Feather, Fur, Scale, and Tail
The exhibit can be viewed online (below) or in-person:
Saturday afternoons, 12 – 5 PM — paced, small groups, no appointment necessary
OR make an appointment for Mon – Fri at info@jazzgallerycenterforarts.org
Please, review our COVID Policy before visiting, precautions in effect for all visitors.
Exhibition — May 14th, 2021 – June 18th, 2022
FEATHER, FUR, SCALE, AND TALE
Wild Renderings of the Creatures We Adore
This lively Fine Art Exhibition includes a wide variety of Art Mediums:
Linocut Print | Sculpture | Comic-Book Illustration | Photography | Assemblage Box-Making | Encaustic | Pastels | Screen Print | Painting | Digital Drawing
Artists include: John Kowalczyk, Carol Rode Curley, John-Mark Klapperich, Mary Lee Agnew, Andres Ryes Ynnocencio, Michael Lutz, Leah Jurgens, Jay Arpin, Heather Brown, Isaiah Malnory-Brown, Lenore Rinder, Willie Lee Ikerd, Nova Czarnecki, Eric Von Munz, Sharon Mergener, Elias Zananiri, Dolores Schaefer, Joe Zoltak, and Amy Schmutte.
The inspiration for this visual-arts exhibition came to me in the cold lifeless months of winter in Wisconsin, ’21-‘22. I indulged in the uplifting thoughts of nature, to cope. I found out I’m not alone, as many people (in the summer of ’20) needed nature-walks more than ever before. More than average numbers of people
were adopting pets. Plenty of us artists (who had already delved into nature/creatures) delved further, with a renewed appreciation.
My piece in this exhibit, titled Ricoh Stahr, is a dedication to a sweet, young, beautiful parakeet I once knew... who mistakenly flew out of the front door into a snow storm, and disappeared into the white sky.
So whether they are feathered, or furry... have scales or tails... real or mythical... let us take a moment to honor our creature friends. Let’s acknowledge gratitude for the purity, grounding, and comfort found in our fellow (non-human) beings, and all that they contribute to our planet and our human existence.
Andres Reyes Ynnocencio
*Only present with Menominee rep.
The war bonnet is a symbol of wisdom and leadership and the tail feather fan represents leading our people and lives into the right path.
The story behind this eagle head staff.. is my cousin from my dad's side on my reservation mounted the head and foot for my uncle on my mom side.. he gave it to me to bring to him at the time he was in Milwaukee so by the time I got home to Milwaukee he was back in the Rez so the next week I drove back up to the Rez to hand it to him which was only about 15 miles from my cousin to only realize this thing traveled about 350 miles for no reason for him to tell me it was a gift to me.. funny story.
I was at the Madison spring powwow and an elder recognized this bustle and asked if it was Menominee and I said yes and he said was it red? And I said yes I only changed the colors to match my clan which is bear (Awohsëah) in my language.. he told me he remembers that bustle along time ago back in the 70s and 80s and it was an old bustle back then.. I'm going to donate it to the Menominee culture museum cause it's been passed from Menominee to Menominee through it's whole life.
Carol Rode-Curley
Resting Raven
Pastel
Carol Rode-Curley is a Milwaukee based artist. Without forethought she's inspired late at night by music, sips of beer and a lot of heart. She creates with pastel, occasional splatters of paint, and subtle applications of random items. Carol's personality and artwork intermingle as twin masks of humor and darkness. With speed of execution, she looks to find the mystery of corvid presence and fleeting shows of human emotion.
Dolores Schaefer
Skull
Photography on Canvas
11” x 14”
I have desire to express the natural world in some sort of creative way. I dabbled through various mediums with photography always being near and dear. I wonder and observe the natural world which gives my spirit time to recharge. Reminds me of this whole process of life being so much bigger than me. Troubles fall away and gives the opportunity to just be. Whatever your desire, may nature inspire your own dreams and visions.
