Integrating Art with Life: Artist Reaches Out to Community

Bob Kanyusik is an award-winning artist, a thoroughly dedicated teacher, a recognized community leader and an energetic advocate for educators through his union.

An art instructor at Nicolet Area Technical College in Rhinelander, Kanyusik is not content to limit his talents or energy to the classroom. And he is not content to let outside forces control or limit him or his colleagues.

His commitment to his craft and the community has earned him a special honor this year — the Laird Youth Leadership Foundation Award for Leadership in Art. The award, sponsored through the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, was presented by Melvin Laird, a former Wisconsin congressman and U.S. defense secretary. Kanyusik was honored for his professional accomplishments, teaching performance and community service.

“I think, like most people, I believe in my craft,” Kanyusik said. “And there are two sides to that — one is art and the other is teaching.”

You may have heard of Kanyusik before. In 1988, he created the powerful Vietnam veterans memorial sculpture for the state’s memorial site at Neillsville. The sculpture includes four life-size bronze figures and wind chimes containing the names of the 1,420 Wisconsin soldiers who died in the conflict. Kanyusik, a Vietnam veteran, takes great pride in the sculpture and in the overall memorial.

“It really is a gorgeous, gorgeous site, and they’ve done a marvelous job with it,” he said.

Kanyusik also co-developed the Northern National Arts Competi-tion, now in its 10th year. The competition, co-sponsored by the Northern Arts Council and Nicolet College, attracted 1,400 entries this year, including paintings, water colors, prints and drawings.

He also does a variety of art-related work in the community. During the summer, for example, he teaches at the School of the Arts in Rhinelander, an extensive weeklong arts program sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Throughout the year, he is involved in cooperative projects with K-12 schools, bringing elementary school students to Nicolet for arts presentations and giving art demonstrations at schools throughout the area. In 1991, Kanyusik created a wood bust of John W. Heisman, the legendary football coach and namesake of the nation's most prestigious college football award, the Heisman Trophy. The bust is on display at the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport.

The modest Kanyusik readily passes praise on to others, saying he could not have won the Laird Award without the support of Nicolet College, his colleagues there, his fellow artists in the community, and many others.

He also stands up for his colleagues through his local association. Kanyusik was active in organizing the Nicolet faculty association about 10 years ago. He has stayed very active, serving at times as chief negotiator and president.

Although there have been rough spells in the past, Kanyusik says Nicolet is a great place to work.

“I’m active in the union not so much because of problems,” he said. “A union still has an important function even in a place that has a good working atmosphere.”

Photo: Bob Kanyusik discusses facial structure with students at the School of the Arts in Rhinelander. Kanyusik teaches a figure drawing class at the school, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The class is one of many ways in which Kanyusik takes art to the community. - Photo by Bill Hurley

Posted September 9, 1997