Artists at the Next Show

Gnoap Gallery celebrates our 3rd anniversary as part of Milwaukee's Gallery Night and Day with our summer show titled "Breeze." Gnoap Gallery continues in partnership with Broadway Bakery & Cafe, 241 N. Broadway (map), in the heart of the Historic Third Ward’s gallery district. Eleven local artists will be on hand to show and talk about their work when Gnoap Gallery opens to the public on Friday, July 25th, 5-10:30 pm, and again Saturday, July 26th, 11 am to 3 pm.

While Broadway Bakery & Cafe will be filled with beautiful photography, jewelry, paintings, and other inspired works of art, Broadway Bakery & Cafe will tempt you with delicious treats. And DJ A, Gnoap Gallery’s house DJ, will be on hand to do some blending and mixing of his own.

thINK conscious apparel

thINK conscious apparel: Apparel

Although Kevin Ristow, with his business partner and wife Deneen Winchester-Ristow, only introduced their line of uniquely designed, screen-printed artwear under the name "thINK conscious apparel" (a division of INK Designs) earlier this year, they're already gaining attention, including a feature in onmilwaukee.com (see article.)

The purpose of thINK is to promote awareness of social and environmental issues through a thought provoking line of art-focused, original, ethical and fashion-aware apparel; with designs focusing on nature, peace and the environment. Kevin and Deneen work side-by-side to create original designs and use fabric as their canvas. All garments are thoughtfully selected from sustainable resources and are individually hand printed using earth-friendly practices.

In addition to their appearances at Gnoap, their work is available at local area boutiques, including Oniomania, and on their web site, www.think-apparel.com.

Greg J. Schoeneck: Oil Paintings

Gnoap is pleased to welcome back Greg J. Schoeneck for his second show with us. "My work is an expression of what can not necessarily be seen but only felt," Greg states. "My work is an extension of the German Expressionist Theory that is if you are forced to paint a person or object without relying on how it looks, to represent it, all that is left is how it feels and the spiritual or emotional impression it leaves with the artist. Keeping this in mind, my work is an attempt to represent people in states of heightened emotions." More about Greg and his work is available at www.gregschoeneck.com.

Jeff Main

Jeff Main: Photography

Jeff presents Milwaukee buildings and landmarks in color and black and white. In Jeff's own words, "The city of Milwaukee provides many examples of beautiful architecture for photographic study. My photographs are influenced by the work of Berenice Abbott, who photographed New York City in the first half of the 20th century."

Jeff's own interest in photography started while taking photographs of buildings in Milwaukee in 2002 as historical documents. "As my ability to 'see' photographically has developed," he explains, "my photographs have become more than mere documents and have become a means of artistic expression."

Jeff works in traditional film as well as digital media using 35 mm, 6x7 cm film and the Nikon D70 digital SLR. You can see more of Jeff's work at www.photo709.com.

Oniomania

Oniomania: Jewelry

A perennial favorite with Gnoap, Andrea Kopan returns to present the collection of sterling silver jewelry she creates with her partner, Dale Dehmlow.

The partners' work is regularly on display at Oniomania, their West Allis boutique. "Oniomania is the irresistible urge to buy things," Andrea explains. "I can satisfy my own shopping addiction by selecting items for the store-and maybe help some people take care of theirs as well." In addition to their jewelry, Oniomania features a range of handcrafted gift items, including purses, mosaics, wearable accessories, and two-dimensional artwork. The store was named "Best Gift Shop" on the local ABC television station's "A-List," a compilation of local area favorite places to shop and dine.

Andrea and Dale's own sense of oniomania is also demonstrated in their jewelry creations, which feature a wide variety of semi-precious stones in designs that range from the simple to the ornate. "We really enjoy the process of selecting stones and other materials for our work," Andrea says. "And designing the rest of the piece around a selected object is such an exciting process."

In addition to participating in Gnoap Gallery, Dale and Andrea also exhibit their work at a variety of art shows and other venues throughout Milwaukee and Madison. You can see more of their work at www.oniomaniawi.com.

Judy Tolley

Judy Tolley: Mixed Media Collages

Another Gnoap Gallery favorite, Judy Tolley will be showing a number of new nostalgic pieces, ranging from the whimsical to the romantic.

