Our art loving guests will surely be intrigued to find the walls of the Washington House Inn decorated with works of local artists. “We have our own rotating art gallery in the lobby,” shares innkeeper Wendy Porterfield adding that, over the years, Cedarburg has become somewhat of an art destination, taking into account its vibrant artist guild with more than 260 members, the Plein Air painting contest in June and the Covered Bridge Art Studio Tour in October, as well as regular art exhibits too numerous to mention.
Patrick M. Doughman, the inn’s featured artist in August, has always had a deep interest in art history and historical art techniques. The dozen or so paintings he has on display at the inn showcase egg tempera painting and wood and linoleum printmaking, both of which make up the majority of his current works. Doughman, who grew up in the Midwest and currently lives here in Cedarburg, credits his artist/educator father for having kindled in him a love for the arts when he was a youngster, and says this same passion later inspired him to go on and earn his MFA at UW-Madison. The theme that shows up time and again throughout his work is people at work, their daily lives and their interactions within society. Doughman is of the belief that “art should document experiences of the human condition and leave images for future generations to consider.”
All of the art on display in the lobby is available for purchase and we are very happy to share work by talented local artists with our guests.