About Us
Modern. American. Handmade.
Powerful words alone, together they define us.
MODERNThere's Contemporary, then there's Modern. All living and working artists are contemporary artists, but not all contemporary artists necessarily employ a Modern aesthetic. To us, Modern means simple, clean lines and forms. Creating seemingly simple forms often requires the highest degree of skill. Modern art is often associated with "abstract" art. But "modern" also means a fresh, new perspective of a familiar subject.
+AMERICAN
All of our Artists live and work in America. So everything you find on our website was designed and made in your national backyard. There are many great reasons to "buy American", here are just a few:
- You help support an American artist that needs to sell their work, so they can afford to make more, which in turn allows them to continue their creative progression.
- You are eco-friendly: huge amounts of energy isn't used to transport things across the globe. Origins and types of materials can easily be verified.
- It's a social no brainer: no thinking twice about supporting countries with repressive governments, unfair labor practices and disastrous environmental records.
+HANDMADE
Is your toaster handmade? What about your car? Although someone had a hand in assembling these things, most would agree that they were assembled from mass produced, manufactured parts. Wantoot's definition of "handmade" means artist-designed and made. The artists we represent are the designers and makers. This concept is at the core of the American craft movement, and is our guiding light. The marriage of excellent design and craftsmanship by an individual, is always inspirational.
=WANTOOT
Wantoot was started in 2010, by Ried and Kathy, a husband-wife team with marketing and art backgrounds. Initially Wantoot was an online venue to help American artists promote their work. In 2012 we opened a gallery/showroom in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, near Madison. Visit us and and see a great sampling of artworks shown on the website, plus new works that haven't yet made it online.
OUR VALUES
We're passionate about helping artist-makers succeed and thrive in an ever increasing fast-paced, disposable-minded world. We support local arts initiatives that foster opportunities for artists and art tourism. We're historic preservationists, who make our home in Mineral Point, Wisconsin--a living museum. We're environmentalists: the greenest building is one that's already been built, (our gallery was built in 1891). We support and encourage our artists to use reclaimed and recycled materials, and many do.
PRESS
Madison Essentials Magazine Article about our founders and how they landed in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.