hinch, Belle Duncan, Jake Fether, Matthew Johnson
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Sarah Hinch is currently the art teacher at Bothwell Middle
School in Marquette. Sarah began her career by helping with children’s summer art camps, after-school art classes for at-risk middle and high school students, and a women’s empowerment art therapy workshop. She earned a Fine Arts degree from Northern Michigan University in 2011 and went on to earn a degree in Creative Healing from Grand Valley State University in 2013. She earned her Art Education degree from Northern Michigan University in 2020. Sarah is a multi-media artist who enjoys working primarily with ceramics and fibers. She focuses on process and uses art as a way to navigate life and her feelings. Her work often reflects what she’s going through at the moment. This collection of linen patchwork weavings was borne out of Sarah’s own journey with thyroid cancer from 2019-2021. Titled You Will Heal, each stitch was woven with intention and a vision of better health ahead. Sarah takes this approach of using art to heal in to her classroom, as her goal is to give her students a toolkit they can always return to when needed. 
Jake Fether teaches art at Marquette Senior High School, where he has inspired and guided students to unlock their creative potential through visual arts. With a passion for both teaching and creating, Jake’s artistic journey has been shaped by his love for various mediums, including drawing, painting, and sculpture. His com-mitment to fostering artistic growth in young minds is matched by his own continuous evolution as an artist. A graduate of Kendall College of Art & Design (BFA, 2004) and Western Michigan University (MA in k-12 Art Education, 2009), Jake's work often reflects a deep appreciation for the beauty in everyday life. His philosophy as an educator centers on cultivating a space where students feel empowered to take risks, experiment, and grow in community as both artists and humans. 
Belle Duncan
Meghan Soucy currently teaches 6th-12th grade art at Gwinn Middle/High School. She attended Grand Valley State University, receiving a BFA in Ceramics and a K-12 Teaching Certificate. Meghan completed her student teaching in the Grand Rapids Public School System. She then taught community clay classes at art centers in Grand Rapids before moving to Marquette.
Meghan's current body of work consists of hand sewn mobiles made out of felt. She was inspired to start making mobiles as gifts for friends and family. Her work is influenced by many things including dreams, memories, animals, plants, and the seasons. |
Matthew Johnson is a Michigan-based artist and art teacher. He grew up in St. Charles Illinois, and moved to Marquette in 2016 to attend Northern Michigan University. In 2018, he graduated with a degree in painting and drawing. In 2024, he returned to Northern Michigan University and earned his K-12 Art Education Certificate. Matthew is currently a long-term substitute teacher for art at Bothwell Middle School.
Matthew is a multidisciplinary artist who works in oil and acrylic painting, pastels, ceramics, and photography. His work depicts landscapes and seascapes of places he visits. Matthew’s love for the outdoors, traveling, and hiking has been a constant source of inspiration for his work. 
Jake Fether
Belle Duncan is an artist and educator based in Marquette, Michigan. A graduate of Northern Michigan University with a Bachelors in Illustration, they have explored graphic design and helped open a local Panera Bread Café. After pursuing a teaching certificate through Saginaw Valley State University, Belle is currently a student teaching at Marquette Senior High School. While their preferred mediums are colored pencil and graphite, they are also exploring ceramics. Inspired by tattoo art, Belle’s work reflects a love for detail and bold design, blending traditional techniques with new creative ventures. 
Megan Soucy
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Taimur Cleary | October/November 2024
Associate Professor of Drawing/Painting, Northern Michigan University
Associate Professor of Drawing/Painting, Northern Michigan University
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Taimur Cleary grew up standing on top of a compass rose in northern Michigan. Indeed, some say he is there, still. He painted as a child, and has found various ways to maintain the habit; including but not limited to, undergraduate degrees in painting and photography at Miami University, and a MFA from Pratt institute. He has received a range of grants, awards and residencies as an artist and educator. Currently, he paints and teaches full-time as an Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing at Northern Michigan University.
"Across a dynamic collection of styles and media, these works unite under a common subject: Marquette and the UP. From romantic vistas, to local landmarks – you may find something familiar. Though the subjects are mostly similar, the works themselves explore a range of styles, media, and themes." To see more of Taimur Cleary's work,
go to http://timclearyart.com/ |
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Dan Ferrentino | August/September 2024
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Artist Statement My degree in geology and my love of the outdoors and nature inspires my artwork. Moving to the UP after retirement provided me an opportunity to really explore nature. Incorporating wood and stone seemed to follow that passion. I start a piece by power carving a wood burl using various types and sizes of grinding and shaping tools. The result is a one-of-a-kind piece. Working with mostly maple and cherry burls, it’s always a surprise to find what’s inside. It’s like cracking open a geode. I enjoy highlighting the imperfections that exist in the carved burl, leaving what nature has provided. Leaving the natural cracks, holes, wild grains and bark is important to me. I then apply various minerals and metals to these imperfections to enhance the piece. I let the wood speak to my imagination in creating the final project. The majority of my artwork, so far, has been gifted to family and friends. After running out of potential gift recipients while amassing an inventory, I decided to try Zero Degrees as a market for my art, and I am excited to share it. |
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Monica Zehnder | July 2024
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HISTORY: Let me start by saying that I have been drawing for a very long time but drawing took a back seat when I discovered clay in my middle school years. I was an asthmatic as a kid and because there really was not any real medical protocol available other than Epi shots, I spent lots of time in bed, and usually only 3 to 4 days a week in school. The result was that I read non stop and drew pictures! My parents were great about providing me with the latest in art supplies which at the time was a really big box of crayons, heaven for me.
