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Spectrum artists display their craft
Become a Member Artist
denisez@spectrumschoolandgallery.org
- Biography
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Denise Zingg is the founder and director of Spectrum School of the
Arts and Gallery in the East Building of the DeKoven Center, in
Racine, Wisconsin. She started the School in 1980 and the
cooperative gallery was added in 1995.
Born and raised in progressive Madison, Wisconsin, she has always
been a creative thinker – and a teacher. She remembers teaching the
neighborhood kids how to tie shoes when she learned how – literally-
to stand in “their shoes”, understanding their perspective. This
began her lifelong interest and study of individual learning and
teaching styles. As a child she knew she wanted to have her own
school. She especially loved playing and creating music on the piano
when she was 5 and cello at 9. She also loved to swim and taught
many people of all ages in Madison.
After earning an art as well as an art education degree from the
University of Wisconsin Madison, (with Honors and Pi Lambda Theta
–national honor society in education) the University sent her to
Racine, WI on an Internship to teach Art in a grade school and a
high school, completing her Certification. Her major studies
included drawing, painting and filmmaking. She was introduced to
photography by a friend and earned her first camera by selling a
couple of paintings.
She taught in public schools for a few years and then it became
apparent that she should start her own art school. Already working
in a darkroom at the DeKoven Center, she started the community
school in the lower level and has now expanded it to 2 darkrooms,
(adding a 3rd) a film and print viewing room, a multipurpose room, 3
gallery spaces, an extra classroom, a Ceramics studio, an Art
Library, a Music Room and a Matting and Framing studio. The
beautiful and historic buildings and grounds of the DeKoven Center
provide a truly inspirational environment with acres of wooded and
landscaped areas across from Lake Michigan.
The philosophy of the school is based on a small class size that
enables instructors to give highly individualized instruction to
adults and children targeted to their interests, goals and
abilities. The nonjudgmental policy extends to the cooperative
Gallery as well. Spectrum Gallery is open to the public and
celebrates and features the diverse expressions of area artists.
Denise is also one of the founding members of the Steering Committee
for Main Gallery, a youth employment-in-the-arts program through
Racine’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. In addition,
Spectrum is currently the host of Main Gallery’s Photography program
and has been for the past 13 years. Denise has also taught at
Alverno College in the Communication Department teaching
Photography, Advanced Photography, Visual Communication and
Multimedia Productions. She was asked to teach for a month in China
in 2004, where by teaching English language skills, she enriched the
program by creating a darkroom and had students build and take
pictures with pinhole cameras, developing negatives and prints in a
simple darkroom. She was also a chaperone for high school students
on a trip to Italy and France in 2007.
In addition to running the school and teaching Drawing, Painting,
Photography, and private music lessons at Spectrum, she also teaches
Art and Computer at Racine Montessori School (since 1984) She tries
to balance her teaching schedule with creating her own artwork. Her
drawings, paintings and photographs have been in local, statewide
and regional shows and her artwork resides in many private
collections in the United States and abroad.
- Artist Statement
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Copyright © 2008 Denise Zingg. All Rights
Reserved |
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