Presenting Fresh Bakery — And Art

You don’t have to pay museum admission—or go far—to see great art in Brew City. Many Milwaukee-area establishments, among them coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, and hotels, proudly line their walls with work from local artists.

MOR Bakery and Café, 2018 S. 1st St. #102, in Bay View, the only dedicated gluten-free bakery on the city’s south side, has exhibited the work of local artists since its opening in 2018.

With its earth-toned walls and plenty of natural light, MOR (which means “mother” in Swedish) is a soothing place; an oasis from all the industry of South 1st Street.

MOR owner Traci Morgan-Hoernke, a former Milwaukee Public Schools administrative assistant, says she aimed to create a café that was “an extension of my living room.”

“My thought is that a solid color would provide artists with a better background to display their work,” Morgan-Hoernke says. “Everything we do in this space is with intent.”

Besides a community and artist-focused meeting place, MOR offers delectable, handmade goodies, including banana bread, harvest scones with apples, almond flour and a maple glaze, berry crumble, and ginger spice cookies, as well as coffee, espresso drinks, and tea.

MOR is currently displaying “Closer 2 Home TWO,” the work of Michael Burmesch, owner of Mb Squared Photography.

Burmesch, a graphic designer who resides in Bay View, started Mb Squared in 2013. The business “was born out of my passion for traveling the state of Wisconsin and capturing all this Midwestern gem has to offer in photo,” he said. “Closer 2 Home TWO,” taken with his iPhone, features a handful of subjects, including Wisconsin landmarks and architecture, lighthouses, and nature. The exhibit “showcases photos taken along the road of finding my ‘self’ during healing and coming closer to home as an individual,” Burmesch says.

An artist reception for “Closer 2 Home TWO” will be held at MOR August 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will also be a one-year anniversary celebration for the bakery and café and will feature Asian-style lettuce wraps and Vietnamese spring rolls, along with baked goods, coffee, and teas.

Burmesch says he was drawn to MOR, with its calming environment and delicious goodies. “Having to eat gluten-free, when I first discovered MOR, I fell in love with the baked goods,” he said, adding that he was impressed by Morgan-Hoernke’s passion for baking and ability to connect with her customers.

During a Bay View Gallery Night, Burmesch asked Morgan-Hoernke about displaying his photography at the bakery. “I sent her my portfolio of work, and I quickly heard that the show was a green light. Since then, it’s been an absolute pleasure working out the details of the show, marketing the opening night, and getting the space set up. It’s been a beautiful collaboration and wonderful getting to know Traci better through this experience,” Burmesch says.

Morgan-Hoernke says her business will continue to be both community and art-focused. “The biggest intent (for MOR) is to have a relationship with the person coming in,” she adds.

MARN Wins $3 Million Grant

This qualifies as very big news. The Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN) learned last week that it received a $3,000,000 grant from the Anonymous Fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. The grant will enable the organization to expand its operational capacity and create a new facility that will include a gallery, event space, and a retail storefront. “I firmly believe this remarkable grant is a game changer for the entire creative economy here in Southeast Wisconsin.” said Mal Montoya, who will now serve as President and CEO for the organization. For more on this see the press release.

Art Events

–Beginning this Thursday through August 29, the Charles Allis Art Museum, 1801 N. Prospect Ave., will host “Tai Chi & The Allis,” tai chi instruction in the museum gardens, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekly.

-“Artopia: A Backyard Experience” will be held Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Backyard on Badger, 511 Badger Ave. in South Milwaukee. The event, created to highlight the work and talent of local artists, will feature art by Dawn Agacki, Brad Sluder, Michael Kutzer, and Erik James Huffman, and will include music by Jean Baptiste and Jake Weyenberg, Pedro’s South American Food Cart, and crafted cocktails by Lizzy.

-“Film Series: Nares: Moves,” Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Milwaukee Art Museum, presents the complete films of contemporary artist Jamie Nares, “including a trilogy never shown together before” according to www.mam.org/events. The run time of the films is 120 minutes, and the film series is free with museum admission. Nares art is on display at the museum through October 6.

-The Museum of Wisconsin Art, 205 Veterans Ave. in West Bend, will host Art & Chalk Fest 2019 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. More than 65 artists will display and sell their work, and more than 15 chalk artists will create sidewalk works of art. The Fest will feature live entertainment, food vendors, a beer garden, and free admission to the museum. An awards ceremony for artists will be held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

-“Friends of the Villa Terrace Gala in the Garden: A Royal Affair, Secrets of the Monarch,” the museum’s annual fundraising event, will be held Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the museum grounds, 2220 N. Terrace Ave.

-Artists Hold Fundraiser to benefit RAICES. On July 27, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Sugar Maple, 441 E. Lincoln Ave., a fundraiser for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services will be held. The event will be both an art sale and an auction with works for sale including 19 paintings and prints by artists Adrienne Pierluissi, Erica Huntzinger, Cooper Diers, Sara Willadsen, and Zak offered in an auction via Facebook after July 4th.

Closing This Week

Last chance to see Evelyn Patricia Terry’s “Guests Who Came to Dinner (And Stayed)!”; show closes Sunday at the Lynden Sculpture Garden, 2145 W. Brown Deer Rd.

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