EDUCATION: My love affair with all things arty continued into high school working in the art room, doing set design and painting for plays and the local Opera workshop and carrying over to college where, with a great instructor, I learned to really draw for the first time in my life. Skidmore College, ( BS in Art with an English minor 1961), an all girls school at the time, had really small classes which was great. I had only 3 in my jewelry class and was the assistant to Professor Marietta Davidson in the clay room. When I decided to try for grad school in clay at Alfred University in Alfred, NY, Marietta took a leave and came with me for a year which was wonderful. My parents insisted that I get a minor in Art Ed so that I would have some kind of real world job to fall back on and my prep for that involved two full days per week in my junior year with again a very small class. My throwing skills needed more work, so I spent the next 3 summers at Alfred doing only that to catch up. My classes there were also very small. I met Marv there and we decided to get married after a very short time together...it was just right. He got a fellowship to Haeger Potteries in Chicago and we married, graduated and moved all in one week. I had a technical problem with my final MFA project so after moving to Chicago, I did my final project over using hand and wheel built sculptures. The Alfred team flew out to see us both and I was successful in completing my MFA with those pieces. While we were there, we worked on some commercial ceramic lines for the company. We decided that Industry was not for us and when our friend John Gustafson from Gladstone told us that NNU was starting a whole new art Department, Marv was interviewed by Mike Gorski in Milwaukee and landed the job in ceramics. We moved to Marquette in the middle of winter. What a shock. While trying to decide what to do next, I taught drawing and ceramics as an adjunct at NMU. Then I went full time to NMU to get my teaching degree in art and was able to land a part time job with the Gwinn schools at Gilbert Elementary. I loved it! SCHOOL AND WORK: Marv had to go back to Alfred for a year to finish his degree and I became a county teacher with three schools teaching grades 3 through High School...again, I just loved it. We came back to Marquette and I went back to Gwinn to L.P McDonald Elementary and stayed there for 27 years, retiring in 1995. I was Michigan Art Teacher of the year, thanks to the effort of Dr. Diane Kordich and exhibited some of my fiber pieces during that time, one purchased by the Detroit Art Institute, but I really have very little history of exhibiting. I did participate in Art On The Rocks with Marv for a few summers, and had a piece at the Bonifas juried show in Escanaba last year. I taught as an adjunct for NMU as well in History of American Ed, but during my teaching years, my own production was limited due to time, work and family obligations. So now, I am starting over with something I can still do, drawing, I got started in 2017 and have been working ever since, trying for two to three days per week.
INSPIRATION: I am inspired by the natural world, plant, animal, landscape and natural events. love the forms of certain animals and birds. Plants and their structure play a part in what I choose to draw as do trees and their forms. Sometimes, when I see something as a potential subject, I take pictures of it, transfer the pics to my computer, and then manipulate the form. In some cases, I magnify the structure and use that as the basis for the drawing. In other cases, I use the main focus, i.e. an animal, bird etc. and then build an environment around it, extending the forms and playing with motifs that fit the subject, i.e. wave patterns for my stormy Lake Superior pictures. The strong graphic nature of indigenous art also plays a roll in my pictures. Aboriginal and ancient Greek motifs can be found in the borders. My stormy pictures are inspired by Lake Superior. Some pictures are based solely on my imagination. Occasionally, I cut things out and glue them into the picture MATERIALS: I am currently using colored pencils, 4 different types, acrylic paint, metallic water colors and permanent markers. I am adding metallic accents to my drawings now and I am using heavy water color paper, smooth side to accommodate the pencil for the pictures. I am also using metallic markers. I have found that different brands of these materials give me different results so I am experimenting as I go along to find the ones that give me the best results. TIME: I have no time limits on these pictures. Most take several weeks and some even months. I do use a magnifier for the smaller bits. Part of the fun is not having a time limit on these! I suppose if I worked every day, things would progress more quickly, but this is ok for me right now. MESSAGE: I hope that whomever is looking at these will enjoy the color, subject and execution and in some cases the story. I am certainly enjoying what I do right now. There are |
lots of activities one can do later in life and art is certainly one of them. I think music, art, writing and even some athletic pursuits fit into those categories.