Dolores Schaefer
Buffalo
Photography on Canvas
7” x 7”
Dolores Schaefer
Horse
Photography on Canvas
7” x 7”
Eric Von Munz
Audio Dissent Poster
Screen Print
Heather C. Brown
Llama Love
Paper, Stickers, Embellishments, Mod Podge
This funky box is my homage to llamas. It is different than my usual embellished boxes because I wanted to include every llama sticker I owned.
Heather C. Brown is an artist who decorates boxes. She started her decorative box making in 2021. She loves the concept of designing empty, ornamented boxes that the customer can fill with whatever they desire. She started with cigar boxes but has branched out into boxes of all shapes and sizes. She gets lost in the creative process of picking out the right paper, the adornments, and bling to make the box pleasing to the eye. She enjoys every part of decorating from measuring the paper to designing the final box concept. Her special joy is boxes that she personalizes with the customer’s requested names, quotes, and
embellishments.
Heather C. Brown
Nuzzling Giraffes
Paper, Stickers, Embellishments, Mod Podge
The giraffes were so appealing with their long necks and soulful eyes. I love the focal point of the two nuzzling giraffes, which I accented with a heart.
Heather C. Brown
Proud Polar Bear
Paper, Embellishments, Mod Podge
My tribute to polar bears is represented by the proud polar bear on the front of the box. The night sky behind him sparkles with glittering stars. Sadly, polar bears could become extinct if global warming continues.
Isaiah Malnory-Brown
Where the Hummingbirds Fly
Digital illustration on cardstock
At a time when I longed for the unrequited romance of a close friend, the free-spirited hummingbird came to mind. Near enough to admire, yet unable to hold close. Still, through the art of letting go in time I felt reborn. Much like a maple tree shedding its leaves in fall to regrow in spring.
Isaiah Malnory-Brown (aka: Isaiah M. Brown) is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based visual artist and singer-songwriter with vocals nested somewhere between pop, 90s R&B, and jazz; with a pinch of folk. His visual art style focuses on the tactile nature of textured mediums with a preference for soothing earth tones or pleasant pastels. Coming from an eclectic upbringing of both visual and musical artists, he was constantly immersed in creativity. His mixed ethnic background of Irish, Polish, and African American roots also leads to his blend of cultural expressions and visual elements.
Isaiah Malnory-Brown
Rose Colored Point of View
Digital illustration on cardstock
While reflecting on the darker aspects of love, lust, and romance in my life, images of snakes and roses with thorns became a common theme. The enticing allure of a toxic relationship often leads to nothing more than a scarred soul and deep regret. So, what makes it appealing and what draws us back for more?
Isaiah Malnory-Brown
Golden with You Gone
Digital illustration on cardstock
After a breakup from what felt like a one-sided relationship, I was lost and confused in a dark depression. With so many unanswered questions, I started to blame myself, until I realized that, like a firefly, I could light my own way out of the void. Emerging from my silk cocoon like a moth reborn, I felt empowered by a new sense of self-worth.
Jason Blenkinsop
Dragon Demon
Metal Sculpture
Located in Milwaukee, WI Jason has been on the art scene since a young age. It started with drawing, painting and graffiti. He began welding after high school and started creating sculptures at the age of 18. Being the art enthusiast, he has created textile artistry, wood working, carving, stained glass, metal and blacksmithing. Jason lost the majority of his vision in a motorcycle accident in 2004, leaving him legally blind. He didn't let that stop him from doing what he loves. He now creates one of a kind sculptures, from any metal he can get his hands on.
Jason Blenkinsop
Raven Clawing Ball
Metal Sculpture
Jay Arpin
Eyepennies
Linocut print in Masa Paper
I am a 1994 graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee with a BFA in printmaking. I live in Wauwatosa, WI and work from my home studio, specializing in relief printmaking. My recent work
has been exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and more. My current body of work examines the erosion of civility in contemporary worlds, represented by elements of nature. My Piece Eyepennies looks at the effect of climate change in the Great Lakes. According to legend, coins were placed on the eyes of the deceased as a payment to ferry the dead into the Underworld. This practice brought peace to ancient people, ensuring their family members made it safely into the afterlife. I hope this fish and other species who are victims of climate change travel safely into the afterlife.
