Don and Helen Weisflog, our delightfully creative duet, met and married in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1972 and had one child, Amy. Don, a born artist and teacher, graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee with M.S and M.F.A degrees. His undergraduate degree came from La Crosse State University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Don Weisflog, who passed away in 2006, after booking this exhibit with his wife Helen, spoke of his art as a way of life, not just a profession. Most of the great artists were born teachers. While not thinking of himself as a great artist, but as a good artist always trying to improve, Don was also filled with the passion to teach. One cannot teach a student unless he/she is open to and interested in learning about the material presented. With proper direction, the student is capable of motivating him/herself to learn and create within and without of the rules of the discipline. Don felt a person learned best when they became deeply involved in a subject. Involvement follows interest and is related to an understanding of real life, he said. During his teaching career at Ivy Tech, Lafayette and Anderson, IN, Anderson University, Anderson, IN, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, Shorewood Opportunity School, Milwaukee, WI and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, Don made a great effort to relate whatever course he was teaching to his student and his/her development as an individual. Facts are important, he went on to say, but going beyond the facts to create in the students an enthusiasm for the course work as it relates to life development, is much more important. Interest is generated when information filters through a student's thinking process. Don inspired this interest by asking a multitude of questions geared to wring out a student's own ideas about the presentation. A professor's job is to open and expand the minds of students who then use this information to construct stronger and more understandable criteria for their own lives. Gaining self-confidence in themselves and in what they create will help provide them an opportunity to comfortably share their unique perspective with the world. Stillwater, Oklahoma born Helen Ann Spangler Weisflog moved to St. Paul, Minnesota when she was six months old. She attended grade school, high school and three years of study at Macalester College in St. Paul before moving to Kenosha, Wisconsin where she graduated from Carthage College with an English degree and met and married husband Don. In 1975, they moved to Anderson, Indiana where Don began teaching Art at Anderson University. Helen spent her time taking care of their daughter Amy, volunteering for Brownies, Girls Scouts and directing Girl Scout Camp. At the same time she owned and managed a catering business, did interior design and helped Don with large art projects and installations. Sounds like a pretty busy schedule, doesn't it? In 1985, Don and Helen moved to Colfax, Indiana where Don held several positions, including one as the lead designer of Old Indiana Fun Park. Helen was the secretary for Old Indiana and several Lafayette companies. Helen's artwork began with acrylics in 1974, watercolor in 1985 and paper pulp art forms in 2002. Still progressing toward whatever looks interesting; Helen has developed a new interest in altered photographs printed on canvas. When Helen asked Don about her own artwork, he said he would be happy to teach her techniques, but never ideas. He taught her, as he taught all his students, friends and colleagues, by asking questions that drew out her own artistic ideas. Softly guiding her thinking by exposing her to his own deep love of art and the beauty he saw in everything and everyone, Don then left her alone to express herself in her own way. Now that you know a bit more about this DELIGHTFULLY CREATIVE DUET, you will definitely want to visit the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery from Saturday, May 26 until Friday, June 29 to enjoy in depth the eclectically beautiful creations of Don and Helen Weisflog.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A Delightfully Creative Duet! The Art of Don & Helen Weisflog
Don and Helen Weisflog, our delightfully creative duet, met and married in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1972 and had one child, Amy. Don, a born artist and teacher, graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee with M.S and M.F.A degrees. His undergraduate degree came from La Crosse State University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Don Weisflog, who passed away in 2006, after booking this exhibit with his wife Helen, spoke of his art as a way of life, not just a profession. Most of the great artists were born teachers. While not thinking of himself as a great artist, but as a good artist always trying to improve, Don was also filled with the passion to teach. One cannot teach a student unless he/she is open to and interested in learning about the material presented. With proper direction, the student is capable of motivating him/herself to learn and create within and without of the rules of the discipline. Don felt a person learned best when they became deeply involved in a subject. Involvement follows interest and is related to an understanding of real life, he said. During his teaching career at Ivy Tech, Lafayette and Anderson, IN, Anderson University, Anderson, IN, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, Shorewood Opportunity School, Milwaukee, WI and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, Don made a great effort to relate whatever course he was teaching to his student and his/her development as an individual. Facts are important, he went on to say, but going beyond the facts to create in the students an enthusiasm for the course work as it relates to life development, is much more important. Interest is generated when information filters through a student's thinking process. Don inspired this interest by asking a multitude of questions geared to wring out a student's own ideas about the presentation. A professor's job is to open and expand the minds of students who then use this information to construct stronger and more understandable criteria for their own lives. Gaining self-confidence in themselves and in what they create will help provide them an opportunity to comfortably share their unique perspective with the world. Stillwater, Oklahoma born Helen Ann Spangler Weisflog moved to St. Paul, Minnesota when she was six months old. She attended grade school, high school and three years of study at Macalester College in St. Paul before moving to Kenosha, Wisconsin where she graduated from Carthage College with an English degree and met and married husband Don. In 1975, they moved to Anderson, Indiana where Don began teaching Art at Anderson University. Helen spent her time taking care of their daughter Amy, volunteering for Brownies, Girls Scouts and directing Girl Scout Camp. At the same time she owned and managed a catering business, did interior design and helped Don with large art projects and installations. Sounds like a pretty busy schedule, doesn't it? In 1985, Don and Helen moved to Colfax, Indiana where Don held several positions, including one as the lead designer of Old Indiana Fun Park. Helen was the secretary for Old Indiana and several Lafayette companies. Helen's artwork began with acrylics in 1974, watercolor in 1985 and paper pulp art forms in 2002. Still progressing toward whatever looks interesting; Helen has developed a new interest in altered photographs printed on canvas. When Helen asked Don about her own artwork, he said he would be happy to teach her techniques, but never ideas. He taught her, as he taught all his students, friends and colleagues, by asking questions that drew out her own artistic ideas. Softly guiding her thinking by exposing her to his own deep love of art and the beauty he saw in everything and everyone, Don then left her alone to express herself in her own way. Now that you know a bit more about this DELIGHTFULLY CREATIVE DUET, you will definitely want to visit the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery from Saturday, May 26 until Friday, June 29 to enjoy in depth the eclectically beautiful creations of Don and Helen Weisflog.
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