Rhinelander, WI

I was honored to be this year's judge for the 39th Annual Northern National Art Competition, which takes place on the beautiful campus of Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Out of 600+ entries, my job was to select 100 for a formal exhibition then visit the site to give a lecture and choose some awards. Lucky me! The organizers were impeccable, and the setting was spectacular. 

  

 

 

Four of the award winners, clockwise from UL: Dooney Potter's "Bursts of Ecstasy," Gabriele DiTota's "Shared Ground," Tuan Bui's "Behold, the Man," and Cindy Baird's "Hanging On."

 

Rhinelander, WI, home of the Hodag!

 

A selfie with organizers LeeAnnette Schmidmayr and Jenny Bonardelli. 

 

Standing with award winner Mark Welling in front of his breathtaking time-stacked photograph titled "Cascade."

Red Robe

 May 2026

 

The Katoski Greenbelt

In mid-April, we walked the Katoski Greenbelt just before a big storm. Most of the early blooms are happening.

 UL, clockwise: Virginia Bluebells, Dutchman's Breeches, Bloodroot, and Shooting Star. Not pictured, the Trout Lily.

 

March-ing to Spring

New March Exhibition at the WCA, Twin Passions by Greg Hargreaves. Lots of juicy acrylics on canvas by a former commercial illustrator.

 

A new beard color for 2026:

 

Another new March exhibition at the WCA, Memories of Woodie Long. Woodie was a self-taught artist from Florida whose widow left a large and impressive selection to the Center.

Pink Pony Palentines

We had a blast at the Pink Pony Palentines event at WCA, a fundraiser hosted by the incredible Friends of the Arts Center.

 

Birth Month

 Hello to 65 and 66!

Happy Holidays 2025

 Mark (Ace) in downtown Cedar Falls, IA.

 

Upper image: Lunching with Mama in Brentwood, TN.

Lower image: Christmas dinner in Joelton, TN with Mama and the Musgraves at the Frazer home.

85!

 Mama turned 85! We should all look so good, huh?

Last New Show of 2025

 Brent Houzenga's Time Again, an exhibition in WCA's Grand Foyer and Longfellow-Hurlbut Concourse.

First Snow, Winter 2025-26

Late 2025

 

 

Holiday Arts Festival 2025 (November 8 and 9).

 

 Chris Wubbena: Recent Work at WCA, opening November 25.

NK, Turtles, and 'Ween

Happy Halloween 2025! We're just a smidge cute. 

 

Betty LaDuke's Turtle Wisdom: Personal, Political, Playful at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. A delight!

 

The No Kings gathering in Waterloo was enormous, 3,000 plus people making their voices heard. Yellow beards were there. 

Vertigo, 25th Anniversary

With my dear friends at the 25th Anniversary of Vertigo at WCA: Tim Miller, Jeff Rufus Byrd, Aypryl Thompson, and Kent Shankle.

The CompGen Couple