Michael Bettine

Art in the cafe...

Laurel Statz


"The Spectator"


December 2025



Laurel Statz is a painter and Madison area native. Her work, while figurative, is influenced by abstraction and minimalism. The paintings often have a quick and instinctual nature, capturing just what’s needed. While she often times herself to eliminate extra details and over-precision, she has ventured into more detailed works as well. Laurel does not attach narrative to her pieces. Rather, she thinks of them like a journaling process for her scatter-brained psyche. The figures in the pieces are meant to be processing tools for the artist and the viewer. She hopes that seeing these figures helps the...
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Ruth Comfort


"The Metaphysical Affect"


January 2026



A diverse collection of mixed mediums, extensively encapsulating my heart and soul concerning the dreams of the human condition. ARTISAN RUTH COMFORT My given name is Ruth Comfort. Named after the amazing artist Louis Comfort Tiffany. I hail from a very long line of artisans and musicians. Even dating back to the great German philosopher...
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Friday, October 28, 2005

"Michael Bettine is a percussionist specializing in metal (instruments)...Sinking into Bettine's sound world is fascinating and inspiring." - Modern Drummer Magazine

"Beautifully played compositions... quite original and exciting percussion music." - Hal Rammel, WMSE radio

Michael Bettine has worked as a percussionist and composer for over 30 years now. In that time he has moved from the progressive rock of the 1970s, to jazz, free jazz, improv, and composed percussion music. His work expands the role of percussion-as-time keeper, into realms of texture-as-sound & rhythm.

To this end, he currently works extensively with Gongs and metal percussion. Discovering Asian Gamelan music in the late 1970s, and the minimalist works of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and others, Michael went on to compose expanded works for multiple Gongs where rhythm & melody became one. His current project, GONGTOPIA, brings percussion to the forefront in a one man solo performance. Using an array of 40 Gongs, from 6" to 32" in diameter, Michael?s music is a panoply of metallic soundscapes and haunting melodies. He draws heavily on the spiritual aspect of his instruments, sacred geometry, and the traditions of cultures from around the world.

Music