Joe Zoltak
Snow Owl
Oil on Canvas
Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated and inspired by birds. Their colorful plumage and curves of their beaks inspire my choice of color and style of painting as I work to incorporate movement into my art.
Joe Zoltak
Bird Flowers
Oil on Canvas
Joe Zoltak
Great Blue Heron
Oil on Canvas
John Kowalczyk
All Seeing Aries #1
Acrylic on MDF
John Kowalczyk describes his art as "shrine-like, shiny, symmetrical, and seductive figurations that become maps of my mind combining myth, math, and magic." His work consists of mixed media paintings, murals, sculptures, and larger than life installations that incorporate vintage fabrics, string, ribbon, repurposed drawings, glitter and gold. The collaged elements of his artwork become more than the sum of their parts exhibiting a spiritual nature.
Born in Chicago in 1988, John Kowalczyk currently lives and works in Milwaukee, WI as an artist who utilizes art as a vehicle towards a more equitable society. He received his BFA in painting from Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 2010, and began a three year residency with RedLine Milwaukee soon after, where he curated gallery exhibitions and developed a passion for community art. Since 2017, Kowalczyk has served as the Creative Collaboration Director with the non-profit organization Artists Working in Education where he oversees large scale community art projects working with artists, community stakeholders, and youth in Milwaukee. Kowalczyk founded the company Brick and Beauty in 2019 which produces custom visual art experiences and mural work. Kowalczyk’s work has been exhibited at the Sienna Art Institute in Italy, The Charles Allis Art Museum, The Museum of Wisconsin Art, Cedarburg Cultural Center, John Michael Kohler Art Center, and D.Varelli Gallery in Chicago along with other galleries across the U.S. Kowalczyk is represented by Scout Gallery in Milwaukee, WI.
John Kowalczyk
All Seeing Aries #2
Acrylic on MDF
John Kowalczyk
Sky Messenger Spring Muse
Mixed media sculpture
John-Mark Klapperich
Feenix
Sculpture
What preceeds the Leading Edge? The Bleeding Edge.
That which fiercely and courageously plows its way through all obstacles. Whether it be cultural conditioning of centuries-held outdated beliefs. Or just casually existing in the current moment, your current element. Decomposition leads to new birth. It is a fascinating area to embrace the decay. The corpse of the seagull, with its stomach full of horrifying and beautiful plastic parts. The new life as this creature now evolves. Embracing the current pollution of body and mind, but not fearing this resurrection into an even more complex and interesting creature, yet somehow simplified in the process.
It is us Creatures that fascinate me. How resilient, How beautiful. Yet how seemingly unaware of our current function, our true "function".
Swimming in schools, flying in formations, always searching, always chugging forward. To where? to what? Perhaps many thousands of years ago we were smarter than we think we are now. Fascinating patinas and erosions that mar and blur our history, and our future.
With Bleeding edges, With a sense of humor and wonderment, I discover creatures in these found elements. Creatures that exist alongside of us, and remind us that we are temporal, resourceful, creative, beautiful, sometimes razor sharp, and sometimes playful. Or these are just decorations for your lake house
-John-Mark
John-Mark Klapperich
La Fluer
Sculpture
John-Mark Klapperich
Patina Sprockets
Sculpture
Kevin Lynch
Ishmael Intuits the End from the Crow’s Nest
Pastel and pen ink
Since receiving my BFA from UW Milwaukee, I have been a practicing artist, although I chose a career in arts journalism. That choice reflects my lifelong commitment to the arts, a cultivation wholly at one with my artwork, as complex as those inter-weaving strands may be. In my early years, my primary medium was sculpture, but I have always enjoyed working in two dimensions, such as the pastel on display here. My graduate formal education included a Masters in English and a partial completion of an English PhD, which helps to explain my subject matter, the challenging but profoundly engaging novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.
