Local artist’s work displayed at Monona Terrace

Local sculptor Nana Schowalter recently had her work selected for “Art on the Rooftop,” a free exhibit of public sculpture in the William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens at Monona Terrace. The sculpture, “Pagoda,” was inspired by the spirit houses of Thailand and elaborate pagodas of Asia. 

The exhibit began as an outdoor pilot project in 2014 to help showcase the rooftop as another “must see” Madison destination. It has since become an annual program with artwork changing each year, and being selected is a significant honor. 

“I saw the call for artists for the ‘Art on the Rooftop’ and on a whim decided to apply. This is a national competition, juried by the Madison Arts Commission,” said Schowalter. “Four artists pieces are chosen for the rooftop exhibit May-November 2025, and one piece for the MLK entrance to Monona Terrace. I had several larger scale pieces available for submission.”

“One never assumes their work will be chosen, but on the slim chance it was, delivery and installation is only an hour away so I applied,” she explained. “It’s an honor to be included in this exhibit at such a beautiful location overlooking the WI state capitol building and Lake Monona.”

Schowalter pointed out that interestingly, “Frank Lloyd Wright’s design process was greatly inspired by the art of Japan, so ‘Pagoda’ is in good company.”

Schowalter’s art features metal spirals, circles, scrolls, water symbols, and botanical references, and the pieces “record a continuing relationship with technical skill and design.” Inspired by nature and the images of ancient cultures from around the world, each new series is inspired by previous works, over decades of design evolution, she said. 

Working out of her rural workshop, Schowalter specializes in hot forged and fabricated steel sculpture.

Mild steel arrives on a semitruck in 20-foot lengths of square, round, flat, pipe and square tubing. “This is my three dimensional palette,” she said. “To cut, mix, heat, hammer, bend, shape, weld, grind, sandblast, and paint objects ranging from functional to sculptural.”

“Working from the initial mental image of the piece and a quick sketch, the design process happens live on a layout table using finished dimensions as a sizing framework,” the artist explained. “The pieces are composed with steel elements and an intuitive eye for composition to complete the idea. Working in small editions of three to five pieces of the same design, efficient repetitious production of design elements allow for a collection of work to be finished in a variety of color choices.”

Schowalter said she inspired by a vast constellation of things, from the natural world to the generations of artists that came before her. 

“I am inspired by images of ancient cultures before development of written language,” she mused. “I had an excellent art professor in college who taught a vibrant group of students to trust our creative processes and learn the techniques to build our sculptures. There have been many blacksmiths, men and women, who have been generous with their time and skills who have taught technique and inspired my work. To anyone interested in learning basis forging skills, I offer ‘Blacksmithing for Beginners’ classes at my blacksmith shop, by appointment.”

Schowalter lives 10 miles west of New Glarus and has worked in the original Postville Blacksmith Shop for more than 30 years. When asked what initially brought her to the area, she answers: “College and love.”

“I earned my Bachelor’s and Master of Fine Art degrees in Madison,” she said. “While there, I met my soul mate of 40 years. He lived here, so I stayed here. The driftless area of Wisconsin is an enchanting, beautiful, seasonally exciting area that offers natural inspiration and a continually restorative environment. I love it here.”

Schowalter’s current work includes two collections entitled “Magic Objects” and “Garden Spirits.” 

“The inspiration for these pieces comes from contemplation and research about symbols and objects of ancient cultures,” she said. “I am most interested in the images left to us before the development of written language, for these symbols carry us back to the earliest desire to communicate through form. The ancients did not by definition make art, but rather made objects that symbolized their connection to each other and their world. I am intrigued by the power of those objects that served as functional and sacred reliquary for ritual and celebration.
Today, I find it important to have inspirational objects that give us pause and a sense of joyful wonder.”

Schowalter believes that the technique of hot forging never gets old because it “continuously presents new problem solving challenges.” 

“To envision a shape and figure out how to make the metal move to achieve that shape is exciting and satisfying. I started with machine shop and welding classes for basic fabricating skills,” she said. “When first learning about blacksmithing, I watched and worked with my husband, Bob Bergman. Forging was taught by watching other smiths demonstrate their skills and processes, and then practicing back at your shop. Like most things in life, practice and repetition are the best teachers. To anyone interested in learning basis forging skills, I offer ‘Blacksmithing for Beginners’ classes at my blacksmith shop, by appointment.”