Music and mood echo back and forth in the art of Wisconsin artist Don Kloetzke. It's a fair assessment to say that his music is at least as important to him as his skill as an artist. In fact, he is an accomplished musician, composer and vocalist, in addition to being an award-winning artist, Don joined his music and art talents with the printing of "Midnight at Holy Hill." With the purchase of this print customers received a cassette tape of Christmas songs, sung by Don Kloetzke. Today, art and music hold sway at the Kloetzke home in Brownsville, Wisconsin where he lives with his wife Kathy and their two children.
Born is Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1951, Don grew up traveling the country with his family. His father, in the U.S. Army, was stationed in such places as Germany, Hawaii, Mississippi and California. While traveling, Don was constantly drawing and studying new and interesting subjects to paint. Don's mostly known for painting wildlife, but he does not limit himself to it. Finished projects include.: "Autumn Rummage" a still life, "Good Luck/Bad Luck", a painting of a black cat and a horseshoe, "The Angels of Holy Hill" a scenic painting and recently "Ground Zero" and "The New Rising Sun", two World War II pieces done to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war.
Don's been painting since 1963, and constantly striving for perfection has earned him many awards such as:
- 1982 Wisconsin Sportsman Magazine selected Kloetzke as their first "Wildlife Artist of the Year"
- 1988 Selected as "Sponsor Artist" for the Wisconsin Waterfowlers Association
- 1989 "Century Artist of the Year" for PBS Channels 10/36
- 1990 "Sponsor Artist" for Wings over Wisconsin
- 1991 "Midnight at Holy Hill" made U.S. Art's Best Seller List
- 1992 "Sponsor Artist" for Ducks Unlimited 1993 "A New Beginning" made U.S. Art's Best Seller List
- 1993 U.S. Art Magazine ranked Don Kloetzke in the top 25 Best Selling artists in the nation
Don Kloetzke has won "Best of Show" at:
- National Art Exhibition of Alaska Wildlife
- St. Paul Winter & Wildlife Art Exhibit
- National Wildlife & Western Art Exhibition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- National Wildlife & Western Art Exhibition in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Don's work has also been displayed at the prestigious Leigh Yawkey Woodson Birds in Art Exhibition, an international invitational show.
