May Artist in Residence - Mary Mendla

Mary will be at the Center demonstrating fabric dyeing and surface design on Tuesdays & Thursdays: May 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28 & 30 from 11 am – 3:00 pm.

There is no charge to visit the artist, see her work and talk with her about her creative process.

Artist and designer Mary Mendla received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 1992. Her primary area of study was painting and drawing. However, a deep love of color and texture led her into experiments with textile surface design (the dyeing and texturing of fabric) which soon developed into a passion. A strong dressmaking background that began in her childhood, thanks to her gifted and patient mother's instruction, created a foundation for Mary to develop her hand dyed silk fabrics into one-of –a-kind, custom designed garments. In 2004, Mary founded her unique clothing and wearable art business, FACETS Fashions in Grafton.

FACETS Fashions came into being as Mary expanded her work into a total line of women's coordinates that reached beyond the more targeted wearable art market, which specializes mostly in accessories and accent pieces. Mary developed her own approach to fashion through combining her love of artistic clothing with well-designed, basic, wardrobe-building separates with a special focus on impeccable fit for many body types.

The Artist in Residence program is proudly supported by a grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund.

Coming in July...Nora Boedeker

Wednesday: July 3: 10 am - 2 pm
Thursdays: July 11, 18 & 25: 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday: July 31: 10 am - 2 pm

Some of our past fine artists have been:

Mary Mendla, Painting/Wearable Art
Catie Barron, Painting
Lisa Brobst, Fabric Collage
Megan Woodard Johnson, Mixed Media
Laurie Sucharda, Painting
Kerry Tharp, Mosaics
Nancy Going, Beaded Jewelry
Adria Willenson, Silk Painting/Textiles
Frank Juarez, Abstracts
Susan Hale, Oil Painting
Lisa Masslich, Oil Painting/Art Education
Claudette Lee-Roseland, Painting
Sue Lawton, Writing and Illustration
Nancee Ariagno, Punchneedle Embroidery & Patterns
Paula Hare, Cloisonne Style Painted Eggs and Egg Mosaic Paintings
Allen Caucutt, Painting

About the Program: The Artist in Residence Program is a month-long opportunity for community members to meet and interact with local fine artists. It is a chance for adults and children alike to see an artist at work, watch demonstrations and talk to those artisans about their art, processes and inspirations. It is also an opportunity for local artists to network with the public, and to expand awareness about the arts in general and the work they specifically do. If you would like to learn more about the Artist in Residence program or are interested in serving as the CCC’s Artist in Residence for a one-month span, please contact Arts Education and Exhibits Manager, Jeanette Gabrys at Jeanette@ArtMusicHistory.org.

The Artist in Residence Program is made possible through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Mary L. Nohl Fund.