Vernissage for Todd Leisek:

November 15th. 2014

Art Installation :  " We Are Ghosts"

Mixed media.

This art installation is a room-sized glass exhibit.

At The Phoenix.

1530 Fifth. Avenue, Moline.

Friday. November 15th. 2013 from 6-9 p.m.

Free and open to all.

The exhibit and show will continue through February 2014.

Hours for the Phoenix Art Gallery : 6pm - 9p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and By Appointment.

www.aththephoenix.com, 309-762-8547

Artist's description: About the Installation:

" This large installation is a communication and an interaction between what my family's identity, ethnicity and past has faced through the years.  Behind closed doors an individual hides their own identity and reality.  By breaking down these "doors" and "walls," our identities can be slightly revealed and displaced by reflections of light upon the exhibition wall.

In this installation, I concentrate on drawing upon the simple concepts of the breakdown of these doorways and walls through looking through broken glass, doors and walls taken from dismantled homes.  This piece is the past as well as the present as it confronts some of the conflicts of tribal identity in the United States.  Four doorways will be presented in the act of breaking apart with only the shards of clear glass to bind them together and the holding together of the walls will display the reflection of a past identity of a mixed tribal past. The installation is a chance to speak without words through the materials and the photographs hidden in the cracks of the walls.

I am mixed of Potawatomi, Sac/Fox and Cherokee.  Since I am of mixed tribal generation, where do I fit in with the world or how does my family (ancestors) fit in?  We roam as "ghosts" blending in from one subculture to the next recreating ourselves over and over without stepping through to connect with our tribal roots or ancestral traditions.  There are thousands of us still roaming the United States displaced."

Artist Statement

My artwork (installations) is based from sensory experiences (sounds, sights, smells and dreams) from the memories of my childhood experiences and the stories of family members long past.  Throughout my experience as an artist; I have concentrated on these sparks of memory which are drawn from nature (landscape), dreams of my past, and the faded memories.  In creating these abstract sculptural pieces, I'm attempting to bring back these recollections into a form of narrative or conceptual scene into the public space.  By changing the landscape (public space), I draw the viewers into my art installations to bring their own sensory experiences into the artwork.   These sensory experiences are connected to the material I use in my artwork (Ceramics, Wood, and stain).  I hope that these pieces display the uncomfortable feeling of distance of Native American authenticity and the reconnection of my families lost mixed of Otoe and Osage/Pottawattamiepast.  It is important that my artwork does not relate directly to a "Native American" background, yet an element of these memories, love and loss which was influenced by my ancestors past.

To present a loose form of this narrative in my art installations is an important element to address in the conditions of the Post-Native American identity.  The traditions of the storyteller in my family today are dependent upon me to retell them in a modern relation of the struggles we face for a place (or voice) in this world.  We all have memories and past experiences which we cannot completely explain, yet subconsciously influence our lives.

About The Artist:  Todd Liesek.

I was born in Ogden, UT as Todd Woodmansee, yet grew up with a very collect a diverse step family in Lodi, CA.  My first studies in Fine Arts started in San Francisco where I spent the first 4 years at San Francisco State University for my BA, which was dual emphasize in Art History and Fine Arts.  I stayed for additional 3 years teaching for private art/music schools within the Bay Area, traveling around performing and producing artwork in California.  In 2003, I received an invitation to study at University of Wisconsin-Superior for a MA in Studio Art in sculpture and ceramics.  In addition, I had an opportunity to perform with the University Orchestra and Brazilian Guitar Ensemble to perform in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.  After my graduation from UWS in 2006 with a MA, I moved from the cold frigid North to the Quad Cities, IL.  For the past few years, I received an invitation for the MFA program at Vermont College Fine Arts in Contemporary theories and Art Installation which I recently graduated in 2013.

I have worked for private and public art/music schools and Higher Education at both the Community and State University levels for about 9 years and 3 years as an online instructor. I have taught art history/appreciation from 1300 to 21st Contemporary Art, Art Theory, Sculpture/Ceramics, music orchestration, and guitar performance.

Ornament Class To Be Hosted by Peaceful River

McCausland, IA/November 4, 2013 - Peaceful River Trading Co. is hosting a Make Your Own Christmas Ornament art class on Sunday, November 10^th.  Come join the fun at 1:00pm at 302 North Salina Street in McCausland, Iowa.

The cost for this class is $10.00 person and that includes a set of six ornaments, along with the supplies you'll need to create your item. Children over 10 are encouraged to participate.

Handmade ornaments make great holiday gifts and offer unique accents to a tree, as no two are exactly alike.

Owners, Sheila Bosworth and Kit Gleason are excited to host the class. "We want to give people the opportunity to create their own pieces of art. So many times, as we get older, we lose that creative, artistic side we had when we were younger. These classes offer adults a way to get back in touch with their creativity."

To register for the Make Your Own Ornament class on November 10^th, call Peaceful River at 563-225-2100 by November 6th.

Peaceful River is a treasure trove of arts and crafts as well as antiques, gifts and collectibles.  Nestled inside a beautiful circa-1916 bank building, visitors travel back in time while browsing through the great selection Peaceful River has to offer.  Peaceful River Trading Co. is open from 10 am to 5 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 11 am to 4 pm on Sundays.  McCausland is located about 20 miles northeast of Davenport, just off Utica Ridge Road on F33 and 5 minutes north of Scott County Park.  Explore Peaceful River Trading Co. at www.peacefulrivertradingco.com.

The Muscatine Art Center will open its new exhibition, The Art of Living Well, on Thursday, November 7^th with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The Art of Living Well is an opportunity to showcase the Art Center's permanent collection while exploring some of the principles from the Blue Zones Project™.

Muscatine is among ten communities in Iowa that have been chosen as Blue Zones Project demonstration sites. The purpose of the Blue Zones Project is to encourage principles that make it possible for people to live longer, healthier and happier lives. The Art of Living Well is presented in five sections - Work, Play, Relax, Belong and Eat. Visitors will explore each of these sections and discover examples of "move naturally," "know your purpose," "down shift," "loved ones first," "right tribe," "plant slant" and other core principles of the Power 9^®.

"The approach to this exhibition is somewhat different from the way art exhibitions are often organized," says Director, Melanie Alexander. "The staff was challenged to find examples of people spending time in nature, gathering with friends, being physically active. The Art Center's collection of photographs, paintings, drawings, artifacts, postcards and other objects is full of examples of people in the past leading active lifestyles."

"In this exhibition, we put together works by well-known artists such as Grant Wood, John Bloom and John Steuart Curry to be displayed next to photographs of families picnicking, ice skates from the 1870s, Musser family scrapbooks and advertisements from the Muscatine Oatmeal Company. The Art of Living Well showcases the Art Center's collection of original art and historic artifacts."

The Art Center recently received a grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs that will make it possible to provide a variety of experiences for elementary through high school students when they tour the exhibition. The Art of Living Well is intended to re-enforce some of the healthy eating initiatives of the school district. While at the Art Center, 1^st grade students will use collage materials to create a healthy meal; 4^th graders will make prints from fruits and vegetables; 6^th graders will make fruit and vegetable still lifes in the style of Grant Wood. Visitors will also imagine themselves in a painting or photograph and carry out the movements of the people depicted.

"We hope that students will be attracted to the colorful depictions of fruits and vegetables and will enjoy thinking about what people in the past did to keep physically activity, relax or connect with one another."

The Art of Living Well runs from November 7, 2013 through June 15, 2014. Hand-outs and pledge forms for the Blue Zones Project will be available as part of the exhibition. Families can also put together a picnic using toy fruits and vegetables.

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.