The work of local artist Gary Gurnee was featured at the Mielke Arts Center in Shawano on Oct. 26.
Called a “Sail-ebration,” the one-man show highlighted Gurnee’s fondness for using sailboats in his art, in addition to many other paintings with various themes.
His multimedia artistic creations will remain on display in the Mielke’s lobby until at least Christmas.
“Everything I have is a one-of-a-kind, because they are hand-painted,” Gurnee said about his works displayed at the show.
One of the paintings shown at “Sail-ebration” will be a permanent addition to the Mielke Center.
“I bought a picture of Gary’s for the arts center’s collection,” said Cheryl Folkerts, a member of the Shawano County Arts Council and the Box in the Wood Theatre Guild.
“When I was talking with Gary at the Art Fair in July, I asked him if he’d like to do a one-man show,” Folkerts said.
That became the “Sail-ebration.”
Gurnee, 80, will show more of his art at the annual Merry Mielke Art and Craft Fair, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 9.
“People will be shopping for Christmas,” Folkerts said, as she encouraged Gurnee to bring some of his smaller pieces to sell that day.
Folkerts and Gurnee discussed how it’s very hard for an artist to be self-supporting.
“Most of my life, this was a sideline,” Gurnee said.
“Most people have art as a hobby, unless you have a gallery here that you can always use,” Folkerts added. “We’ve talked about that. Shawano could support that now, with all of the businesses that could sponsor it and be a patron of the arts.”
Gurnee said a real estate agent approached him and said he had a space available that would be suitable for a gallery.
“I had to tell him that at my age, I don’t want to start something like that,” Gurnee said.
There are so many talented artists in the Shawano area who could benefit from this type of gallery, according to Gurnee.
“I would support one, throw in my two cents,” he added.
Liz Allie, one of Gurnee’s children, provided a biography of the artist, which was hung on the lobby wall along with the pieces he brought for the show. She created the tagline “Sail-ebration.”
His granddaughter, Morgan, also attended the show.
“She is into art and came with me to the Peace through Art sessions at Peace United Church of Christ when she was just 4,” Gurnee said.
The Peace Through Art sessions allowed artists to get together and discuss what they were doing. It was described as a place where peace of mind could be found through the creation of art.
Gurnee created and painted Plexiglas windows for the church that look just like stained glass.
Gurnee’s artistic career started in Appleton, where he grew up.
“Where I really got excited and started doing it was at Appleton West High School, where the art teacher was really into art,” Gurnee said.
He said that he enjoyed the teacher, who took students to Milwaukee to tour the Milwaukee Art Museum. The teacher encouraged him to apply to Milwaukee’s Layton School of Art. Gurnee said that he was among nine students out of about 300 who made it through the curriculum to graduate from Layton in 1968.
After earning a teaching certification, Gurnee taught K-12 art classes in the Freedom Area School District for four years. Following that, Gurnee moved to Florida.
“I lived in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area for four years. I ran a big art studio. It had 18 artists,” he said.
Gurnee became interested in painting sailboats when he was in Florida.
“My wife’s brother had a twin keel, so we could sail around, and we went to the islands around there,” Gurnee said. “That’s where I really got interested, after seeing all of the beautiful and different boats.”
One of the works at the show is called “4th of July.” Gurnee painted vibrant fireworks above a yacht basin filled with sailboats. At the show, he took time to talk with a young student from Shawano Community High School, Austin Stickney, about how he created the picture, which incorporated tissue paper into the work.
Stickney, a 15-year-old student with an artistic gift, met Gurnee for the first time at the show. He said he usually paints with acrylics, sometimes with oil.
“I learned to paint mostly from my grandparents, who taught me how to paint — and my aunt,” Stickney said.
Gurnee has lived in Shawano with his wife, Bonnie, for 50 years.
Gurnee sets sail with new art exhibit at Mielke