Although I have worked in the abstract quite a bit, I am a storyteller as well, so the piece on display correlates to a specific chapter near the end of Melville's novel, "The Chase – The First Day.” This is when the crew of the whaleship The Pequod finally meets The White Whale face-to-face, in effect, as depicted here. The artwork title “Ishmael intuits the End from the Crow’s Nest,” points the viewer to the far background where, high atop the ship, Ishmael, the narrator, a common seaman, can see and intuit the fate of his fellows, unfolding before him. That is, the three-day-long chase to doom for the whole crew, except for Ishmael who survives to tell the epic tale. The work strives to illuminate the troubling complexity of humanity’s historical and current relationship to intelligent, magnificent creatures of the high seas.
The lightning specifically alludes to previous chapters regarding sailing through storms and the extraordinary one titled “The Corpusants,”so the pastel is a bit of a layering of story segments. The specific detail of the seabird alighting upon a broken harpoon stuck in the whale’s hide references a particular scene in that first “Chase” chapter, which I would happily share or read an excerpt to anyone interested. No novel or work of art has affected me more deeply than Moby-Dick. The book has provided motives for various pastels in recent years. I hope to possibly mount a one-person art exhibit of this work concurrent to publishing a novel I am writing about Herman Melville.
Leah Jurgens
Metamorphosis (print)
Posco Paint Pen
Leah is a self-proclaimed Artist who sees a kaleidoscope of beauty in her surroundings. She is a delicate balance between dark and light. Her work has been described as mystical, surrealist and perplexing. She is very much attuned to even the slightest detail, making each piece she creates, intriguing and rich with depth. Her drawings have been assimilated to the likes of Dali, O’Keefe and Picasso. She also has an affinity for birds and many of her 3-Dimensional creations are adorned with feathers.
Leah Jurgens
Divine Nectar (print)
Posco Paint Pen
Leah Jurgens 12x18” matted print
(flip-thru bin - in gallery only)
Posco Paint Pen
Lenore Rinder
Cocoons
Acrylic painting
I received an MFA in Film and Painting from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. As a student, I entered film festivals and won numerous international awards for animation, including: Best Short film (merit and lab) awards at the Athens, Ohio International Animation festival and honorable mention in the Zagreb
International Film Festival for a sand animation. A stop motion film,“Cannibal Soup” was screened at the Fourth Experimental Film Festival In Tokyo, Japan, and at the Sinking Creek film festival, Tennessee. Grants include a “Film in the Cities” Minnesota, Jerome Foundation film grant, for a short animation, and an Arts
Midwest Grant through Jobs with Peace, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a recipient of Wisconsin’s Mary Nohl Suitcase Travel grant in March of 2019, I was honored to be part of a panel discussion after screening my video, People of the Wild Tiger, at the IIWC (Indian Institute of World Culture) in Bangalore India.
During the last three years of the Covid pandemic isolation, I have been producing short videos and working on new acrylic and oil paintings.
If I am not painting from a sketch, my typical modus operandi for painting is to dive into a canvas with marks, drips and splashes of paint, often rotating the canvas. When shapes and forms emerge, I begin to create backgrounds and further embellish unplanned, landscapes of flora and fauna.
Within my canvases, a world of eccentric creatures populate an imagined Eden. But sometimes, these chimeric figures seek out their own adventures, including forbidden, more menacing corners.
Lenore Rinder
Peacock Eyed Tiger
Acrylic Painting
Mary Lee Agnew
Shelter From The Storm
Photography
I have loved nature and wildlife as far back as I can remember. I have been a lifelong sufferer of anxiety and being out among wildlife brings me incredible peace. Animals and birds resonate deep in my soul. Animals are a link to the mystery and sacredness of life. We are constantly distracted, animals are constantly aware and live in the present moment. I learn from animals and birds everyday, their wisdom is like a magical portal. Spending time with them brings moments of transcendent awareness of the world around me. And we don't need to travel far, animals and birds are all around us. They are our neighbors even in the heart of the city.
Mary Lee Agnew
Sweet Pea
Photography
Mary Lee Agnew
Wood Duck
Photography
Maureen Megan Kane
Momma Owl Preening
Acrylic on card
Maureen Megan Kane (of MMK Design) operates her 25 year-old graphic design business by day and "moonlights" as an artist when she gets the time.
