It’s a big year for rural Spring Valley resident Tom Gunderson, a familiar face at the Pierce County Fair. Not only has he been named the inaugural Pierce County Fair Artist of the Year, but he’s celebrating 40 year as the open class flowers & houseplants superintendent.

Several of Gunderson’s paintings will be displayed in an exhibit on the second floor of the Round Barn throughout the fair. His vibrant watercolors depict churches, farms, animals, landscapes and flowers, many inspired by Pierce County scenes or travels to France, Italy and Norway.

“I didn’t know anything about this until two weeks ago,” Gunderson said. “It’s a special time.  I hope that people that come to the fair will enjoy the exhibit.”

Richard Franta, who serves as an open class flowers & houseplants superintendent alongside Gunderson, said the Artist of the Year is new to the fair this year.

“It is simply to acknowledge the amazing talent of the residents of Pierce County and give a local artist the ability to show their work in a public setting,” Franta said. “There isn't any sort of judging, premiums, or awards given for the artist of the year.”

Gunderson is entering seven paintings in this year’s open class cultural arts department, a tradition he looks forward to each year. He’s been pursuing his passion for watercolor painting for about 20 years.

“I’ve always been interested in drawing; when I was a small child before seat belts came, I would seat in the front seat with my parents,” Gunderson recalled. “I would ask my mother, ‘Can you draw that cow, can you draw that horse?’”

After graduating from Spring Valley High School, Gunderson attended UW-River Falls where he completed a double major in art and elementary education. He taught elementary school in River Falls for 35 years. When he retired, he decided to pursue his dream to paint.

“As a teacher, I never had time to paint,” Gunderson said. “It was always in the back of my mind. I wanted to start. I did some oil and acrylic, but I had never done watercolor. When I retired I had a chance to take some classes and workshops in Stillwater. That is where I got my love of watercolor.”

From then on, Gunderson participated in many watercolor painting workshops. He now belongs to a group of painters called Have Water Will Paint, who meets 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Thursday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (502 County Road UU, Hudson). About six to 12 of them gather; visitors are always welcome.

“We all paint what we choose and we critique each other. We’re all learning. There are no professionals, but we’re becoming professionals,” Gunderson laughed.

Gunderson’s subject matter varies and he’s hard-pressed to choose a favorite. He also paints commissioned pieces for people, often working from photographs. His work can be found in many homes and businesses throughout the area. He also enjoys painting his 100-plus-year-old farmstead, his home farm where he returned in retirement, from various angles in different seasons.

“I’ve painted my farm in various views and put it on Christmas cards. I have made a Christmas card every year since 1999,” Gunderson said. “I have a friend who has matted and framed all of them. I can’t believe she did that. I get fulfillment from painting the farm.”

Gunderson has traveled with a watercolor group to Italy twice and to France once. He had the opportunity to “take the trip of a lifetime” in which he studied under different instructors and honed his craft in a foreign setting. His exhibit includes a painting of a convent door he did in Europe.

“It’s amazing when you’re in a foreign country, the paintings look different. All have a different feeling to them,” he said.

Gunderson’s love for the Pierce County Fair began as a young child when he was part of the Gilman Miners 4-H club. For a few years, he exhibited a dairy calf, though he never dabbled in the flower or art departments. As an adult, while exhibiting in the open class flowers and houseplants department, the retiring superintendent Millie Christiansen asked him to take over.

“I said, ‘Oh no, I’m not capable,’” he said. “She said, ‘Yes, you are. I know what your arrangements look like and what you can do.’”

Gunderson’s first year serving in the role was in 1986. The department used to be housed in an old building near the current English Lutheran Church stand. It’s now located in the first floor of the Round Barn.

Gunderson looks forward to Fair Week each year. This year’s fair is Aug. 13-16.

“I look forward to all the exhibits and seeing my fair friends. It always has been a special week. I’ve seen a lot of exhibitors come and go; some are no longer with us,” Gunderson said. “A very good friend and competitor was Helen Most. I always enjoyed the competition shared with her and she did beat me several years. I did succeed finally. She was a very great painter and loved art. She was a fixture here for many years.”

He also had a friendly competition with Barb Losgaard, a florist from Beldenville. When she died in 2014, her husband John told Gunderson that one of her greatest joys was competing against him in the open class flowers department. It’s those fun and good-natured relationships that make the fair special, Gunderson said.