Sixty-seven artists in our 25th Anniversary exhibition!

The Tory Folliard Gallery is celebrating it’s 25th year this year and will be featuring a special exhibition beginning on the April 19th and 20th Gallery Night and Day. 

Tory Folliard Gallery is a genuine Milwaukee success story and a crown jewel in our local art world. Tory began her career as a volunteer docent at the Milwaukee Art Museum and as a board member for Friends of Art. Fueled by these experiences and driven by her love of art and passion about artists and the creative process, Tory Folliard opened her first gallery in 1988. Today it is, arguably, the premier art gallery in Wisconsin and is a mandatory stop for all serious art lovers.

Focusing on regional contemporary art she represents the best painters and sculptures in the Midwest. These include Tom Uttech, Elizabeth Shreve, Gladys Nilsson, John Wilde, Jason Rohlf, and Mark Horton to name just a few. Tory has great instincts in her selections and always finds a balance between work that is traditional and poetic to work that is more challenging in its content. What holds it all together is the outstanding quality. She finds artists that are distinctive and unique but never superficial. Even when pieces are decorative, I have found an underlying integrity that belies an emotional connection as the source for the artists inspiration. The discriminating eye is an essential talent for an art dealer and it’s clear that Tory Folliard has it in abundance. We are all richer for it.

This anniversary show will be a group show featuring many of her artists, displaying their current work. Fortunately for us, the artists will be on hand for Gallery Night. A rare and welcome chance to meet and discuss the methods and motivations of these creative and talented people. We should all celebrate with Tory on this important milestone by turning out and seeing the exhibit. It would be a little community payback for a job well done as we wish her many more years in business.

Tom Hoffman

Gallery Night and Day

April 19, 2013

The post Tom Hoffman: 25th Anniversary Exhibition appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

The Big Picture:  through July 17

Kathy Hofmann, OAK TREE, acrylic on panel 15×17 inches

The Big Picture proves ‘big’ isn’t just about size. Artists Dave Niec, Kathy Hofmann, and Vicki Reed are masters of creating grand images. Though smaller in scale, their art will pull you into sweeping landscapes, wide open skies and expansive environs that extend far past the frames in which they are hung.

The post MOWA on the Lake: Kathy Hofmann in The Big Picture Exhibition appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

April 6 – July 28, 2013

Visit the reinvented and newly opened Museum of Wisconsin Art!

Here is MOWA’s description of this important glass show featuring some unique Wisconsin artists:

This exhibition will shatter any preconceptions you might have had about glass and will make you think about glass in a new, fresh light while marveling at what masters of their medium can do. Antifragile will demonstrate that the studio glass movement is alive and well in Wisconsin and that the selected artists, many of whom have national and international reputations, are producing work with remarkable confidence, originality and panache.

Stephanie Trenchard, CONDENSATION OF SENSATION, Cast Glass with Painted Inclusions, 23″ x 14.5″ x 4.5″

Studio glass, compared to other art forms such as painting and sculpture, is relatively speaking, still in its infancy having only begun in Madison in the early 1960s. What is remarkable is that over the subsequent 50 years it has reached a level of sophistication and maturity beyond anyone’s imagination. Instead of factory-produced decorative and functional glassware being the norm, artists became designer/makers, enhancing their skills to the point where glass is almost used as a canvas to convey meaning, message and inspiration. Stellar examples of this are in this exhibition, together with others who have taken the possibilities of glass further, creating conceptual pieces that address such subjects as genetically modified foods, climate change, mortality inherited from the 17^th century tradition of still-life paintings, and light being the source of creation and discovery.

That Wisconsin has remained a tremendously strong state for studio glass production is evident by the geographic diversity of the featured artists: Stephan Cox (River Falls), James and Renee Engebretson (Hudson), Steve Feren (Fitchburg), Audrey Handler (Verona), Wes Hunting (Princeton), Lisa Koch (Madison), Beth Lipman (Sheboygan Falls), Thomas and Rebecca Maras (Hudson), Mick Meilahn (Pickett), Karen Naylor (Wilmot),  Nolan Prohaska (New Richmond), Chuck Savoie (Ripon), Douglas and Renee Sigwarth (River Falls), and Stephanie Trenchard and Jeremy Popelka (Sturgeon Bay).

