Upcoming Art Events: 2025Arts About Fort & Jefferson County *Please visit our Facebook Page for the most up to date art events
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US May 17, 2025 ! A DAY OF ART IN FORT ATKINSON Annual Write On the River Celebration
The Fort Atkinson Arts Council in collaboration with Friends of Lorine Niedecker, Hoard Historical Museum, Farmers Market, Chamber of Commerce, and Café Carpe hosted multiple art opportunities for the community on May 17, 2025 to support writers and artists. Here is a timeline of events planned - See you "by the river" ● 8:00 a.m. POETRY READINGS Noon Farmers Market: TBA – Poetry Readings during music at the Market. ● 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ART ON MAIN STREET Fort Atkinson Farmers Market, Main Street Bridge and the 100. block of South Main Street in Fort Atkinson will be a hive of activity with artists creating all da long **Painters – plein air (outside) painters will be on the Main Street Bridge **Join Chalk the Walk for Kids and Adults. You can help create colorful sidewalk squares. Write poetry or create an original on a sidewalk block on Main Street and Main Street Bridge. Chalk will be provided. ● 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Visit the Hoard Historical Museum for local history exhibits including the Lorine Niedecker room. ● 10:00 a.m. - 11:00p.m. Hoard Historical Museum - Lorine Niedecker 2025 Fellowship winner Caryl Pagel will be making a presentation regarding her two week research and. study of poet Lorine Niedecker. Nick Gulig, Wisconsin Poet Laureate will be in attendance. ● Lunch - There are many yummy lunch opportunities in Fort Atkinson, pick one! ● You're invited anytime during the day for "Writing On the River" along the River Walk. Bring a pen and paper. Write a poem. Journal. Work on your novel. Write a letter to a friend. Stroll to the destination of your choice and soak up the inspiration of the river & downtown. ● 5:00 p.m. writers will gather at the Café Carpe to discuss observations from the day. Carpe will be open for dinner. ● 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Open Mic at Cafe Carpe - Bring your poems or your favorite poems to share with an audience. Write On the River has been an annual event to celebrate writers and acknowledge poet Lorine Niedecker’s birthday. Niedecker is often regarded as a “poet of place” capturing the world around her; life experiences in the rural fishing area of Blackhawk Island in Fort Atkinson Wisconsin. Poems are often devoted to marshes, plants, the river, birds, sounds and water. She is one of the most innovative American poets of her time and Wisconsin’s very own.
Past Events: *May 14 - $1000 Jessica Holt Art Scholarship Awardee Evanna Thao
*May 17 - Write on the River & Chalk the Walk Downtown Fort in partnership with the Friends of Lorine Niedecker
*May 19 - 30 Oakland Water Color Guild Exhibition. Fort Atkinson Club
*May 21 - Quarterly Board Meeting 6pm
*May - 34th Annual Ernie Pope Art Show. Fort Atkinson High School Art Dept *June 17 & 18 "On Golden Pond" Fort Atkinson Community Theater
2nd Annual Hoard Museum Outdoor Art Show and Chalk Fest - August 2018
Visual Journal Class- February/March 2020
Lorine Niedecker Statue Placement-
The Fort Atkinson Arts Council (FAC) is pleased to announce the successful move of the Lorine Niedecker sculpture created by local artist, Sally Koehler. "Our Poet Lady" was moved to the bike trail where the installation will be completed in the Spring to include landscaping and signage. In addition to this installation, the Arts Council is also working with Park and Rec to install several sculptures from the welding rodeo. There will be a dedication in the Spring after the installations are complete.