As an artist, Maureen enjoys working in a variety of media; painting, collage and assemblages. Last year she ended her 10 years of maintaining a daily drawing journal. This year she has committed to a weekly practice of painting her recent obsession with Great Horned Owl sightings.
She is a lifetime member of the Riverwest Artists Association, has mentored through the Milwaukee Artist
Resource Network (MARN), and teaches at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. Maureen’s creative influences are Sister Corita Kent, Jim Dine, Georgia O’Keefe and calls herself a student of Fred Bell.
A resident of Milwaukee for over 30 years, she has participated in art exhibitions, public installations, artist-in-residency programs and has donated to many charity art auctions.
Maureen Megan Kane
The First Owl
Mixed media on board
Michael Lutz
Fish #2 2022
Wood, aluminum, copper, steel, ink
I guess I’ve been a professional artist for over 40 years, since I sold two drawings to an MFA Sculpture student for a roll of paper when I was a kid. I have a BS in Art from UW-La Crosse and an MS in Community Counseling from UW-Milwaukee.
My art is primarily sculptural. Even in making utilitarian objects or paintings, I think of the work as sculpture. Wood and steel are the main materials in most of my work, but it can include virtually anything.
Time, place, culture, nature, and beauty are themes my work explores. The current series of work I’m making is inspired by the following quote from the Malian blacksmith, Sedu Traore, “The Komo mask is made to look like an animal, but it’s not an animal, it is a secret.”
Michael Lutz
Fish #3 2022
Wood, aluminum, copper, steel, ink
Nova Czarnecki
“Return to Me”, 2022
Oil paint
48” x 60”
The primary theme of my work is portraying the beauty and complexity of what it means to live and carry a life. Using figures made up of, surrounded by, and woven into elements of nature, I try to convey our connectedness to the whole while highlighting the preciousness of those elements and the soul portrayed despite their tendency to be overlooked. A flower, a bird, an apple, a frog – all miracles in their own right –
intermingled with a stinging jellyfish, slithering snake, stalking wolf, or branches bare, representing the pain and inherent dark side to this world and how we navigate that confusing dichotomy on the emotional level.
This brings in another consistent theme to my work: nature versus nurture, exploring how our relationships and environment influence who we are for better or for worse, and how a soul shines through in some areas but is veiled in others due to the inescapable element of pain or trauma that comes with being alive. And yet it is through acknowledging the simple bird as sublime, acknowledging a soul for the immense worth it carries, that we come back to understanding our true nature, what constitutes real beauty,
and what it is that really matters.
Finally, my work also represents through these same means the treasure and abundance we carry in our own hands that is nature. There is no greater treasure, not only in that respecting and caring for nature gives us a place to live and is a true inheritance for next generations, but that it is through nature that we remember who we are, where we came from, and connect with an indescribable sense of meaning behind it all.
Sharon Mergener
Buzzin’ & Hummin’ Jam Session
Encaustic medium + mixed media on natural wood
For almost my entire life, I have had a constant need to create. Intuitively creating is natural and motivates most of my art. My process has evolved as a mixed media artist, and I often feel more like a scientist. However, mixed media is a term I used for both my visual art and all of the arts influencing my creativity. Having been involved with music, theater, and Comedysportz, visual art is my main creative outlet but not my only. My art involves different materials and experiments. Some among them are other paints, cold wax (beeswax), and encaustics (beeswax + damar resin), found objects, and "mystery media," and of course, fire by torch or heat gun.
The content changes as much as the process - and thankful that creative shifts naturally happen with me, as I believe them to be healthy and crucial no matter what the medium. Despite its origin, solving visual problems is exciting and allows me to experiment with an intentionally open plan. The connection between my art and someone else out in the world resonating with it is an incredible gift. My inspirations evolve as I learn and grow but have consistently been inspired by and in no particular ranking or order... nature, textures, travel, humor, music, subcultures, conversations, dreams, color, curiosities, books
Sharon Mergener
Honeybee
Encaustic medium on 4 x 4 panel
Sharon Mergener
Hummingbird
Encaustic medium on 4 x 4
Panel
Willie Lee Ikerd
Ego the Owl
Comic Strip