Jeremy Popelka, LEDGE, Sand Cast Glass, 30x22x5 inches

While working in the same medium, these artists (who are all formally trained), consciously or subconsciously maintain what can be regarded as a Wisconsin tradition: a legacy of self-taught artists who cherish their independence and eschew trends and fads. Another unifying factor is that their diverse and predominantly rural locations offer something that is extremely beneficial: quality of life and ease of production. In short, they can afford to run independent studio facilities that might be prohibitive in larger urban areas. Additionally, their relative isolation means less distraction, leading to another standout feature: the uniqueness of each artist’s work and development of styles that are instantly recognizable.

The post MOWA: Jeremy Popelka and Stephanie Trenchard in Glass Exhibit appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

Celebrating a longstanding Milwaukee art tradition, Tory Folliard Gallery opens their “25^th Anniversary Exhibition” on Spring Gallery Night and Day, April 19 and 20, and be sure to celebrate with them and all the artists they’ve exhibited over the years.

Sixty seven national artists represented by Folliard in the past quarter century will be on displayfrom Eric Aho to Betsy Younquistto present an extraordinary sampling of artwork to the Milwaukee art community. The gallery will mount more than 100 pieces, all completely new and freshly finished, images or sculptures created especially for this exhibition.

Speaking to Folliard in her gallery about this milestone in her career, Folliard recalls when she met many of these artists, primarily painters and sculptors. Folliard  explains with a catch in her voice, how this event touches her emotions, and says, “The exhibition brings back all these great memories of people I worked with, some of the first artists I knew, Chris Berti, Ed Larson, Dennis Nechvatal and Tom Uttech. They call and we talk, and remember those special times.”

For an exclusive list of all the participating artists, which includes Wisconsin’s Sofia Arnold, Craig Blietz, the late Marion Coffey, Patrick Farrell, Cathy Martin, Anne Miotke, Bill Ried, Jeffrey Ripple, Fred Stonehouse, Jan Serr and Richard Taylor, visit the gallery’s web site, www.toryfolliardgallery.com.

The post Celebrating An Art Tradition – by Peggy Sue Dunigan, Shepherd Express appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

Nature paintings by Elizabeth Edwards will be part of the 25th anniversary show at the Tory Folliard Gallery

The post 25th Anniversary Exhibition in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

25th Anniversary Exhibit by Mary Louise Schumacher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Tory Folliard Gallery, 233 N. Milwaukee St.

With names like Uttech, Stonehouse and Solien in its stable of artists, the Tory Folliard Gallery is doing something right. Some of the very brightest artistic lights in the state and beyond are represented by the gallery, probably the city’s most shrewd commercial gallery and one of the best for contemporary painting.

To celebrate 25 years in business, the gallery will showcase more than 60 artists who have kept the quality of art on the walls consistently high, artists like Tom Uttech, Fred Stonehouse, T.L. Solien, Mark Mulhern, Charles Munch, Jason Rohlf, Sofia Arnold, Mark Brautigam, Clare Malloy and Flora Langlois. Many of the artists will be present Friday night, making the reception the greatest concentration of creative minds for the night, to be sure. Many have created new work especially for the show. The gallery will be open 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 19th  and 11 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Click HERE to see the entire article in the Milwaukee  Journal Sentinel.

The post Milwaukee Journal Sentinel features 25th Anniversary Exhibition appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

By Peggy Sue

With Print: MKE 2013 coming to Milwaukee this week, numerous local galleries bring exceptional print shows to the city.  At Tory Folliard Gallery, the exhibition “Contemporary Prints” features a wide variety of print images that illustrate the diversity of print processes, each one seen through the eyes and completed with the hands (because printmaking is a dedicated hands on process) of eight well known artists.

