Art Dealer in Jail

Don’t bother calling Kennedy Fine Arts in Northbrook, Illinois. Don’t even try to leave a message, because the voice mailbox is full. Of course, it is easy to see why – James F. Kennedy, the art dealer, has been sitting in the Milwaukee County jail without bail since May 7th, and it looks like he’ll be there at least until a hearing date on May 18th, according to a jail spokesperson. (According to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, Kennedy’s offense occurred May 10th.) He is charged with a felony under statute 976.03(13), “extradition – arrest prior to requisition.”

Milwaukeeworld.com told you two weeks ago that an individual was trying to peddle fake Picassos in the Milwaukee area. Although Kennedy is held on an unrelated out-of-state warrant, he is the fellow who was trying to pass off the fakes in our community. Apparently police did not have enough evidence to charge him with a crime in the matter – mere possession of fake artwork is not a crime, and there was insufficient evidence he had tried to sell the works, they say – Kennedy’s van was seized along with some 300 works of art that were allegedly fakes. He was arrested on Milwaukee Street, and is from Northbrook, Illinois. It is doubtful that Kennedy was the author of the fakes, and it is likely that he is a player in a much larger art fraud ring. So, just to remind you once again, if you have purchased any “Picasso” drawings in the last couple of weeks, contact a reputable art dealer or law enforcement authorities. Kennedy was born on May 17, 1957, so it looks like he will be spending his birthday in jail.

Concordia Gets Bush

President George W. Bush visited the Ozaukee County megalopolis of Mequon Thursday to deliver the commencement address at Concordia University at the Lutheran school’s very secure lakeside campus. Milwaukeeworld correspondent Patrick C. Horne, a Mequon resident, was at the intersection of Port Washington Road and Highland Road where Bush supporters and detractors hoped the presidential motorcade would pass. Of course, it didn’t, since the president’s motorcade traveled along Lake Shore Drive, far removed from the supporters, detractors, and reality.

“We’ve got protestors on one side and the republicans on the other side,” Horne said via cellular telephone while awaiting the motorcade’s non-arrival. “We’ve got TV people on the other side, we’ve got Secret Service, we’ve got Germantown, Milwaukee, Ozaukee County, all sorts of people, all sorts of squads, all sorts of everything. Now, the mystery is which way he’s going to come in. I hope they take our President on LSD.” [Editor’s note: LSD is Mequon slang for Lakeshore Drive.]

According to Horne, there was a good deal of “ranting and raving back and forth” between the President’s supporters and detractors.

“’Give him four more years.’ ‘No, give him five more months,’” they chanted, he said.

“Lot of Republicans,” Horne said. “’Oh! I forgot my flag!’ ‘Oh! Don’t they have anything better to do with their time,’ talking about the protestors,” he said, mockingly.

What signs were on display?

“’Buy Books, Not Bullets,’ ‘Four More Wars,’ ‘The Buck Shops Here Enron Halliburton ’94,’ ‘Fire Rumsfeld,’ ‘King O’ War,’” Horne said.

Later, yet another Mequon correspondent, Rita Krause Horne, telephoned from Port Washington Lane and Fiesta Lane, where the Bush motorcade passed down adjacent I-43 on its return to the airport. She said a number of sightseers lined the fence along the interstate hoping to catch a glimpse of the motorcade. They were told to cross to the far side of Port Washington Lane by an unmarked brown van, which announced the demand via a loudspeaker. “The speaker said if we didn’t move away from the fence to the other side of the street we would be arrested. He didn’t even say ‘please.’ I sure moved to the other side of the street in a hurry.”

[The author would like to acknowledge the assistance of his younger brother and his mother in the preparation of this report.—Ed.]

Mount Mary Gets Dolan

While President Bush was in Mequon, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan was at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, to bless the cornerstone of the new Gerhardinger Center at the Catholid women’s school.  “Concordia gets the President and Mount Mary gets Dolan,” the ebullient archbishop told the crowd of 400 attending the blessing. The Gerhardinger Center’s exterior conforms quite nicely to the other buildings of the campus, and is constructed of increasingly-difficult to find Lannon stone. The interior of the facility, the school’s Science, Technology and Campus Center, is strictly 21st century, and will be fully operational by the time classes resume in the fall. In case the “Gerhardinger” name (“a lovely one,” as the archbishop put it) is unfamiliar, it belonged to Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, the foundress of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, established in Germany in 1833. The outfit has operated Mount Mary since the school’s founding in Prairie du Chien 90 years ago.

