About the Pewaukee Area Arts Council

Our community fine arts organization began meeting regularly on October 21, 2004. In just a few short months PAAC founders developed and adopted a Mission Statement, By Laws, and Articles of Incorporation which resulted in establishing our 501(c)3 status.

Today as a non-profit organization PAAC is dedicated to encouraging and promoting quality art experiences, programs, events, and cultural opportunities for the Lake Country area. Local artists, arts educators, students of the arts, and the Lake Country area community benefit from this newly formed organization. Members do not have to be a resident of Pewaukee to join the PAAC. We have members from throughout the State of Wisconsin!

The goals for PAAC are for artists, educators, and students of the arts to support and encourage area artists and students of the arts in their creative endeavors, to provide exhibit, performance and educational opportunities in the arts, and to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievement in the arts. To achieve these goals PAAC works to raise awareness and appreciation of the arts through cultural enrichment programs, to encourage public support for the arts programs and projects, and to provide artistic resources and expertise for community projects.

We are...individuals, organizations, musicians, students, corporations, artists, educators, designers, composers, dancers, and writers.

We are...Your neighbors. Your community

We are...Dedicated to encouraging and promoting quality art experiences through performing arts programs as well as cultural opportunities and events for the Pewaukee area community.

We are you...You can make a difference by becoming a volunteer member of our PAAC organization by sharing your talents or love for the arts. You will be meeting, networking and creating with other artists and art appreciators in our community.

PAAC membership is composed of many branches of the fine arts: professionals, educators, students of the arts; and many individuals dedicated to promoting and encouraging the arts. We want the arts to flourish in the Pewaukee Area. PAAC utilizes the many talents, abilities and interests of its members.  PAAC is open to the public and all who are interested in promoting and supporting the arts.

General Membership meetings: Second Monday of the month (except July and August) at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Pewaukee Public Library, 210 Main Street, Pewaukee.

Recent PAAC Community Projects 

2005 Clay Stomp®
The PAAC hosted its first ambitious community project in June of 2005 called the “Clay Stomp®” featuring local clay artist, Joel Pfeiffer. People who lived and worked in the Pewaukee area came together along with many guests to mix and stomp three and a half tons of clay together. It was pressed into contained slabs, and then artistically carved by those attending the event. The clay tiles were fired, glazed and formed into an impressive and beautiful ceramic piece of artwork, which was given as a gift to the newly built Pewaukee Public Library. The festival day celebrated many of the creative arts including music, visual arts, and dance This event brought art enthusiasts of all ages together to “Create CommUnity”. PAAC had big plans for the future while members enthusiastically planned to explore many ways to facilitate bringing the arts to the community and the community to the arts. 

CommUnity WEaving
The CommUnity WEaving traveling project took place in 2007-08 where residents of the Pewaukee area participated in adding colorful strands of material to an oversized weaving. The multi-colored, multi-textured weaving was then framed. Each contributor signed a log to authenticate the artwork. Accompanying the weaving is a poem that describes the significance of the many hands, unique colors and textures that created the unified finished piece full of vibrant personality symbolic of our community. The weaving is on permanent display at the Pewaukee Public Library in the Community Room.

Get Benched!  Project
Twelve local artists painted their concepts of living in Lake Country. They painted benches with sunsets, sailing, ducks, music, water skiing and more! Finished benches were sold in 2008 to local businesses as a fundraiser for both the PAAC and Positively Pewaukee.  Over the years we hope to generate enough income to offer scholarships to local high school art students.

Banner Up! Program
Local artists were invited to create banners in 2009 which were hung on the downtown Pewaukee light posts.  Twenty-five local artists creatively painted a canvas with the lake country theme to be hung downtown for two years.

Antique & Classic Boat Show and Waterfront Art Fair
The PAAC partnered with the Glacier Lakes Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society beginning in 2008 to establish a new local art fair at Lakefront Park on Pewaukee Lake. The newly named event was called the “Antique & Classic Boat Show and Waterfront Art Fair”.  Every year since PAAC has featured dozens of local plein air (open air) artists on site, a raffle, a silent auction of the freshly painted plein air artwork, and local artists’ work for sale. This annual event takes place in the month of August.

PAAC Showcase of Art
Waukesha County’s only opportunity for high school and college art students and their teachers to show their work to an admiring audience happens in Spring every other year. Free to the artist and free to the public, this event features all mediums of artwork, demonstrations, raffle, door prizes, live music, dancing, refreshments and prize money for participating schools. The event previously was funded through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and today is self-sustaining through PAAC, local business contributors and friends of the arts.

One Vision: A Fusion of Art and Poetry in Lake Country
Cristina Norcross and Liz Rhodebeck developed a project in 2009 utilizing ekphrastic art (Ekphrastic: poetry inspired by art - the conversation between two mediums of art). Fifteen pairs of visual artists and poets worked together to create 1 visual artwork and 1 poem. An evening of the paired poetry readings and artwork was held at Raven Gallery & Framing in Pewaukee in the fall of 2009. A second combined art show and poetry reading was held in October 2010 at the Oconomowoc Arts Center featuring the completed ekphrastic works of new artists and poets. Each year PAAC will produce sets of fine art/poetry note cards to be sold as a fundraiser for PAAC. There is also a proposed anthology of Lake Country artists and poets after the 3rd project year (publication date to be determined) offering the opportunity for wide exposure for all contributors.

PAAC Spring Bling! Fashion Show & Live Purse Auction
Our first Fashion Show fundraiser was held at the Country Springs in April of 2009 featuring the latest fashions from Bruce Paul Goodman, Lieblang Leather and bling from Lyle Husar Designs Jewelers. Special celebrity guests modeled and emceed bringing excitement and fun to the event. A live purse auction, raffle, door prizes, gift bags, fashion show and a delicious luncheon featuring lighted green ice cubes and handmade chocolate turtles made the day memorable for all.  Watch for this fundraiser annually in the springtime.

Art in the Park
In collaboration with Positively Pewaukee and the Pewaukee Park & Recreation Department, PAAC provided local artists to demonstrate their unique artistic skills for youth who signed up for Summer Art Classes. This interactive and educational program with hands-on experience for children featured many different art mediums as well as the history and application of each type of art. The children then had the opportunity to create their own art and showcase their artwork at local merchants. Stepping stones created by the children are on permanent display at the Pewaukee Village Hall, Pewaukee City Hall and in the Pewaukee Public Library gardens. In August of 2010 a Hands On Art Festival featured hands on mini-workshops taught by practicing local artists, sand sculpting, face painting, food and entertainment at Lakefront Park.

Website
In 2008 PAAC established an informative website to generate more interest and recognition of the organization and its activities. Featured on the website is a calendar of events, special promotional events, volunteer opportunities, photos, contact info and more!  Please check us out at www.pewaukeearts.org.

Other Local Special Events
The PAAC has collaborated with many organizations in Pewaukee, including Positively Pewaukee, Pewaukee Chamber of Commerce and Helen Farnsworth Mears Exhibit and Contest. Whether at Waterfront Wednesdays, Fall Fun Fest, Pewaukee Holiday Festival, or some other community special event, PAAC is willing to lend a hand in the community. 

Pewaukee Area Arts Council (PAAC)
P. O. Box 221
Pewaukee, WI 53072
website: www.pewaukeearts.org
President, Abby Lorenz
Cell: 414-350-8713