Folliard will also exhibit a special window installationa “see through print” on vinyl by Indiana artist Mary Jones. Since the gallery window consists of 12 glass panes, Jones will install 12 see through prints incorporating her original artwork with the title Street Seen. Jones incorporates her witty personal iconography into her artwork, also displayed in her five gallery prints, two titled If You Would and Minor Turbulence, where Jones uses intaglio, letterpress and screen print processes. The window installation will be a one of kind, be sure to see art display.

Milwaukee artist Mark Mulhern presents examples of monoprints, where the artist paints on glass and then prints the piece with a specialized press. Each print is one of a kind and typically, as the name implies, only one print comes from this process, although occasionally another can be obtained, with less detail.

Fred Stonehouse brings his primal portraits and visions to Folliard Gallery in his expressions through aquatint, etching and lithography, where there are added touches of color. The impressive late John Wilde, a master printmaker, shows one of several versions of The Kiss, and his image Three Trees, provides another glimpse of etchings and colored prints. And a continual favorite of Wisconsin art fans, Tom Uttech features several limited edition prints of his magical woodlands in Folliard’s contemporary exhibition.

Modernist T.L. Solien combines several print process in one image; collage, intaglio and woodcut, which he then hand colors to reflect his very distinctive brightly hued perspective to the printmaking technique, many filled with stylized elements. And while recognized for his sculptural paintings, Dennis Nechvatal again uses woodcuts in his floral prints, blooming with color, while Derrick Buisch applies oil paint after he silkscreens on canvas.

These exciting and prodigious examples of print processes also represent diverse variety in subject material and creative style, a great exhibition for learning and studying the medium that presents a microcosm of the contemporary printmaker.

The post Reivew of “Contemporary Prints” by Shepherd Express appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

This is a fine example of an established artist mentoring a younger generation.  Gallery 224 is a non-profit organization committed to providing a venue for thinking about art.

The post Portraits at Gallery 224, Port Washington appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

“Yard:  The Art of Craig Blietz, now through Friday, March 29

From St. Norbert College, February 15, 2013
by Stefanie Trinkl, stefanie.trinkl@snc.edu, 920-403-3089
St. Norbert College art department is hosting an exhibit by Craig Blietz through Friday, March 29, in the Baer Gallery of the college’s Bush Art Center.

“Yard: The Art of Craig Blietz” focuses on the rural environment of Wisconsin, its iconic farm animals and what they suggest about the landscape, their caregivers and human sustenance.

Blietz received his bachelor’s from the University of Denver and continued his studies in art centers in Europe and the United States. He has exhibited his work in numerous museum exhibitions and won the Director’s Choice Award for his painting “Pastoral Dreaming” in 2010.

The exhibit is free and the gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, contact St. Norbert’s art curator, Shan Bryan-Hanson, at 920-403-3072, or e-mail shan.bryan-hanson@snc.edu.

Craig Blietz “Yard” Catalog

A catalog of the exhibition is available.  Please contact the gallery at info@toryfolliard.com for more information.

The post St. Norbert College Hosts “Yard: The Art Of Craig Blietz” appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.

Five artists on the rise in the Cream City

BY TORY FOLLIARD WITH CHRISTINE ANDERSON
PORTRAITS BY DAN BISHOP

Milwaukee’s Third Ward has been named one of America’s Top Twelve ArtPlaces 2013, which recognizes neighborhoods in the largest 44 metropolitan areas in the country where the arts are central to the social and economic vibrancy of a neighborhood.

Even with a flourishing art scene and a wealth of talented artists ­ ­­— in the Third Ward and beyond —  many artists still remain unknown to most Milwaukeeans. Here are five artists to watch chosen by Milwaukee art curators.

William Carpenter, Milwaukee
Banal Satire Paintings
williamecarpenter.blogspot.com

Curator: Emilia Layden, associate curator, Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University

“Carpenter repurposes common materials to create ‘paintings’ that question the act of perception and explore the limits of traditional pictorial illusionism. He often depicts flat, unpeopled domestic spaces in which he conflates images, or representations of the interior, with the objects and materials utilized to construct those images.”