Interestingly, the motherhouse of SSND was for many years located in the largest building in Mequon. That facility is now Concordia University. After the cornerstone blessing ceremony, the sisters held a champagne reception, with sundry savory treats including roast turkey and roast beef. The co-chair of the capital campaign was Kathryn Murphy Burke ’65. “Although my name is Murphy and Burke, both of my grandmothers were German,” she told the crowd. She also announced that the school, now enjoying its highest enrollment ever, is still on the search for funds. “you’ll be hearing more from us, so keep your wallets handy,” she said.

Legislature Gets Revenge

Senators Mary Panzer and Alberta Darling teamed up for a fundraiser at La Perla, 734 S. 5th Street Thursday, May 13th, drawing the attendance of such notables as airline executive Tim Hoeksema, Tim Sheehy, Tim Hoven. Attendees not named Tim included Carol N. Skornicka, Midwest Airlines’ Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Pat Donnely from the Hyatt, Cory Hoze and others too numerous to mention, including Annie Schwartz. Off in another room, (and certainly just by coincidence), former Sen. Gary George was dining with his wife and kids.

Ms. Skornicka said things were flying well at the airlines these days, after some considerable turbulence. “Buy late and buy often!” was her suggestion for consumers who would like to fly her planes. The later you buy, of course, the more expensive your ticket.

Earlier in the day the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the legislature’s suit against Governor Jim Doyle and his handling of the Indian gaming compacts. For a woman who had just delivered quite a body blow to the governor, Panzer, the leader of the majority party republicans in the state senate, did not appear to gloat much.

So what’s the next step? Is this ruling enough to force the governor to call a special session of the legislature?

Well, apparently not. But Panzer did say the leaders of the legislature will be meeting during this week to devise a plan and a schedule to renegotiate the gaming compacts – this time with their assistance. As for Alberta, she’s not going to get any wrinkles on her forehead from worrying about it. Since it was a republican event, free beverages did not appear to be forthcoming, and Milwaukeeworld left early for a pressing engagement.

More Interesting News

Milwaukee Art Museum Director David Gordon wrote a letter to Arts Journal . com complaining about the negative coverage he and the museum have received in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel regarding the museum’s finances. “I would like to assure your readers (and I am a loyal one myself) that we are in good shape,” he said. Without mentioning the paper by name, he added “for reliable information please contact me direct on david.gordon@mam.org  . … Ron Geiman, the founder of the defunct InStep magazine, a publication that served the gay community, has died. InStep owner Bill Attewell shut down the publication late last year, citing “burnout” as milwaukeeworld reported. According to former columninst “Dear Ruthie,” a drag queen who now appears on television with Bo Black and Don Hoffman, Attewell did not pay her for her final columns, so there must have been some financial burnout as well. … Evan Barnes is no longer associated with the Bay View bar he opened with a partner last year. The breakup was ugly, with fists (not Evans’) flying. It appears that Julia LaLoggia has purchased the business, along with Onopa Brewery as we reported last week. … A change in fees for temporary licenses for restaurants operating at farmers’ markets, if approved, could cost the city as much as $76,139 in revenues according to a Health Department memo. … The Department of Homeland Security has given the Milwaukee Police Department a $10,719 Joint Terrorism Task Force grant. The City will provide $7,431 as an in-kind contribution. … Set your television to Channel 10 on Thursday, May 20th as Dan Jones unveils the latest in his series of documentaries on Milwaukee neighborhoods. The star this time will be Riverwest. … Michal Dawson, retired Deputy Director of the Department of City Development will open a Milwaukee office of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, a Madison group established to address development challenges in urban and rural communities in Wisconsin.

Kennedy Fine Arts sorry not able to take a phone call from you

Mailbox full

 

horne@milwaukeeworld.com