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Cathy Uhazie | June 2024
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Artist Statement
Creativity surrounds me in all aspects of my life. I create artwork for myself, yet I find joy in teaching others the freedom of creating art. I look at the creative process of art making as a learning platform for others and myself. While rarely focusing on one medium or size at a time, and manipulating both the elements and principles of art, I see each creation as its own entity. By focusing on color and depth I enhance the uniqueness of each piece of the art I make. Art has never been easy for me, but I have never let that hold me back. As an art educator who has been creating and experimenting for what seems like a lifetime now, I find peace in sharing the joy of making art with children and adults of all ages. People who observe my work often comment on the colors and the sensuality the work evokes: to me, making art is personal and purely satisfying; art speaks. |
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Susan Estler | May 2024
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Artist Statement
I am a lifelong artist expressing herself by drawing, painting, graphic design and more recently with metalsmithing and various forms of vitreous enamel. Nature and my surroundings are my inspiration to create wearable art. I enjoy exploring solutions to create clean lines but an organic selection of surfaces. My website is SusanEstler.com |
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Amelia Pruiett | March/April 2024
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Artist Statement
The delicate details of this world reveal the divine structure that has given life to millions of species, each more marvelous than the last. As an art appreciator I am drawn to impressionism, the broad attention to colors and light. As an artist, I am consumed by the details, the color of an iris, the shape of a scale. Accuracy drives my craft, referenced and researched. I hope my work inspires curiosity and appreciation of the species depicted and piques an attention to the next little brown bird that flits by. Artist Bio Amelia Pruiett lives in Gwinn, MI with her husband and four dogs. She works in digital illustration, using traditional drawing processes with an apple pencil on an iPad using a program called Procreate. Each line is human guided, and yet the digital marks provide a full studio of tools and colors that can travel anywhere. She is also a staff member of the City of Marquette Office of Arts & Culture and is honored to play many roles in the |
local arts sector. Raised as an avid backyard birdwatcher and now the wife of an upland hunter, birds have flown in and out of her life as symbols of nostalgia and inspiration.
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See more of Amelia Pruiett's art:
Website: www.ameliapruiett.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ameliapruiett
Instagram: @ameliapruiett
Website: www.ameliapruiett.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ameliapruiett
Instagram: @ameliapruiett
Joseph Baker | January/February 2024
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Joseph Baker graduated from NMU with a degree in Metalsmithing in 2017. He is originally from Illinois, but his parents are from the UP and he would come here frequently when he was a child. He makes contemporary Jewelry with a geometric style, incorporating texture and stones into his pieces. He lies in Ishpeming with his wife Nora Baker. His reception will be on Saturday January 13 from 1-4pm. 
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John French | November 2023
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Painting a favorite scene is like visiting and exploring the place all over again, and using my brushes and colors to tell you what I see. I was born in the 1970 in Santa Fe, NM, and received inspiration at an early age. My aunt was an artist. When I was about three years old, I watched as she drew a picture of me. I was amazed, and hooked! I started drawing, and drawing, and never really stopped. I’ve spent my life trying to do what she did. Paintings of thick woods and the Great Lakes are born from exploring the region. |
I love going on road trips near and far, and bring home the inspiration, memories, and photos needed to paint the vast, awe-inspiring landscapes from around the country. Paintings of New Mexico, Michigan, Texas, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin are in my portfolio.
I live in Michigan with my wife, Kristine, and four dogs, just minutes away from Lake Superior. See more of my artwork at: www.ArtofJohnFrench.com |
These paintings will be available at ZDG on November 1st. An art reception for John French will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4th, 1-4PM
Hunter Wade | September/October 2023
Until I began making stereographic panoramas like these popular pieces, I'd never felt satisfied by any image's ability to communicate scale. It's not so easy to capture the teetering on edges of or drawn deep within.
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I don't recall any photographic image wrapping around my ankles and pulling me into the soil. I want images to sing to me, a sea shanty or English folk ballad. I don't mind floating off to revisit the whole wanderings while I'm seated comfy on my sofa.
Generally, I prefer the actual experience of Middle Bay, Lake Superior to an image representing cliffs and the big lake off the back of Middle Island. If, heaven forbid, I were never to return there in person, I'd be glad I had this epic, immersive representative image and not just a traditional photo. I enjoy the entire process of creating these. As for the birds.. that's an absurdity worthy of a docu-drama series, so that's what it's getting. |
Len Fieber | July/August 2023
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Working with wood, carving and building functional, one-of-a-kind items has been my creative outlet for the past 40 years. My father taught me the sills he learned from his father, who was a cabinet maker. I also learned to be patient and to construct a well-made and beautiful piece of furniture.
My love of the outdoors and the materials found there, have led me to use beaver sticks for my latest work. A hand-constructed, original furniture item in your home can only enhance your comfort, and provide your space with a connection to nature. Beaver Chew Furniture is a collaboration between the beaver and me, with thanks to my wife, Martha, for her design advice. The newly found materials left by the beaver have been an inspiration to me. Please join me at my art reception on Saturday, July 7, 1-4pm at Zero Degrees Art Gallery. |
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Taryn Okesson | June 2023
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Taryn Okesson b. 1982Taryn Okesson is a visual artist from the Marquette area of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She earned her BFA degree with a Concentration in Electronic Imaging from Northern Michigan University in 2009.