Being self-taught, Judy creates from her imagination, and she enjoys hearing the audience's many different interpretations of her work. Judy says "I like having fun with art. I have no formal art training, so I don't have many rules to follow. I enjoy seeing people smile when looking at my work and hearing their varied interpretations."

Nick Wieczorkowski: Mixed Media Collages

During his first show at Gnoap, Nick created a spontaneous mixed media piece. In his shows with us since then, Nick's interest in materials and texture has never failed to surprise and intrigue our gallery-goers. Be sure to stop by and see what Nick has in store for our summer show.

Sunshine Design

Sunshine Design: Jewelry

Andrea Butler, also known as Sunshine, is the creative force behind Sunshine Design. The hallmark of Sunshine's jewelry designs is the interplay between different textures and the use of brilliant color. "Jewelry is something people should get pleasure from, so I really work at combining beads, shells, stones, and other materials in a way that's both interesting and appealing," she says.

Sunshine will present her collection of creations for necks, fingers, earlobes, and beyond. Sunshine has already built a strong following for her funky, fiery, handcrafted beaded jewelry through displays at the Fifth Ward's Lela Boutique and Moct Bar.

"I feel blessed that the public is so welcoming and into my creations," she says. Sunshine has been creating jewelry for over 20 years. "I most enjoy making earrings and necklaces because I put so much of myself into each piece, which are all one of a kind," she adds. "I hope that other people will enjoy the unique aspect of each piece."

In addition to showing her current work at Gnoap Gallery, Sunshine will be happy to talk with visitors about custom creations. "I'm designing jewelry for some women who will be getting married soon, and I am very excited about the prospect of being a part of their special day," she notes.

Mike Piotrowski

Mike Piotrowski: Photography

That spindly tree down on the corner. The wispy clouds in the sky. In today’s fast paced world, all too often, these things go unseen by most of us. But that is not true of Milwaukee area photographer Mike Piotrowski.

Mike discovers these unseen images first with his mind and eye, then he captures them with his camera in order to share his vision and allow us all to discover the true beauty and essence of our surroundings. Mike will be presenting local scenes that explore his vision and emotion of subjects we see, or don't see, every day. Explore both the simplicity and complexity that nature has to offer us within the color and black and white prints of photographer Mike Piotrowski.

Laura D'Agnolo

Laura D'Agnolo: Oil Paintings

Laura D'Agnolo will be exhibiting her oil paintings for our summer show. "For me, oil paintings have always been about depicting emotions and stories, focusing on a face or a look or a silhouette," Laura explains. "Recently, my focus has switched to looking at hands, a part that externally comes in contact directly with many things everyday."

Laura comes from an architecture background. She currently works part time at an architecture firm and at a downtown restaurant, "to give myself the flexibility to indulge in my painting."

Theresa Siudzinski: Mixed Media

Theresa returns to Gnoap with a mixed media focus. Theresa says, "For me, the most fascinating aspect of my work is how it reflects American society and culture. It’s interesting to watch people react to my work. At first glance, their eyes show shock, then curiosity. Eyebrows furrow, and then there’s a smirk, indicating comic relief."

Theresa created these pieces while studying at UW-Milwaukee, in Jewelry and Metalsmithing classes. She currently work as a pharmacy tech in a grocery store, but would rather be pursuing her passion full time. "I really enjoy playing with metal, and I love working with mixed media."

Theresa invites people to "identify with these pieces, and allow them to spark vivid reflections of our times." But regardless of how the public views her work, Theresa’s wish for each guest is to simply "think for yourself."

Bonnie DeSautelle: Jewelry

Bonnie will be displaying her collection of handmade jewelry. She looks forward to meeting the gallery-goers and discussing her work with them.

Music by DJ A

DJ A provides the sonic landscape for this and every Gallery Night show at Gnoap Gallery. As DJ A puts it, "this scene is huge, and just bursting with energy. And the music needs to reinforce that vibe."

For all of Gnoap Gallery’s shows, DJ A’s goal is to "provide a comfortable but energizing soundscape, both to complement the artists’ work, and to invite the public to linger and enjoy the evening."

He adds, "Music is what my life is about. It permeates every aspect of my life." This life-long love of music led him to take up DJing as a hobby in 1997. As DJ A puts it, "My music is my creative expression, so sharing it with people is a very personal and slightly dangerous act. But when I see a foot tapping or a head bobbing out there, I know I’ve connected. And that, to me, is thrilling, and deeply satisfying."