The 2003 "Down on the Farm" calendar features contemporary paintings by Wisconsin artists Mark Arnold, Randall Berndt, Jens Carstensen, Kay Dawson, Leslie DeMuth, Daniel Gerhartz, Steve Kozar, David Lenz, Hugh Mandelert and Georgene Pomplun. It was designed by UW-Madison graphics professor Phil Hamilton. The artists, who live in communities around the state, were selected by Hamilton and by Dane County Cultural Affairs director Lynne Eich.

"The real joy is working with these very accomplished artists around the county and around the state to get a sense of what they're producing and how they interpret the world around them. It's that process that's quite exciting," says Eich of producing the calendar.

The paintings reproduced in the calendar capture Wisconsin's beauty through the changing seasons, from black-eyed Susans in a summer field, to the golden tones of autumn, to the crisp snow and distinctively blue-tinged light of winter. To get a taste of the artists' work, see the images below.

The small calendars stand on a cardboard easel. Notes Eich, "Because of their size, they tuck nicely into small spaces. People love placing them on desktops, computer tables-even kitchen counters-where they function as miniature galleries, with the artwork changing from month to month."

The calendar project, now in its fourth year, is supported by the Madison Gas and Electric Foundation and the Webcrafters-Frautschi Foundation, with additional assistance from Litho Productions, Madison Cutting Die, and Webcrafters, Inc. The Cultural Affairs Commission does not make a profit from these calendars. Rather, through the support of these organizations, it offers them to the public at a low cost as a community service, bringing the work of Wisconsin artists into everyday life.

Art lovers in the Dane County area can purchase the calendar for $5 at downtown Madison museums, the City-County Building in Madison, and 25 municipal halls throughout the county. Those outside of Dane County can call the Madison Art Center at 608-257-0158 and ask for the Museum Shop.

For more information, call 608-266-4296 or 608-266-5915.

Click on the image below to see a larger version (will open in a new window)

Laundry with Flour Sack Kay Dawson watercolor, 1986	Bright Morning Steven Kozar watercolor on paper, 1993	Last Light on Rhiner Farm Steven Kozar watercolor on paper, 1996
Open Lot in Late Summer Hugh Mandelert acrylic on wood, 2001	Hunting and Gathering II Randall Berndt acrylic on panel, 2001	Thistles (detail) David M. Lenz oil on linen, 2001
Summer Sun Mark Arnold oil on board, 2001	Apple Hill Hugh Mandelert acrylic on wood, 2001	Before Breakfast Georgene Pomplun oil on board, 1998
Gathering Wood Daniel Gerhartz oil on linen, 1991	Day's End Daniel Gerhartz oil on linen, 1998	Prairie Returns to Buddy's Farm Leslie DeMuth oil on canvas, 1999
Summer Evening Idyll Georgene Pomplun oil on board, 2000	Celestial Hills in Dane County Jens Carstensen oil on canvas, 2001