Gallery at Vanguard Exhibition and Annual Party

Saturday January 12th featured The Gallery at Vanguard’s opening and the exhibit, “Presence”, with Wisconsin Painter and Sculptor couple, Joseph and Mary Mendla exhibiting together for the first time.

Joseph Mendla was a founding member of MIAD and also owned Milwaukee’s first fine art foundry, Hartbronze INC. Joseph’s work “Zen Brushwork” elegantly distills 50 years of sculpture by drawing in the air with steel. He began creating an open-ended series of sculptures based on the Asian practice of painting perfect circles on rice paper with brushes loaded with black ink. In Japanese, the word for this meaningful circle is “enso.”

Mary Mendla’s mixed media paintings use oil, cold wax over acrylic and ink. Loose pigment, soft pastel and oil sticks add depth and texture to the abstract landscapes. “My paintings hint at scenes that are not quite tangible, drifting between the real and imagined,” she says. The exhibit is open to the public M-F 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or appointment through February 28th, including Gallery Day on January 19th, 11 to 4 p.m.

Vanguard Sculpture Services is a full-service art bronze foundry serving mainly artists, museums and arts related organizations. A large part of the work focuses on restoration, maintenance, and limited conservation of objects for individual collectors, museums and outdoor public art.

Vanguard has been in business for 21 years and owned and operated by local artists, Beth Sahagian-Allsopp and Michael P. Nolte.

Inside the foundry is a 1000-square-foot art gallery exhibiting local, national and international artists in all media.

In conjunction with the opening night exhibition, Vanguard held their Annual Open House (AKA “Creak Day”), dreamed up 40 years ago by Nolte and a host of college friends.

What takes place is a once a year melding of community journals or logs which are compiled and edited in one big night of fun which includes artists, musicians, friends and families socializing over a pot luck, with live music and dancing.

This year, the rhythm and blues rock band, Indigo Dog, provided the music. For those missed it, keyboardist and artist, Dan Stauff and Indigo Dog will be at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn on January 26th at 7:00 p.m.

Our photos capture the scene.

Photo Gallery