Okesson and her husband continue to live in the Upper Peninsula, but began traveling the country by truck and camper in late 2019. It was these experiences on the road where Okesson was able to hone in on her artistic voice. Okesson was singularly inspired by the deserts of the Southwest. Prior to traveling, Okesson was involved with the Marquette Artist Collective, she had an active role in the Collective’s activities and their dedication to opening The Gallery downtown Marquette, MI. During her time with them she planned exhibits in The Gallery and around Marquette. Recently Okesson joined the Lake Superior Art Association and participated in her first member show, receiving a Second Place Award. Okesson was one of the artists working on Mia Tavonatti’s Power of Words mural in 2020. Prior to that Okesson |
volunteered to paint The Mondrian Garage mural as part of an effort to bring more public art to Marquette.
This winter, 2022-2023, Okesson was a guest artist at Zia Gallery and a featured artist at The Center Gallery in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Okesson would like to continue to grow into her creative practice through new experiences and find more opportunities to connect with other artists, artist communities, art fairs, collectors and galleries. |
Click here for Taryn Okesson's online portfolio.
Susan Grant | May 2023
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Renee Michaud | March/April 2023
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I am a mixed media collage artist living in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan . My family and I make our home just outside of the small town of Ishpeming enjoying the pleasures of a "Yooper's" life.
I earned a degree in art education from Michigan State University. My area of emphasis while at State was printmaking, which lends itself well to the layering techniques in my collages. Each of my collages invites the viewer to come close and explore the images and stories represented . My collages involve a multitude of mixed media resources including paper that I have created or found, fabrics, threads (usually old authentic collections) acrylic paints, inks, pastels, old photos and found objects. LateIy I have been learning and working in fabric collaging. Fabrics are my pallet, threads create my line work. I continue adding elements to build my quilted compositions layer by layer. It is the mystery of the "underneath".... the layering that allows the storytelling to emerge. By building up the surface areas the collages are no longer flat two dimensional pieces, but are sculpted and rise from the support giving texture and depth to each creation allowing a 2D work to take on a 3D effect. Art plays many roles in the world, but I believe one of its greatest gifts is to bring joy and beauty to the viewer. Coaxing a smile, laugh or sigh as you gaze upon the piece before you. |
Kalil Zender | January/February 2023
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I have been making jewelry my entire life. It started with beads, and by the time I was a young teenager I was helping my dad at his metalsmithing bench. For years I worked for my family making trade silver reproductions – modern replicas of the metal jewelry made by French, English, and Indigenous silversmiths in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, which was traded or sold to the Native people inhabiting the Great Lakes region. When I got a little older, I began to branch out and create my own designs. From then until now, my work is inspired by tribal and ancient jewelry from around the world, particularly North Africa, Thailand and traditional Great Lakes and Southwest jewelry. Today, there is an abundance of electric, digital, and computerized tools for making and engraving jewelry without getting your hands too dirty, but I still prefer the feel of old-fashioned, bare bones tools. I use a hand-powered “wiggle” engraver to cut the details into my pieces in the engraving style perfected by those original trade silver artists in the 18th century. Every line, flower, dot, and squiggle on the face of the silver pieces in this collection was cut by hand, with a handmade tool. |
The work is slow and requires patience and concentration, but this is where my mind clears and the vision of the piece before me takes over.
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Dale and Cindy Wedig | October/November 2022
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Cindy Wedig
Artist Statement I seek honesty in my artwork. Artwork that reflects who I truly am deep below my flesh within my spirit or soul. It is as exclusive to me as my fingerprints and it desires to free itself in a visible form. Like the voice of a dear friend it urges me, pushes me, instructs me. It never lets me down if I obey. If I listen. I seek to reflect intimacy with material. Perfection is not necessary. Humanity is imperfect. I seek to uplift those who encounter my forms. Uplift them to a place other than the earth they are standing on. To a place that reconnects them with a truth they once knew but somehow forgot in hopes of helping them to return. Artist Bio Cindy Wedig is a native-born Yooper. She is an artist of clay, oil, and cold wax. Recently she has begun adding hand felted works to her art. She graduated from Northern Michigan University where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in ceramics. After choosing to stay home and raise her children she began to focus on her art career and now has exhibited in both invitational and juried group shows, as well as, solo shows. In addition, she produces clay functional ware for her online Etsy shop Wedig Mud and Metal. She currently resides in Trenary, Michigan with her best friend and husband Dale. She is surrounded by the beauty of the cedar forest and the Whitefish River. She has three children and four grandchildren with a fifth on the way. Family and faith are the most important things to her and her art is a conduit for them. In her spare time when she is not creating art she prefers a fly rod in her hand. She spends her summers standing in the river next to her 88-year-old father trying to perfect the dry fly cast and winters at a desk trying to perfect the art of fly tying. She is so grateful for all that her Heavenly Father has given and considers herself most blessed. |
