Visual Art

Art, Music Get a Raw Deal

Kinzy Janssen |

 Raw Deal, a Menomonie restaurant and store specializing in fresh and raw organic ingredients, has just added another element to the mix – a monthly art and music show, coordinated by barista and food preparer Alizabeth Kaiser. The first official exhibition, which opened on Thursday, Feb. 12, features a wide array of pieces by Kaiser and six of her fellow UW-Stout graduates. “I wanted to start with people I knew,” said Kaiser. Prints, collections of smaller oil paintings, multimedia pieces, and 3D sculptures now grace the large space. Airy, quilt-like structures of tissue paper hang from the ceilings. The unofficial theme for the first show is “expiatory offerings,” a new twist on an old Christian tradition that involves shedding sin and readying oneself for the coming of spring. In this case, the “offerings” are pieces of art. Kaiser also plans to feature a musician at each opening event from now on, and her goal is to create an all-kids show. The next exhibition will open on Saturday, March 21.