Jeanne Cole Panka

Jeanne attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, with an emphasis in print making and graphic design. She received a Bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Occupational Therapy. She received a certificate in Digital Photography from Waukesha County Technical College.
Since I was a small child growing up in Wisconsin, I was fascinated with the “magic” of creating visual art. I would beg my older sister to draw things for me and I told people that I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. As a child my enthusiasm only grew as I attended children’s art classes at the Milwaukee Art Museum. With the twists and turns that life presents after graduation I worked for many years in the medical field as an Occupational Therapist. I married and had children. I always continued doing two-dimensional artwork, participating in juried and non-juried exhibitions on a local, state and national level. It was during the time that I worked in healthcare that I completed a certificate in Digital Photography from Waukesha County Technical Collage.
I am always alert to the ever-changing face of the natural world. My works are expressions of my interest in and concern about our changing natural environment. The issues surrounding habitat loss and climate change affect not just us but the generations that follow us. I use several different media when creating artwork depending on the subject of the work. I may use photography or digital photographic collage, soft pastels for landscapes (with an emphasis on one of my favorite subjects, trees), watercolor with colored pencil (for botanical drawings) or mixed media collage.
When I was in college, I became aware of the Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors organization and attended several exhibits. I was very impressed with the work of the accomplished artists in the group and some years after I graduated, I applied and became a member. I have belonged to both the Northeast and Southeast chapters. Over the years I have volunteered for WVA by assisting in the various tasks necessary on exhibition committees, such as checking members in and out, contacting galleries, hanging shows, etc. I have distributed the newsletter in SE Wisconsin when it was in a print version. I have always been a big booster of WVA, encouraging many artists to join this supportive group. Most recently I served as Special Exhibitions Chair for the SE Chapter.