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Dale Wedig Artist Statement One of the greatest artistic interests I have consistently engaged with over my professional career has been with the compound hammer forming of sheet copper. The outcomes are only limited by my imagination and the skills/knowledge I have accumulated over the past 40 years. I recall the first attempt I made with this material every time one of my students does the same. I think, “can I make what I can draw”. I struggle to impose my will upon this material in every form I am inspired to attempt. To date, very few finished works look like the original idea conceived in my head. I will keep working on that. Artist Bio Dale Wedig is a Professor of Art and Design at Northern Michigan University. For the past 40 years he has headed the Metalsmithing and Sculpture concentrations. Throughout his professional career he has maintained a private home studio producing work for galleries, exhibitions, and commissions throughout the United States. His home is in Trenary, Michigan surrounded by the woods and where whatever weirdness is in the water helps to make art. He feels blessed with a great wife, family, friends and life. |
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Contact info: PO Box 158, Trenary, MI 49891
Work: (906) 227-1490 / Cell: (906)458-2885
[email protected] www.daleandcindywedig.com
Work: (906) 227-1490 / Cell: (906)458-2885
[email protected] www.daleandcindywedig.com
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Dan Cook | September 2022
I formerly owned Cook Sign Service and am now doing acrylic paintings. I have painted signs since I was 17 and now in my retirement I am painting scenes from the Marquette area. My grandfather, Walter Cook Sr. started Cook Sign Service in 1936 and my father, Walter Cook Jr. worked the business until his retirement. I took over the business, along with my wife, Marilyn, and built up the billboard business along with the commercial sign business. Over the years I worked with some very good sign painting artists and learned as much as I could about color and brush control. As I was busy in the sign business, I noticed that not many artists painted our shoreline as it relates to the harbors. Once I had the time, I started to paint scenes that, as a child growing up on the east side of town, I saw and appreciated. I spent many days fishing the cinder pond and along the coal dock. I decided that I needed to somehow help others appreciate our harbors. |
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Judy Parlato | August 2022
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After 30 years identifying as a public school teacher, I retired and purchased a sewing machine. I was ready to embrace a new identity. I tried sewing traditional quilt block patterns and my enthusiasm for the result was lukewarm to cold. I was soon inspired by outrageously daring women who run with scissors and break all the traditional “rules” of quilting. I had the desire to jump on the art quilt bandwagon, but lacked some design tools that made those inspirational quilts sing to me.
Thanks to the advice of Michelle Tuccini, I enrolled in a color and composition class taught by Kathleen Conover. I not only learned much, but I met some more amazing women. I started putting my new knowledge into practice on fabric as well as artists’ papers. I was enamored by color, design and texture. I took more art classes and met with artists individually to learn techniques using watercolor, oils, acrylics, alcohol inks, and dyes. Every new thing I learned on paper, I put to practice designing an art quilt. When I discovered multi-media quilts, I was soaring!!!! I now introduce myself as a fiber artist. I accept every design challenge I am given by my quilting guilds or art quilt group. I love to stretch myself with these challenges. I enter contests and submit my quilts for display so I can strive for better and better machine quilting, composition, design and color use. I am grateful to Michelle, Kathleen, Joanne Shelby, Penney Mellen, and my amazing art quilters: Jane Vandenburg, Tracey Cairati, Nancy Henderson, Karen Dill, Danita Rask, Susan Liimata, Kathy Maynard, Kathy Peters, Holly Kreag, Kathryn Norton, Alice Johnson, and Teresa Zelinski. An artist reception for Judy will be held on Saturday, August 13, 1-4pm at the gallery. |
Kathleen Conover | July 2022 Visiting Artist
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An Artist’s Journey
An abstract painter at heart, I enjoy non-objective painting and a strong “abstract under structure” is a dominant pursuit in all of my work, with or without imagery. This month’s collection of watermedia paintings for Zero Degrees Gallery include some work from my most recent “Searching Series”. Covid has left many of us asking questions, reorganizing our priorities and Searching. Some of that searching has been for meaning in my personal artwork. For over 4 decades individual allegorical figures have been included in my paintings and it was time to get these muses, inspirations and “assistants” together: The horse is a universal symbol of journey. The dragonfly is a master of transformation and change. The blackbird is a messenger. Origami cranes signify my prayers for peace. They are all here to help me navigate further down the road on my journey with flexibility, strength and hopefully - grace. KathleenConover.com |
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Connie Tonkin | June 2022 Visiting Artist
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I have been actively involved in the art world for at least the last 30 years. I started doing stained glass in the early 90's, and for a while worked at a glass shop. In the late 90's and early 2000's started taking watercolor lessons from Carl Mayer, Helga Flowers, Marge Carlson and many others. I've been involved with the VIPS artist group since 2004, and am also a member of LSAA.
