Every so often the third floor of the Fine Arts Center displays unique backgrounds with the work of artists. On Jan. 21, that gallery was filled with works from Joyce Kosenmaki.
Kosenmaki hails from the upper peninsula of Michigan where she maintains her studio. As Kosenmaki writes on her website, “My work reflects my surroundings, here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The particular kind of north woods landscape, its trees, rocks, lake, waterfalls, animals are what imprinted me as a child and to which I came back in 1998, looking for that which felt like home.”
Kosenmaki is a prolific artist and shares her work across the country. While Kosenmaki may paint more grounded natural landscapes, her background is uniquely different. “As an artist, I have been trained as an abstract expressionist painter. My use of imagery is always structured by the relationships of forms and colors, responding to my inner sense of that deeper reality which holds us all together. Working this way gives me great comfort, and now in this time of conflict in our world, I hope my small paintings will bring consolation to others. I have kept the prices very low so people who want them can afford them,” Kosenmaki said. This foundational aspect of artwork has carried Kosenmaki to various galleries, including the Marquette Cultural Arts Center, The Stoplight Gallery in Anaconda, Mont., and back in 2001 her works titled “Nature Studies” were featured at the Viterbo University Gallery.
Kosenmaki, who formerly taught at University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, explained in our interview how living in La Crosse has impacted her work and how her current setting truly influences the art she produces. “I spent three months there last winter, responding to the river, the driftless area and rolling farmlands. An old friend had died and left all his art supplies, so I used them to do small landscape paintings on his paper. I have always related to the land we inhabit. When I moved from there to the North Woods, I found my subjects in the wilderness trees and rocks and animals. It is quieter down in the Upper Mississippi, and softer. When I got back home, my work had been affected by being there,” Kosenmaki said.
Kosenmaki describes her work as part of herself. “My work is a consolation to me, and thus I have titled my coming show at Viterbo University, ‘Consolation.’” Kosenmaki will be making her way back to campus on March 25 to hold a reception for her exhibit, as well as to talk to students and answer questions about her work.
In the meantime, professors are encouraging students to walk through the space and observe her artwork. Alanna Wagner, a sophomore Art major with a minor in Theatre, has observed Kosenmaki’s work. “The art program has opened many doors, providing incredible opportunities to connect individually with seasoned professionals, enriching our learning and expanding our network,” Wagner said. As she gears up for her final year at Viterbo, Wagner is taking these connections with her as she seeks out a graduate degree in sketch painting and art history, with hopes to become an art consultant.
Kosenmaki hails from the upper peninsula of Michigan where she maintains her studio. As Kosenmaki writes on her website, “My work reflects my surroundings, here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The particular kind of north woods landscape, its trees, rocks, lake, waterfalls, animals are what imprinted me as a child and to which I came back in 1998, looking for that which felt like home.”
Kosenmaki is a prolific artist and shares her work across the country. While Kosenmaki may paint more grounded natural landscapes, her background is uniquely different. “As an artist, I have been trained as an abstract expressionist painter. My use of imagery is always structured by the relationships of forms and colors, responding to my inner sense of that deeper reality which holds us all together. Working this way gives me great comfort, and now in this time of conflict in our world, I hope my small paintings will bring consolation to others. I have kept the prices very low so people who want them can afford them,” Kosenmaki said. This foundational aspect of artwork has carried Kosenmaki to various galleries, including the Marquette Cultural Arts Center, The Stoplight Gallery in Anaconda, Mont., and back in 2001 her works titled “Nature Studies” were featured at the Viterbo University Gallery.
Kosenmaki, who formerly taught at University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, explained in our interview how living in La Crosse has impacted her work and how her current setting truly influences the art she produces. “I spent three months there last winter, responding to the river, the driftless area and rolling farmlands. An old friend had died and left all his art supplies, so I used them to do small landscape paintings on his paper. I have always related to the land we inhabit. When I moved from there to the North Woods, I found my subjects in the wilderness trees and rocks and animals. It is quieter down in the Upper Mississippi, and softer. When I got back home, my work had been affected by being there,” Kosenmaki said.
Kosenmaki describes her work as part of herself. “My work is a consolation to me, and thus I have titled my coming show at Viterbo University, ‘Consolation.’” Kosenmaki will be making her way back to campus on March 25 to hold a reception for her exhibit, as well as to talk to students and answer questions about her work.
In the meantime, professors are encouraging students to walk through the space and observe her artwork. Alanna Wagner, a sophomore Art major with a minor in Theatre, has observed Kosenmaki’s work. “The art program has opened many doors, providing incredible opportunities to connect individually with seasoned professionals, enriching our learning and expanding our network,” Wagner said. As she gears up for her final year at Viterbo, Wagner is taking these connections with her as she seeks out a graduate degree in sketch painting and art history, with hopes to become an art consultant.
