Artist Honors: RedLine Milwaukee’s soirée honored the late Paul Mandracchia (1957-2014), a Milwaukee Ballet dancer as well as painter, gardener, writer and social activist. Following Executive Director Jeanne Jarecki’s welcomes, Gary Hollander discussed the amazing life of his husband and partner of 32 years.
Jarecki also introduced RedLine co-founders Lori Bauman and Steve Vande Zande, recent winners of the Milwaukee Arts Board Friends of Arts Award, as well as Doug McDonald, Katie Ryan and Tori Tasch, winners of RedLine’s latest jurors’ choice awards. Jarecki’s mom Gerre Jarecki got a nod for helping with the evening’s scrumptious buffet, Glorioso’s Italian Market for its donation of 12 pizzas and board fundraising chair Derek Yentz for helping to provide the red wine.
Attending was the show’s co-curator Rose Holloway, Linda Neff, Katie Heil, Jodi Peck, who commissioned a Mandracchia mural for her home, and Shelly Schnupp. Circulating were board members Ron Jacquart, Fran Serlin, Earl Buford and Wendy Carlson; Michael Lisowski, host of “The Queer Program” on MATA; Milwaukee Ballet dancer Timothy O’Donnell, fresh from his brilliant performance as a wicked stepsister in Cinderella; Fox Point Village Trustee candidate Jan Singer; photographer Jake Hill; and Robb Seftar of the historic Kolb Studios at the Grand Canyon.
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Art Thrills: The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) biennial Art Ball drew 400-plus attendees to the event honoring longtime supporters James and Karen Hyde. The party also celebrated the opening of the exhibition Wilde’s Wildes: A Very Private Collection, featuring surrealist John Wilde, courtesy of the Tory Folliard Gallery with Tory and her husband, Tom, on hand. Performance artist Brooke Thiele wowed art lovers with her stilt walking as a larger-than-life mythical creature, with her husband, Andy, as backup.
True to the surreal theme, event co-chairs Laura Emory donned an over-the-top Lisa Hatch hat adorned with butterflies, Laurie Kirsch was splendid in silver and Michelle Nast circulated in fanciful attire. Husbands John Emory Jr., Joel Kirsch and Mike Nast were black-tie spiffy. Milwaukee East Siders who party-bused it to West Bend, sporting René Magritte-style bowlers and the green apple inspired by the artist’s The Son of Man portrait, were Wendy and Peter Slocum, Rory and Chris Foley, Sarah and Vincent Vogelsang, and historian John Eastberg and Stacy Williams, whose spouses were out of town. Jan Serr and John Shannon wore mythical leather masques.
MOWA Executive Director Laurie Winters hosted, along with Director of Collections Graeme Reid in full Scottish regalia, Member Services Director Julia Gray, Director of Public Relations and Social Media Christina Wright and Special Events Manager Deb Schumacher, co-owner of The Gathering: Making It Special event planning company with her husband, David. Helping out was Betsy Corry, there with her husband, Dan.
Representing the Picks, founders of the original West Bend Gallery of Fine Arts, were Elly Pick with John Teevan, Andrea Sellinger and Prudence Pick Hway. Attending artists included Roy Staab, soon off to an exhibition in Poland, Mark Mulhern and his wife, Jill, Tom Uttech and his wife, Mary, plus reviewer Judith Ann Moriarty and Kyle James, a MIAD filmmaker whose film The Death Drive mesmerized viewers. After dinner and presentations in an adjacent tent, the crowd enjoyed more bubbly and dancing to Bobby Way and The Fabulous Wayouts.
Munch and Launch: Locavore at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino celebrated its second anniversary in conjunction with a launch party for Edible Milwaukee’s summer issue. Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jen Ede hosted, introducing Locavore Executive Chef Van Luu. A highlight of the scrumptious samplings was Luu’s gourmet fish fry with yellow perch provided by Growing Power. Among the foodies present were Justin Johnson, owner and president of Sustainable Kitchens; Martha Davis Kipcak, creator of Martha’s Pimento Cheese; Ashley Behnke of Wellspring Education Center & Organic Farm; NuGenesis Farm’s Francie Szostak; UW-Milwaukee’s Jordan Reichardt; Amilinda chef Gregory León; chef Thi Cao, hinting of his new Pewaukee restaurant; Judge Derek C. Mosley; and 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s Tarik Moody, along with Potawatomi’s Ryan Admunson and Corri Hess, celebrating her 30-something birthday that night.
Musical Harmony: Husband and wife Patty Stevenson and Craig Siemsen, with special guest musician Jerry Danks on the Dobro, celebrated their Milwaukee CD release of Paint Me a Picture to a crowd at the Village Church. Helping out were the couple’s artist daughter, Anna Siemsen, poet Bill Murtaugh and the Interchange Milwaukee food pantry director George Neureuther. Siemsen’s parents, Al and Betty Siemsen, and sister Erika Siemsen hosted the reception. Gordon Kirchoff videographed it all.
Brett Kemnitz and June Brus, heard on the CD, were there. Traveling the furthest were UW-Milwaukee students Lijia Zheng and fiancé Lu Zhu, and his father, Shangqing Zhu, and mother, Xiuli Lu, from China.
Danish Do: The Milwaukee Athletic Club’s Elephant Room was converted into the headquarters of Wisconsin’s Royal Danish Consulate to celebrate the naming of Annemarie Sawkins as new honorary consul. Sawkins’ appointment was approved by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II. Hosted by Tom Gould, 70-some guests included painter Christine Buth Furness, Henrik Holmskov, president of Designer Furniture on Consignment, financial advisor Jim Hern, E.J. Brumder, Steen Sanderhoff, Sheila and Harvey Held, Tommy Knudsen, WUWM’s Bonnie North, Debra Zins and Lena and Anders Carlstedt.
If you have any tips for Boris and Doris, contact them at borisanddorisott@aol.com. Their next column will appear in the July 9 issue of the Shepherd.
