Cedarburg native is artist of the month at center

Beth Ratledge is the Cedarburg Cultural Center’s artist-in-residence for the month of May. 

Ratledge has long been interested in the arts, most recently working in copper enameling, particularly in jewelry.

The Cedarburg native was exposed to different types of visual and performing arts growing up. 

Her mother is a formally trained artist and oil painter who experimented with all types of mediums and materials. Her father, an engineering professor, was an accomplished watercolorist and charcoal artist. 

In addition to painting and drawing, Ratledge and her siblings regularly attended live theater and learned basic techniques of various art forms, including stained glass, copper enameling, weaving and silk screening. 

She earned her degree in technical theater and art. While her professional career eventually led her to the travel industry, her interest in art remained. She has enjoyed making jewelry for the past 10 years.

Recently Ratledge dusted off her mother’s 1970s kiln and revived her fascination with copper enameling. 

Ratledge teaches both jewelry and miniature landscape enameling classes at the cultural center.

Ratledge will do her enameling at the center from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, May 1, 8, 22 and 29, on Sunday, May 2, and Fridays, May 14 and 28.

She will also teach a workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 15. Students will use copper enameling to create cuff bracelets. They will kiln-fire powdered glass and copper in a variety of colors and then assemble the pieces. 

All supplies are included in the fee, which is $45 for center members and $54 for nonmembers. 

For more information on the center or the class and to register for the workshop, visit CedarburgCulturalCenter.org or call 375-3676.

The center at W62 N546 Washington Ave. will be expand its hours starting Wednesday, May 5. The new hours are from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.