Rhinelander Mayor Chris Frederickson, Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg, and Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza, collectively known as “The River Cities Mayors,” announced today the launch of the Mayor’s Art Auction. Each of the mayors created a painting that will be auctioned off to help raise money for arts initiatives in their communities. The River Cities Mayors partnered with PBS Wisconsin who is hosting the auction site at auction.pbswisconsin.org.

“This is turning out to be one of my favorite projects,” said Wiza. “We get to be creative, help the arts in each of our cities and collaborate with our peers to do something pretty cool. Katie and Chris have an amazing amount of pure talent. I had to do a paint-by-number to even have a chance.”

The Mayor whose painting receives the highest bid will receive all the money collected, to go toward an art initiative in the winning mayor’s city.

Mayor Wiza has selected the Riverfront Artistic lighting project for his donation, if he is the winner.

“You gotta love art and we’re bringing creative problem solvers together for great causes,” said Frederickson. He has chosen the Rhinelander Community Foundation, Hodag Park Project to benefit, should he win.

Mayor Rosenberg’s piece is an original acrylic on canvas panel titled “Lotus.”

“Even in the murkiest waters, lotus and water flowers bloom above it all,” Rosenberg explained.

Rosenberg’s charity is the Wausau Center for the Visual Arts.

Online bidding will continue until Nov. 27, which is Shop Small Saturday, to help draw attention to local artisans, shops, and products.

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Rhinelander Mayor Chris Frederickson painted this scene of Boom Lake.