I found, as I worked in watercolors that I really enjoyed doing flowers. I liked the loose look you could get with this medium. Around the time that Covid started, and we couldn't get together in groups, I started watching videos on YouTube. I found the acrylic paint pouring was something I was interested in. When I started doing some pourings I really enjoyed the freedom of this technique. It was abstract and yet I could always see very loose flowers in this technique. I hope you enjoy the results as much as I do. |
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Erika Potila | April 2022 Visiting Artist
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Artist Statement
My love of spoons started 19 years ago, when my mom bought a spoon for each my sister. It became our new favorite! Unfortunately, we didn't know how to take care of them and they soon split. A couple years later, needing a new gift idea for my sister, I asked my husband (who's a remarkable woodworker) if I'd be able to make a spoon. He set me up and very patiently taught me how. It became my love and passion! I work with cherry, maple, lilac, plum, apple, walnut, birch, and sometimes ash, a lot of which comes from our yard and woodpile. The beauty in the different grains that pop out when I get them wet between sandings enhances my love for what I'm doing every single time, not to mention how they feel and smell so different. My favorite by far is lilac. The buttery feel when finished far surpasses any other wood. I am meticulous when it comes to the end product.. Always being in the kitchen myself, I need spoons to hold up, even in boiling water. It was a long process of trial and error before I was truly satisfied. I sand to 1000 grit, then hand buff with a paper bag. I then rub in a combination of walnut oil, coconut oil and beeswax and put above my wood stove to soak in. Feeling such joy and connection when using my spoons, they've opened up my love for all handmade crafts. And I know they will for you, too. My spoons, if taken care of, will be something you'll love and will have to pass down from generation to generation. -- Erika Potila |
Bernie Park | March 2022 Visiting Artist
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Artist Statement
Although the formative years of my art making were firmly grounded in the abstract genre, I have spent the last several years exploring regional landscape painting. After moving to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, I gradually became seduced by the beauty and power of the woodlands, water and variety of moods one experiences living above the forty-fifth parallel. I try to capture the light and the atmosphere, the strength and subtlety that, for me, convey a sense of tranquility and spirituality that emanates from this very special place. I purposefully omit fauna, human configuration, manmade structures or elements as well as spectacle. No crashing waterfalls, rainbows or "wow" moments, only the mundane or everyday need apply. My preferred medium is oil paint thinly applied in layers and glazes on solid supports or canvas. Most of the work is comprised of modest to medium size dimensions that serve to draw the viewer in for a more intimate experience. --Bernie Park |
Artist reception for Bernie Park Saturday, March 12, 1-4pm
Deb Laurie | January 2022 Visiting Artist
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Artist Statement
Fall and winter are my favorite seasons with Lake Superior and its mercurial weather. I attempt to capture the feelings nature inspires in me, through a language of paint, ink, and textures. I hope to inspire others to appreciate what an incredible place we live in. Watercolor is my medium of choice, either paper or rice paper; using the batik method of resist with melted wax. Inktense sticks (or ink pen), gesso, and palette knives are also used to create textures. |
I have evolved into exploring with oil paint and cold wax recently, finding my way with this new medium and technique.
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Carolyn Snyder | December 2021 Visiting Artist
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Artist Statement
Color and the challenge of describing the 3-dimensional world in a 2-dimensional image have fascinated me since childhood. While in college, I was too busy pursuing a degree in biology and graduate work in pharmacology to take art classes. Years later, as a stay-at-home mother of two toddlers, I did take some evening classes and began to paint in oils. A chance conversation at a community art fair led to employment as a medical illustrator at the Medical College of Wisconsin, creating black and while line drawings for teaching and research publications. I loved the work, but quit making my own art. After retiring to Marquette (in ’02), I began painting again. I have learned and benefited from classes in the art department at Northern Michigan University. My media is oil painting while exploring a variety of subject matter. I love painting the beauty of nature; often it is the challenge of painting water with its colorless, yet colorful surface and eerie depths. Another visual fascination of mine began in college. While studying cell structures and functions in a histology class, I kept finding myself distracted by the patterns, visual designs and amusing personas I often saw in many of the electron micrographs (black and white photographs of cells viewed with an electron microscope). I use these for inspiration; because the electron micrographs are black and while, the color choices are purely my own. I also come back again and again to the challenge of portraits and capturing likenesses on paper or canvas. --Carolyn K. Snyder |
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Join us!
Artist Reception Saturday December 11 1-4pm
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Martin Zehnder | November 2021 Visiting Artist
Biographical Narrative of Marvin Zehnder
In 1951, I enrolled in the Art Department of Michigan State University
and took my first ceramics class that year. This class, taught by Lou
Raynor, was to be a building block that shaped the rest of my life.
After a 2 year hiatus during which I served in the US Army, I graduated
from Michigan State University in 1957 with a degree in Art Education. I
remained to earn a Master of Arts degree in painting and ceramics.
