Lost Arts: A Celebration of Our Working Past
| Published: 09/22/2010 |
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The Grohmann Museum hosts its first festival celebrating the activities and ways of work captured in the paintings and bronzes in the museum's permanent collection. On Saturday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven artisans will demonstrate their craft as the museum and its surroundings become a laboratory for the creation of "Lost Arts." Regular museum admission applies: $5 adults; $3 students ages 11-18; $3 adults ages 65 or older; Free for children ages 10 and under.
Kate Ehlke: lace making
Kate Ehlke has been a 19th century-living historian specializing in bobbin lace since 2004. She has done extensive research on the history of lace-making, which was a primary industry in Europe in previous centuries. Ehlke will be working on an 18th-century lace pattern from Pomerania (present-day Germany and Poland) and wearing the traditional costume (or tracht) of that region.
Geralyn Flick: potter
Geralyn Flick founded Murray Hill Pottery Works in 1997. It is a unique environment dedicated to learning, fun and the appreciation of clay art. Flick has made it her mission to share the joy of creating or purchasing pots that can be used to eat or drink out of, and gazed at lovingly. Flick will create pieces while demonstrating various techniques of working clay.
Kent Knapp: blacksmith
Kent Knapp began his study of blacksmithing and Milwaukee's history at the age of 19. His passion for working with iron is matched only by his aptitude for working with it. The delicate leaves and scrolls within the immense strength of his projects are the perfect marriage for functional artistry. Capturing the classic designs or creating new ones in the old traditions, Knapp finds every challenge a new adventure. Knapp will tend to the forge and create unique pieces specifically for the Lost Arts festival.
Cheryl Myers: spinning, knitting, crocheting
A self-taught fiber artist, Cheryl Meyers started working with yarns and fibers almost 25 years ago. Along the way she has learned the art of knitting, crocheting and hand-spinning. She has taught knitting and crocheting to hundreds who have crossed her path, and today she still enjoys making all sorts of creations out of both handmade yarns as well as store-bought fibers. Some of her creations include wool needle-felted bears, knit wool felted hats, nuno wool felted items, crocheted baby Afghans, shawls and many more handmade items.
Sangeeta Patel: painting
Using old masters' techniques (a method of using indirect or layered painting), Sangeeta Patel creates a sense of real depth in her art oil paintings. In contrast to modern photo-realism, old masters were able to stretch the ability of oil paints to create optical illusions of a three-dimensional world. Patel will demonstrate these techniques by showing how an artist of the past, Anton Seitz, used layered painting techniques to create "The Portrait Painter," which is part of the Man at Work collection.
Bob "Sieg" Siegel and Luke Traver: wooden shoe carvers
Having studied with 12 master carvers in the Netherlands, Bob "Sieg" Siegel is the last master wooden-shoe carver in America. However, he has enlisted two apprentices, one of whom will carve for the Lost Arts festival. Luke Traver hand carves wearable wooden shoes from log sections using three traditional tools: a side ax, block knife and spoon auger.
Mary L. Spencer: glass artist
Like many artists, Many Spencer has dabbled and experimented with a variety of media. She fell in love with glass after being introduced to it by a friend. It was love at first score and snap of the glass. Her work includes home décor or wearable glass art using the traditional (Tiffany) copper-foil method, glass fusing and mosaic. She frequently incorporates copper, brass, and/or silver in the design piece. Much of her work is influenced by African and Asian culture. The joy derived from working with glass is evident in the color, texture and beauty of the final piece.
The Grohmann Museum is home to the Man at Work collection, which comprises more than 800 paintings and sculptures dating from 1580 to the present. They reflect a variety of artistic styles and subjects that document the evolution of organized work: from farming and mining to trades such as glassblowing and seaweed gathering. The Grohmann Museum welcomes visitors to three floors of galleries where a core collection is displayed as well as themed exhibitions. The museum is located at MSOE, an independent university with about 2,600 students. MSOE offers 17 bachelor's degrees and 10 master's degrees in the engineering, engineering technology, architectural engineering and building construction, computer, business, nursing and health-related fields.