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Reception Friday for artist who features Wis. landscape
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The gallery exhibit "Mostly From My Collection" showcases the artwork of artist Jonathan Wilde. The exhibit will be on display in Monroe Arts Center's Wellington and Muranyi galleries from Friday through June 9. An opening reception is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Friday with a brief gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. This event is free. Shown above is "A Wet June Evening" (oil on board) by Wilde. (Photo supplied)
MONROE - An opening reception of the exhibit "Mostly From My Collection" by Wisconsin artist Jonathan Wilde will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Monroe Arts Center's Wellington and Muranyi Galleries at 1315 11th St.

A brief gallery talk by Wilde begins at 5:30 p.m. Wilde's paintings will be on display through June 9.

For more than 45 years, Wilde has been capturing the landscape and wildlife of his homeland of south-central Wisconsin with paint. This nationally acclaimed realistic painter has been described as one of Wisconsin's best landscape and wildlife artists. He is the son of Jon Wilde, a nationally recognized artist.

Wilde was raised by an artistic, outdoorsman father who took his young son on adventures in and around his hometown of Evansville. Wilde's oil paintings are an observation of the natural world. Throughout his career, he has shared his connection with the wooded hills and river valleys of the northern United States, as well as the pastoral landscapes of the Midwest. Many of Wilde's works are created in plein aire, which allows him to capture the essence of time and place within the landscape.

With so many variations in season, weather and time of day, Wilde feels he is never at a loss to find stimulating places to paint. He lives only 15 miles from his boyhood home and a majority of the pieces he has painted (he averages about 30 per year) have been inspired by the land and wildlife directly surrounding him.

Also opening Friday is the Wisconsin Regional Art Program Exhibit, now on display in MAC Frehner Gallery. Co-sponsored by MAC and the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies, this exhibit is comprised of artwork by nonprofessional artists who entered this year's WRAP competition in Monroe. This is the 30th consecutive year Monroe Arts Center has hosted this competition and exhibit. Wilde is judge for this competition and will choose state and honorable mention award recipients. Then in September at the Center for Visual Arts in Wausau, state award winners selected at the Monroe competition and at other WRAP competitions held throughout Wisconsin this year, will be on display. Additional awards and prizes will be given at this time.

These events are free.

This exhibit has been made possible by MAC corporate underwriter: Colony Brands Inc., and season media underwriters Monroe Publishing LLC and Big Radio, with additional support from Michael and Shelley Muranyi, Paul and Sue Barrett; Pete Guenther and Barb Woodriff, and Lee and Chris Knuteson.