After a brief period teaching in the secondary school system of
Menominee, Michigan, I enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts ceramic
design program at Alfred University in Alfred, New York. Alfred
University has the reputation of being the international center for
ceramic artists and educators. This is where I met and married another
ceramic student, Monica Bellew. During the first year of study I was
to be taught by some internationally recognized personalities of the
ceramic world, such as Val Cushing, Robert Turner and Ted Randall. After
one year of study I was awarded a scholarship to intern as an
artist/designer for Haeger Potteries of Dundee, Illinois. This program
was copied from a similar one that was being used at the Arabia ceramic
factory in Finland. After the project length of a year, I remained at
Haeger as artist/craftsman/designer.
This was the time when Northern Michigan College was changing from a
primarily education institution and was growing into the University
status. The current Art Department was emphasizing art education. The
new Art and Design department was headed by Mike Gorski. On January of
1967, I was the first hire to develop a studio area in the new Art and
Design department. I was given $1000.00 and an empty room and told to
develop a ceramics studio. For the next 30 some years I exhibited
locally, regionally and nationally while changing and outfitting studios
to accommodate the growth of the department.
I retired from Northern Michigan University in 1997 and continue to
explore my use of the ceramic medium. Another serious interest is in the
horticultural world, and that is reflected clearly in the forms I
produce. Throwing on the potter's wheel and the container form are the
major factors in all of my pieces, but the shapes and forms from the
plant world are obviously reflected in my ceramic objects.
Elizabeth Howe | October 2021 Visiting Artist
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Artist Statement Wind, Water and Wandering I have always painted in the hopes that the viewer can feel the wind in the trees or the wetness of water. Making the connection to nature through the creamy expressive strokes of the brush and colors of the palette. This series of paintings explores wandering the shores of Lake Superior, both its rugged and sandy coast. Included in this are works that capture that wandering, but with a twist, watching the wanders. Pondering not only my rejuvenation of being by the lake, or touching the rocks and earth, but taking it deeper and connecting with others doing the same. Every day is fresh inspiration. Elizabeth Gartner Howe Bio I’m a watcher… if you were to take a hike with me in the woods or on the shore you would find we stop often to look. To see color, light, and forms of things. I was born in 1960 and primarily grew up being outside in Michigan, in the USA. Taking to painting as a young kid started me on a path, of paintings, commissions, design studio work and as a muralist. Teaching art also became a passion. I like to help ignite the journey of exploring the act of creating with students of all ages. Both using skill building as well as creative expression to achieve that goal I live and work on the shores of Lake Superior in Marquette, Mi where it is hard for me to unsee the color and beauty of nature, painting directly and from the memory of places, using a colorful palette and expressive stokes to inspire the viewer to connect to the natural world and maybe a little daydreaming. |
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Kelly Gilligan | August 2021 Visiting Artist
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Kelly Gilligan graduated from the NMU Metals department in 2011 and has been making and selling her Jewelry since then. She is using a technique called Saltwater Etching to create designs and textures on her Jewelry, giving them both an elegant and comfortable feel.
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John Hubbard | June/July 2021 Visiting Artist
Professor Hubbard developed the Drawing and Painting and Printmaking concentrations in the Art and Design program at Northern Michigan University. He taught the lower level cognate offerings, was in charge of the graduate program, developed the paper-making facilities, and was the Exhibits Coordinator for the Lee Hall Gallery for eight years.
As a professional artist, he has been included in over 200 juried exhibitions, 16 one-person exhibitions, and seven two-person exhibitions. He has served as a juror for seven exhibitions in the Midwest, and was awarded two Creative Artists Grants from the Michigan Council for the Arts. In 2005, he was selected Artist in Residence at Isle Royale by the National Park Service. He has conducted numerous workshops, and has work in 20 permanent collections, including Dow Chemical Company, Michigan Bell Telephone, Ford Motor Company, Kansas State University, Neville Public Museum, Austin Peay State University, Brueckner Museum, as well as many private collections.
Since his retirement from teaching at Northern Michigan University in 2014, he has continued to pursue his work as a practicing artist, concentrating his efforts in painting. Professor Hubbard lives and works with his wife, Susan, in his home on Big Shag Lake in Gwinn, Michigan.
Professor Hubbard developed the Drawing and Painting and Printmaking concentrations in the Art and Design program at Northern Michigan University. He taught the lower level cognate offerings, was in charge of the graduate program, developed the paper-making facilities, and was the Exhibits Coordinator for the Lee Hall Gallery for eight years.
As a professional artist, he has been included in over 200 juried exhibitions, 16 one-person exhibitions, and seven two-person exhibitions. He has served as a juror for seven exhibitions in the Midwest, and was awarded two Creative Artists Grants from the Michigan Council for the Arts. In 2005, he was selected Artist in Residence at Isle Royale by the National Park Service. He has conducted numerous workshops, and has work in 20 permanent collections, including Dow Chemical Company, Michigan Bell Telephone, Ford Motor Company, Kansas State University, Neville Public Museum, Austin Peay State University, Brueckner Museum, as well as many private collections.
