Crossing Paths - Waverly Beach - July 3

It was a gorgeous day on July 3 so I headed over to Waverly Beach in Menasha.  They feature music on their patio every Sunday starting at 3:00pm.  I was very impressed by the options of outside activities. There was a sand pit for building castles or for some beach volleyball, a full outside bar with lots of shading, a dining patio,  motorcyle parking and a boat launch.  The particular Sunday I attended had Crossing Paths, a rock cover band, taking their audience on a musical journey through the decades. Below are photos, video and links.

Crossing Paths (photo borrowed from Crossing Paths Facebook page)

Crossing Paths' Facebook     Waverly Beach's Website  

Unity - Mill Creek - Jun 30

June 30th was a make lemonade from lemons kind of day. It was raining which had cancelled plans to see my goddaughter play t-ball so we went to dinner instead which ended up being a lot of fun. For fans of the Heid Summer Music Series held at Houdini Plaza on Thursday nights it meant that they had a new venue to take in the show, Mill Creek.  Unity the Band (reggae/world/funk/blues) was the featured band of the night. I was fortunate to have a bit of time while waiting for my party to attend.

These talented musicians are super fun creating very danceable tunes both original and covered.

Unity the Band:   ReverbNation   Facebook  Website    Can be found on I-Tunes and Spotify.
Mill Creek Events:  Facebook

The Priggs - Radisson Courtyard Series - June 29

Riverside Players present "And Then There Were None" in Riverside Park, Neenah - June 26

Art on the Town - June 17 - Downtown Appleton, WI

Every third Friday of the month during the summer some downtown businesses host an artist for "Art on the Town".  Below are photos of the art being displayed, and if I was lucky the artist.

Coventry Glassworks & Gallery - Bill Aubrey - Artist

Handmade Kayaks, Carved and painted paddles, Carved sculpture, and Wildlife monoprints were displayed

Bill Aubrey with some of his mono prints

Colt's Timeless Tattoos - Artist Jorge Lopez 

Jorge Lopez did the work in the frames, his mother did the embroider tortillas

Acoca Coffee - Artist - Hannah Kuplack, Musician - Eric Krueger

Angels Forever - Windows of Light - Artist - Patricia Kottke 

Iroquois raised-beaded fiber purses and necklaces

Artist - Patricia Kottke

Creative Parklet Place - Artist Sam Luna

Trout Museum - Art Activities and Watercolor Artist Jeff Zdrale

Olde Town Tavern - Artist Jordan Ashwood (Graphic Designer)

Moonshell Salon & Boutique - Artist Reiddyn (Pallet wood creations)

The desk is made of pallet wood and new wood. Pictured is the owner of the store that painted the stunning picture to the right of the photo.

Lillian of Appleton - Jewelry by Amanda Nowak made with Swarovski Crystals

Hey Daisy! - Madeline Felauer - Henna artist

Eco Candle Co - Kate Funk - Photographer

Blue Moon Emporium - Emily Reetz - Illustrator/artist

Traveling Palette - Ansh - paintings 

Pinot's Palette - Kathy Boettcher - featured artist

Tina Marie's Unique Boutique - Sonnet Uhlenbrauck - custom hand painted sign

Not pictured since I didn't get to it in time was Mud and Prints, LLC (Cassidy Schrage - restoration and furniture design) ; and DePawsitory (Josh Galow - glass blowing)

These street vendors were in front of the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel. Not officially a part of Art on the Town but something I saw during that time frame:  

Regional Artist Gallery: Artwork by Veterans - Trout Museum

This exhibit is no longer at the Trout Museum, but I wanted to share it as an example of art therapy for veterans. The pieces shown in the photo below were created by veterans as part of The Return and Recovery Program For Veterans, a program administered by the non-profit Artists For the Humanities. These works offered a way for veterans to express themselves through art and to help provide healing. Click Here for more information about the program.

