JoAnna Poehlmann

== Biography ==

== Biography ==

JoAnna Poehlmann was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1932. After a brief stint at the Milwaukee Art Institute, she enrolled at the [[Layton Art Gallery#Layton School of Art|Layton School of Art]], studying under painter [[Karl Priebe]].{{Sfn|Brown Lee|2015|p=xiii}}<ref>{{cite news |author=<!-- not stated --> |date= 2015-01-17 |title=An Artist Who Speaks in Whispers |url= https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2015/01/17/art-an-artist-who-speaks-in-whispers/ |work= [[Urban Milwaukee]] |location= Milwaukee, WI |publisher= Dave Reid |access-date= 2025-06-13}}</ref> Priebe introduced her to visual artists in Wisconsin and Illinois, including [[Jerome E. Karidis]], [[John Wilde]], [[Dudley Huppler]], and [[Gertrude Abercrombie]]. Following her graduation in 1954, she worked as an illustrator for [[Hallmark Cards]] and [[Western Publishing]], as well as for department stores including [[Boston Store (Wisconsin-based department store)|Boston Store]].{{Sfn|Brown Lee|2015|p=xiii}}<ref>{{cite news |last= Anderson Rios |first= Lindsey |date= 2018-05-17 |title= Where Milwaukee Artist JoAnna Poehlmann Finds Inspiration |url= https://www.milwaukeemag.com/artist-joanna-poehlmann-finds-inspiration/ |work= [[Milwaukee Magazine]] |location= Milwaukee, WI |publisher= Carole Nicksin |access-date= 2025-06-13}}</ref>

JoAnna Poehlmann was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1932. Her paternal great-grandfather, Friedrich Poehlmann (1819–1884), had immigrated from [[Bavaria]] in 1853 and opened the first bakery in the city shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Knauss Paradis |first1= Trudy |last2= Brumder |first2= E. J. |date= 2006 |title= German Milwaukee: Its History, Its Recipes |location= St. Louis |publisher= G. Bradley Pub. |page= 13 |isbn= 978-0977451210}}</ref>

After a brief stint at the Milwaukee Art Institute, JoAnna enrolled at the [[Layton Art Gallery#Layton School of Art|Layton School of Art]], studying under painter [[Karl Priebe]].{{Sfn|Brown Lee|2015|p=xiii}}<ref>{{cite news |author=<!-- not stated --> |date= 2015-01-17 |title=An Artist Who Speaks in Whispers |url= https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2015/01/17/art-an-artist-who-speaks-in-whispers/ |work= [[Urban Milwaukee]] |location= Milwaukee, WI |publisher= Dave Reid |access-date= 2025-06-13}}</ref> Priebe introduced her to visual artists in Wisconsin and Illinois, including [[Jerome E. Karidis]], [[John Wilde]], [[Dudley Huppler]], and [[Gertrude Abercrombie]]. Following her graduation in 1954, she worked as an illustrator for [[Hallmark Cards]] and [[Western Publishing]], as well as for department stores including [[Boston Store (Wisconsin-based department store)|Boston Store]].{{Sfn|Brown Lee|2015|p=xiii}}<ref>{{cite news |last= Anderson Rios |first= Lindsey |date= 2018-05-17 |title= Where Milwaukee Artist JoAnna Poehlmann Finds Inspiration |url= https://www.milwaukeemag.com/artist-joanna-poehlmann-finds-inspiration/ |work= [[Milwaukee Magazine]] |location= Milwaukee, WI |publisher= Carole Nicksin |access-date= 2025-06-13}}</ref>

Though she pursued a career in the fine arts at the same time, including through collaborations with printmaker [[John Gruenwald]] (born 1951), it was not until the 1990s that her works became both sought and acquired by public institutions.{{Sfn|Brown Lee|2015|p=xvi}} In the early 2000s, regular solo and collective exhibitions started showcasing her work in Wisconsin and beyond, culminating in the 2015 exhibition “JoAnna Poehlmann: Now and Then”, organized by RedLine Gallery, Milwaukee, which presented a retrospective of her entire career.{{Sfn|Brown Lee|2015|p=xxvi}}

Though she pursued a career in the fine arts at the same time, including through collaborations with printmaker [[John Gruenwald]] (born 1951), it was not until the 1990s that her works became both sought and acquired by public institutions.{{Sfn|Brown Lee|2015|p=xvi}} In the early 2000s, regular solo and collective exhibitions started showcasing her work in Wisconsin and beyond, culminating in the 2015 exhibition “JoAnna Poehlmann: Now and Then”, organized by RedLine Gallery, Milwaukee, which presented a retrospective of her entire career.{{Sfn|Brown Lee|2015|p=xxvi}}