Since his retirement from teaching at Northern Michigan University in 2014, he has continued to pursue his work as a practicing artist, concentrating his efforts in painting. Professor Hubbard lives and works with his wife, Susan, in his home on Big Shag Lake in Gwinn, Michigan.
Jason Schneider | April 2021 Visiting Artist
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Jason Schneider is a studio furniture maker who works with traditional woodworking processes in non-traditional materials to create unique three-dimensional objects. He received a BFA in Furniture Design from William Paterson University and an MFA in Furniture Design from San Diego State University. Over the past two decades, his work has been widely exhibited at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass, CO; Aspen Art Museum, CO; Center for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, PA; Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, CA; and the Neuberger Museum, SUNY Purchase, NY; among others. He has given lectures and demonstrations at the Central New England Woodturners, Worcester, MA; Google, Mountain View, CA; and Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC. He is the former Studio Coordinator of the Furniture Design and Woodworking program at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, CO. Currently, Jason is an Assistant Professor of the Woodworking and Furniture Design program at Northern Michigan University. Artist Statement My work explores the beauty and character of corrugated cardboard in functional and sculptural forms. This study of the fine use and function of this low-status, recyclable, and often overlooked material is what drives my curiosity. The inventive process of creating objects with corrugated cardboard is exciting and stimulating, often resulting in a highly textured and elegant surface and form. |
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Tim Trombley | March 2021 Visiting Artist
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Artist's Statement I've always been drawn to the "big picture" landscapes. I’m there to soak in and capture all of the details in every direction. Without exception, there is always more than what can be included in the print. This small collection here is stepping out of my usual approach of presenting the larger scene and taking a more intimate look at the landscape. This technique is not new for me but it is something I seldom work on. Most close-up work tends to be studies in colors, contrasts, textures and forms. Sometimes those combinations can make some interesting abstractions. Sometimes it just simplifies a greater scene into its basic elements. This is just a sampling of some smaller landscapes that I find interesting Artist Bio Tim Trombley’s love of photography began as a hippie hitchhiking across America with an old Brownie camera. After earning a BS in Forestry from Michigan Tech University, Tim enrolled in some photography classes while working in Lansing and later earned a Master of Arts degree in Photography from Purdue University. A five year stint as an interpretive ranger in the National Park Service led him to many beautiful places where he honed his landscape photographic skills, but he always returned to the Upper Peninsula, finally making it his permanent home in 1994. Tim feels the most rewarding part of landscape photography is that of discovery and exploration. Making images to share the experience completes the process and compels him to go back for more. Surrounded by the beauty of the Upper Peninsula and with the Hiawatha National Forest and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in his backyard, Tim finds ample inspiration and opportunity to create his amazing photographs. |
Patty Gagnon | January/February 2021 Visiting Artist
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Patty Gagnon has been a resident of Marquette, Michigan for 20 years. She received a BFA/painting degree from NMU in 2015 and a BA in English Literature with an art minor from UC Santa Barbara in the 1960s. She has also attended innumerable art workshops, including Turkish tile design in Istanbul.
Raised on dam projects around the world, she met her husband, Harvey, in Pakistan. They continued moving to new places with their three sons. In 2005, they served in the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan. SURPRISED BY JOY ‘Surprised by joy’ is a quote used by author Louise Penny in her Chief Inspector Gamache mystery series. It’s written on a plaque secured to the back of a park bench. Ms. Penny got it from CS Lewis, and he references a poem by Wordsworth. So, not a new idea – joy – but something I had forgotten in 2020. It surprises us even in times of pandemics and uncertainties. Joy isn’t the same as happiness or pleasure. “Joy is never in our power.” It doesn’t deny death, darkness, evil, despair. We and our world are made up of all these parts, yet, look around and every once in a while it smacks you – joy. So here are the surprises of joy that hit me when I looked out, up and around. |
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Barry Bernstein | December 2020 Visiting Artist
I’ve been making vessels and
firing in the Raku process for over 35 years. I use the vessel form
as my canvas and the firing process as my paint brush. Slight adjustments in the firing and cooling create a wide range of colors and textures. I try to create visually strong forms and strong surface treatment. Pieces must have both to be considered successful. I make simple forms with very little embellishment to get at the strength and inner beauty of the vessel form.
My pieces reflect the hues and
the forms of our Upper Peninsula environment. Many of my pieces celebrate the Northern Lights. Others are reminiscent of Lake Superior and the brilliance of the fall colors.
Other influences include 7th to 17th century Asian ceramics and Native American pottery. Another is an artist/instructor named Richard Devore who fired his pieces numerous times. Devore fired his pieces in an electric kiln and I thought I would try the technique with Raku. To my delight, I obtained hues and textures not usually found in Raku. This has led to other experimentation including glaze firing the pieces twice in an electric kiln before I Raku fire. Each piece gets 2-4 Raku firings. Sometimes I over fire the pieces and then under fire them. Each subtle change in the Raku process creates different results. I’m still experimenting.
Joe Graci | November 2020 Visiting Artist
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