JoAnna Poehlmann
JoAnna Poehlmann | |
|---|---|
Poehlmann giving an interview in 2015 | |
| Born | 1932 (age 92–93) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Milwaukee Art Institute Layton School of Art Marquette University University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee |
| Elected | Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters (2011) |
JoAnna Poehlmann (born September 1932) is an American painter, printmaker, book artist, and taxidermy artist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Biography
JoAnna Poehlmann was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1932. Her paternal great-grandfather, Friedrich Poehlmann (1819–1884), had immigrated from Bavaria in 1853 and opened the first bakery in the city shortly thereafter.[1]
After a brief stint at the Milwaukee Art Institute, JoAnna enrolled at the Layton School of Art, studying under painter Karl Priebe.[2][3] Priebe introduced her to visual artists in Wisconsin and Illinois, including Jerome E. Karidis, John Wilde, Dudley Huppler, and Gertrude Abercrombie. Following her graduation in 1954, she worked as an illustrator for Hallmark Cards and Western Publishing, as well as for department stores including Boston Store.[2][4]
Though she pursued a career in the fine arts at the same time, including through collaborations with printmaker John Gruenwald (born 1951), it was not until the 1990s that her works became both sought and acquired by public institutions.[5] In the early 2000s, regular solo and collective exhibitions started showcasing her work in Wisconsin and beyond, culminating in the 2015 exhibition “JoAnna Poehlmann: Now and Then”, organized by RedLine Gallery, Milwaukee, which presented a retrospective of her entire career.[6]
In 2011, Poehlmann was named a fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, and her art was featured in a show alongside that of painter Lee Weiss.[7][8]
Work
Poehlmann’s body of work includes artist’s books, watercolor paintings, lithographs, collages, and taxidermy. Mainly focused on natural history and the animal world, some of her pieces directly reference prints and paintings by Albrecht Dürer, René Magritte, and Frida Kahlo.[9]
Her work is represented in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, Walker Art Center, Milwaukee Art Museum, Racine Art Museum, and Center for Book Arts.[10][11][12][13][14]
List of exhibitions
- 2023: Fin/Feather/Fungi/Frog/etc., Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Bayside, Wisconsin[9]
- 2016: Super Natural, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- 2015: JoAnna Poehlmann: Now and Then, RedLine Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[15]
- 2011: The Art of JoAnna Poehlmann & Lee Weiss, James Watrous Gallery, Overture Center for the Arts, Madison, Wisconsin[8]
- 2010: The Insectipedia of JoAnna Poehlmann, Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin
- 2008: JoAnna Poehlmann, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[16]
- 2008: On and Off the Wall: Books, Beasts, Boxes, Bats, Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- 2001: The Shape and Color of Research, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Libraries, Milwaukee, Wisconsin[17]
- 1995: Science and the Artist’s Book, Smithsonian Libraries, Washington, D.C.[18]
References
- ^ Knauss Paradis, Trudy; Brumder, E. J. (2006). German Milwaukee: Its History, Its Recipes. St. Louis: G. Bradley Pub. p. 13. ISBN 978-0977451210.
- ^ a b Brown Lee 2015, p. xiii.
- ^ "An Artist Who Speaks in Whispers". Urban Milwaukee. Milwaukee, WI: Dave Reid. 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Anderson Rios, Lindsey (2018-05-17). "Where Milwaukee Artist JoAnna Poehlmann Finds Inspiration". Milwaukee Magazine. Milwaukee, WI: Carole Nicksin. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Brown Lee 2015, p. xvi.
- ^ Brown Lee 2015, p. xxvi.
- ^ "JoAnna Poehlmann". Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ^ a b "Water, Stone, Feather & Bone". Wisconsin People & Ideas. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Academy. Fall 2011. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b Mattson, Craig (2023-09-12). "The Art of JoAnna Poehlmann". Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. Bayside, WI: National Audubon Society. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
- ^ "Angels First Class". Victoria & Albert Museum. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Drawings in a Nutshell". Walker Art Center. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "JoAnna Poehlmann (American, b. 1932)". Milwaukee Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Women Artists at RAM". Racine Art Museum. 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Dog Eared / Joanna Poehlmann". Center for Book Arts. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Friedman, Tyler (2015-01-10). "JoAnna Poehlmann: Now and Then - at RedLine Milwaukee". The Shepherd Express. Milwaukee, WI: Louis Fortis. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Post, Maureen (2008-12-04). "Poehlmann dissects the art of nature at the MAM". OnMilwaukee. Milwaukee, WI: Andy Tarnoff. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Jo Anna Poehlmann". University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Science and the Artist's Book". Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. 1995. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
Bibliography
- Brown Lee, Barbara (2015). JoAnna Poehlmann: Now and Then. Milwaukee, WI: Plumb Press.