Back Story: A native of Moline, Ill., Carpenter moved to Milwaukee to attend the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Obsessed with images and cinema, he makes objects/images with the intent of one day having them become a noteworthy part of the mass image bank. The recent MIAD grad will exhibit new work in “Current Tendencies III” at the Haggerty Museum of Art this fall.

“I strive to make my work sit somewhere between the formal aesthetics of minimalism and the honest approachability of representational painting. I want the composition of my work to be as boring as the depicted situation.”
— William Carpenter

Nathaniel Stern, Milwaukee
Interactive, Installation and Video Art
nathanielstern.com

Curator: Graeme Reid, assistant director of the Museum of Wisconsin Art

“Stern is one of the most creative, articulate, imaginative artists in the state and, frankly, the country. He should be an international art star. Actually, he is! I can’t think of too many other artists in the state who are building a similar resumé.”

Back Story: The former New Yorker has an impressive resumé of exhibitions and awards from all over the world. (He recently exhibited in January in Johannesburg, South Africa.)

Stern’s interactive art often centers on bodily performances. In his current “Compression” series of prints he straps a laptop and desktop scanner to his body and performs “images into existence.”

Moving his body while he scans the landscape around him, Stern creates images that are later made into prints. He is an associate professor of art and design at the Peck School of the Arts at UW-Milwaukee. His work is on exhibit locally at Lynden Sculpture Garden in a collaborative piece with Jessica Meuninck-Ganger.

“I believe that art can change what we see and do, and are.”
— Nathaniel Stern

Shelia Held, Wauwatosa
Contemporary Tapestry
sheilaheldtapestries.com

Curator: Polly Morris, executive director of the Lynden Sculpture Garden and Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s coordinator of the Mary L. Nohl Fund

“Sheila Held has taken a traditional form, and upended it to create images that reflect a visually compelling personal cosmology that is at once novel and powerful.”

Back Story: Spending time in India has had a profound influence on Held’s life and her art. She works in a craft that dates to the ancient Greeks, though she has had no formal training as an artist. In her tapestry she strives for a synthesis between comparative religions, especially their mythology, and contemporary quantum mechanics theory. She has exhibited her award-winning tapestries nationally since the 1980s; her current work will be featured at the Lynden Sculpture Garden in April.

“Tapestry builds an image from scratch, which is an excellent metaphor for self-created life.”
— Sheila Held

Brook Slane,  Bay View
Magic Realism
toryfolliard.com/artists/brook-slane/

Curator: Tory Folliard, Tory Folliard Gallery

“Slane takes the viewer to a magical place. His beautiful little works are painted on found panels, each telling an enchanting story. A painter of storybook images that evoke childhood memories, Slane loves painting birds because he secretly wishes he could fly.

Back Story: The Wisconsin native and MIAD grad cultivated an interest in drawing as a child. He poured over art history books his mother had given him, particularly drawn to paintings by Joan Miro, Dali, Cézanne and Picasso. He is currently illustrating, “Thunder Underground,” a book of poetry by Jane Yolen.

“My current body of work is a testament to the impact of books like ‘Dr. Seuss’ and ‘The Little Prince.’ I strive to create intimate, personal pictorial narratives within small-scale paintings and monotypes.”
— Brook Slane

Keith Nelson, Bay View
Minimal Art
keithcnelson.com

Curator: Mel Buchanan, assistant curator 20th Century Design, Milwaukee Art Museum

“I find Keith’s ‘Shelving’ series elegant — it’s a study of color and texture while still being minimalist.”

Back Story: Nelson was pegged as the “art kid” because he was always drawing. He is a graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and a full-time preparator at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Nelson is the founder of 7th Floor Studios, which provides affordable work space to artists in a Bay View warehouse.

“By presenting ordinary found materials as paintings, I explore and question the distinctions made between common objects and art objects.  Beauty is subjective and dependent on context.” —  Keith Nelson

The post M Magazine – Five Milwaukee Artists appeared first on Tory Folliard Gallery.