Electric Eclectic IV

Invitational Photography Exhibition

Visiting from

Walker’s Point Center for the Arts

Exhibit: October 3 - 27, 2024

Artist Reception: saturday, october 12,

Noon - 4pm, Program at 2pm

Barbara Budish | Lewis Cadkin | Susan Cadkin | Christina DeSpears | Cindy Hansen | Kevin Hansen | Carl Hartt | Michael Havice | Kristine Hinrichs | Tim Holte | Linda Johnson-Dynek | Geri Laehn | Jack Long | Jeff McDonald | Michael Nowatny | Lynn Roginske | Roy Schmidt | Vinay Sinha | Meredith Watts

Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) is proud to present Electric Eclectic IV, a visiting invitational photography exhibition featuring 19 Milwaukee-area photographic artists. EE was organized by Roy Schmidt, WAA member and former Director of Exhibitions for the Coalition of Photographic Arts (CoPA), and Xela Garcia, Director of Walker's Point Center for the Arts (WPCA), both Milwaukee organizations.

Electric Eclectic’s fourth annual WPCA iteration appeared during April and May of this year at WPCA’s Walker’s Point gallery. We are happy that most of the same artists have decided to bring their work to the Cultural Arts Center.

Special thanks go to Xela Garcia and WPCA, who arranged collection and transport for much of the artwork from Walker’s Point to Whitewater.

Roy Schmidt’s Organizer Statement:

Many people have asked about the origin of the Electric Eclectic Exhibition and its history. EE was born one morning as I was on my way to have lunch with a small group of photographer friends. Out of the blue, the concept popped into my mind. I had been thinking about the years that I was Director of Exhibitions for the Coalition of Photographic Arts(CoPA) where I had been a stickler and proponent of work that had to be white mats and black frames, no exceptions, which was quite boring. I felt there should be something  new which would be more true to my own work.

By the time I reached the restaurant, it was time to brainstorm ideas with the other photographers. The exhibition was afoot. We came to consensus that the work could be displayed in any format as long it was a photograph. 

Now we needed a venue. I had worked with Walkers Point Center for the Arts(WPCA) while I was Director of Exhibitions for CoPA. I met with Xela Garcia, Director of WPCA to determine if there was a possibility for an EE Exhibition. Not long thereafter, we were discussing dates. 

Now the committee met to discuss the selection of photographers. We discussed artists with a mixture of talent. Each committee member could suggest names and then all must be agreed upon by all committee members. We had a limit of twenty artists due to size of gallery. Xela and I would do the curating.

Our first Exhibition was a great success and we now have done four exhibitions and looking forward to EE 5 in 2025. Roy C. Schmidt   


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