Form Follows Function - 2016

This exhibition is devoted to the artist-craftsperson working in, or affiliated with, Wisconsin. The large majority represented here are residents of Door County or have close ties to it through gallery representation.

Working in the second decade of the 21st century, the artists in this exhibition are the inheritors of pioneering movements in modernist design from the first half of the century in both Europe and the United States. They also stand on the shoulders of giants who, at mid-century, challenged the traditional distinctions between “fine art” and “craft.”

Forms follows function is a principle associated with modernist architecture and industrial design in the 20th century. The principle is that the shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose. The philosophy was a radical departure from the prevailing style of the Victorian period that dominated the 19th century, which was characterized by ornate architecture, ponderous furniture, and interiors crammed with objects.

On Exhibit: September 2–October 9, 2016

Participating Artists

Stephanie Evans
Jan Forkert
Alison Gates
Nathan Hatch
Carol Hoehn
Suzanne Hoffmann
Angela Lensch
Chad Luberger
Ted Lott
Cheryl Mahowald
Sandra and Wence Martinez
Robert Merline
Ryan Pederson
Jim Rose
Reneé Schwaller
Mary Ellen Sisulak
John Whitney
Loan of historical piece from Robert and Liesbeth Fickes

Nancy Akerly
Ernest Anderson
Mary Jane Armstrong
David Aurelius
Jeanne Aurelius
Michael Beaster
Kelly Bresnahan
Lisa Brobst
Frances Burton
Wendy Carpenter
Kristen Christenson
Peter Ciesla
Deanna Clayton
Keith Clayton
Bonnie Connolly
Rosie Dittmann
Michael Doerr
Jimmy Eddings