"Memory" Wood 20' Tall by Brian Duka Smith. "PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and 

TBI (traumatic brain injury) are often found together win service-members returning from combat.  This piece objectifies the feelings of disorientation and confusion that PTSD/TBI can leave on one in:  it is the movement of thought and memory, trapped in the barrier of an injured mind."-- gallery card

"Lilies of the Field" Ceramic and Wood Tripod 24' Tall by Brian Duka-Smith

"A healthy mind, body, and should constitute a healthy individual.  When any of these is broken or damaged, the balance is broken and the individual will fall, either physically emotionally or spiritually.  With the proper therapy, rehab, and community support, and injured individual may regain his or her balance and once again stand tall." - gallery card

Gallery card for the photo below

"Almost Didn't See Him" by Sgt Darryl E Johnson

"TO Face" 2016. Ink on Canvas, Wood, Hemp by Todd Hartwig.  "TO Face" generated from a group art therapy session.  Each mark on the canvas is a descriptive mark left by an individual's fear, doubt or struggle in their daily life. After the session I transformed the marked canvas into the face form to signify that we can face our fears, doubts and struggles as long as we can process them. --gallery card.

gallery card for below paintings

F.S.B Cunningham in The A Shau Valley

Elysian Fields (artist unknown) "Some day we will gather with all those serving now and those who have gone before us, we will talk about the kinship we shared while deployed, and about serving something greater than ourselves. I'd imagine the Almighty reserves a corner of Heaven, where we will gather around a campfire to meet all our Brothers. We will tell our stories, though mostly happy times we enjoyed while on Earth." --gallery card

"Remembrance" 2015. Charcoal on Paper by Todd Hartwig.  "Remembrance" is a depiction of the battlefield before what is to come.  The scene is observed as being calm and peaceful for the time being. The calm before the storm hits. It relates to life, the feeling of when life is going well and all of a sudden a monkey wrench is thrown in. you have to do what has to be done whether you like it or not to survive. - gallery card

"USMC Iraq, the bigger picture" Digital Reprint of Four 24 x 36 Ink on Paper Panels by Brian Duka-Smith

"Each of these images depicts a different memory from Iraq.  All Sixteen of them come together to create a ghost image of my own face.  In politics, war is a game of numbers.  On the ground on the front lines, all you keep sight of are your brothers and sisters in arms fighting beside you.  The bigger picture of what war means is not some huge amorphsc geopolitical scheme:  it is human life and the immense cost of lives broken or lost forever.  War is the cost of our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, grandsons and granddaughters.  It is weighing the cost of a few against the many." - gallery card

Wisconsin War Stories - A photography expose at the Trout Museum, Appleton

This exhibit is over with, but I still wanted to share some of what I experienced. It was a somber one spending time reading these stories. I spent time at every photo and there were many.  The photos are of Wisconsin veterans of the World War II, Korea, and Vietnam wars. Beside each portrait  was a personal story of what they experienced while serving our country in combat.  These portraits lining the walls were taken by James Gill, staff photographer for Wisconsin Public Television.  In the middle of the gallery space was a tribute to the fallen Vietnam veterans. Below are some photos from the exhibit. 

part of the memorial for Wisconsin Vietnam War Veterans killed in action (this was in the front lobby)

One side of the memorial, there were seven two-sided panels

Each portrait had a personal experience of the subject next to it.

Ray Stubbe Wauwatosa. Navy, 3rd Marine Division, 26th Regiment, 1st Battalion. Chaplin.
July 1967-January 1969
"Marines have asked me since, "Where is God in all of this?" I point to the fact that there was humor, which is maintaining life in a situation rife with death. There was sharing and a caring for each other. People in bunkers that would be out of water, and someone else would give them their last drops or go without food to give their last. Because we knew we were going to die we were somewhat freer to live...Some guy's out there by himself, wounded, and the rounds are going off. You just run out and drag him in. you know full well that you could get killed. I'd tell people, "God is the one who us gives courage to live.  By having courage in the face of death, God is giving us life." God is present not in a spectacular show of force but in blessing us with the life and courage and a love of each other. Love is always an action, not an emotion."