Left of the Lake Magazine Issue 8

Gina Laurenzi: A Passion for Dance

Dean

Tawwater:

Restoring a Lost Art

“Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.” — Steve Martin

Free!Issue 8

Serving The Creative Communities From Chicago To Milwaukee

4 A Message From The Publisher / Left of The Lake

In the spring of 2012, my colleagues and I began brainstorming for what would eventually become Left of the Lake Magazine. There was a lot of dis-cussion about the importance of who we would choose to be our inaugural feature /cover artist. First impressions are important and I believed that this decision would influence the future direction of the magazine. Fortunately, that important deci-sion was also a very easy one; we chose artist David V. Holmes.

David was the quintessential artist: he was prolific, inspiring, and wildly creative. His instantly recog-nizable work is rarely viewed passively; rather, each piece is a discovery, begging to be explored. His pieces are remarkable, often encrusted with mys-tical relics, sculptured doodads, and random junk, each layer carefully orchestrated into a classic text-book visual gestalt.

I find his work to be nothing less than brilliant, and always wondered whether David ever regretted not actively pursuing art-world fame. I never asked him, because oddly enough we rarely discussed art. We would talk about his Wisconsin Badgers, weird history, or politics. Occasionally while chatting, the “old professor” would slip back into teaching mode, and I would catch myself humoring him, only to realize later that he had just taught me something. Which of course, is a lesson in itself.

While David, the teacher, certainly received his share of prestigious art accolades, one can’t help but wonder what could have been? Although he would never admit it, he was certainly aware of how good he was. Had the man made a few different life decisions, he may have achieved some level of fame, but the price of chasing celebrity is high.

Would David have traded his remarkable tenure at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where he touched the lives of literally thousands of students, helping to impact many of them in such a profound way that they themselves decided to teach? Would he have sacrificed more than forty years of marriage to his wife, Cathleen? Would he have missed watching his own children grow up and start families of their own? Would he have sacrificed the opportunity to hold his grandchildren?

You can bet your ass that he wouldn’t have traded any of those things for the world – and that is the very definition of success. Cheers, David.

A Message From The PublisherBy Chet Griffith

Publisher: Chet GriffithGraphic Designer: Joshua FrazerEditor: Lisa Adamowicz KlessEditor: Peg Rousar-ThompsonManaging Editor: John Bloner, Jr.Contact Us At: [email protected]

07 Stopped On 14th Street, Headed East By Darin Zimpel

08 Gina Laurenzi: A Passion For Dance By Left of The Lake

14 Edison’s Electric Elephant By David V. Holmes

15 Kong By Peg Rousar-Thompson

16 Cherry Waltz By Martin Antaramian

19 Timor Servilis By Cynthia Lund Torroll

22 Restoring a Lost Art: Dean Tawwater By Lisa Adamowicz Kless

27 War Machine By Helen Napier

28 White Peony By Jan Marchuk

30 Untitled, Untitled By Samantha Friedl

32 Myth By Prince Parise

34 2FL: JD McPherson By Lisa Adamowicz Kless

37 Whispers From The Wind By Amara SuraShakta

38 Stripwax By Jeff Moody

Left

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Cover: Gina LaurenziPhoto: Allison Bourdeau Photography

Produce, Cheese, Meats, Pastry, Fresh Mushrooms, Chips, Chocolate, Unique Arts & Crafts, Soaps,

Prepared Foods, Live Music, and More

Saturdays Oct. 18 thru Dec. 20, 2014

9–1

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St. • Downtown Kenosha, WisconsinR C Aforthe

(Closed Months of January and February)Reopens Saturday, March 7, 2015

Visit Our Web Site: kenoshaharbormarket.com

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Left of The Lake / Behind The Scenes 7

Looking ahead, Coal filled train cars Rush north Spaces between them Flashing quick cold Views of Lake Michigan In the distance

Out the side window, I see a crow scratching At something Frozen on the sidewalk And admire his Poised comfort Living wrapped in black

Stopped On 14th Street, Headed EastBy Darin Zimpel

Gina Laurenzi: A Passion for Dance

Left of The Lake / Gina Laurenzi: A Passion For Dance 9

In this issue, we interview Gina Laurenzi, dancer and director of Laurenzi Dance in Kenosha. Gina, tell us about Laurenzi Dance, and what led you to open your own studio in downtown Kenosha?

We are a creative and innovative dance studio. And not just a dance studio, but a com-munity of movers and shakers whose mission is to raise awareness of dance as an art form through study, experience, and performance. At Laurenzi Dance, passion, personality, and perseverance are the key elements to training -- we value classical training and tech-nique but give equal importance to the growth of creativity.

What is your background and how is your dance program structured?

I opened my studio back in 2008 after teaching at various studios in the Illinois suburbs as well as at the YMCA. I wanted to create an outlet for young dancers, a safe place to study, and a rich lineup of performance opportunities specifically for our tight-knit fam-ily of performers. My goal was a dance studio where the emphasis is not only on physical training, but the dancer’s artistic voice.

We offer classes for all ages and abilities. Dancers ages three through six begin in a Pre-Dance or Kinderdance class where they develop skills through creative movement and the building blocks of classic styles. Dancers seven and up are placed in a technique class

Photos by: Allison Bourdeau Photography

10 Gina Laurenzi: A Passion For Dance / Left of The Lake

of their choice and advance as they grow in life and dance training. We offer yoga, Pilates, and Zumba for our adult students.

We offer the classic styles: ballet, jazz and tap, but dancers are also encouraged to take contemporary, hip hop and learn im-provisation/choreographic skills to provide diverse training. For our advanced dancers who are passionate and invested, we also have performance groups.

Tell us about Project Innovate: A Performing Dance Company (PIPDC)?

These are Laurenzi Dance’s most visible and dedicated teen performers. Our in-termediate and advanced dancers are en-couraged to audition for our performance groups. Dancers in the company must have a range of technical abilities, knowledge of various styles, and exhibit growth as young artists. At auditions, we look for dancers with positive energy who share those com-mon core values: passion, personality, and perseverance. PIPDC events are themed and choreographed specif ically for the dancers involved.

All levels of students at Laurenzi Dance perform throughout the year. What happens behind the scenes?

I am often the sole choreographer when setting up a themed show with a story line. The themes are based on my personal ex-periences, the modern issues facing young women today or epic works of film. I work with dancers on storytelling through move-ment to create a production that is similar to a story ballet, but in a range of styles. I am driven to create movement based on the dancer’s personality, incorporating their backstory, all set to the ebb and flow of the music. My personal style blends my clas-sical training with a contemporary twist,

featuring a mix of trickling gestures and intricate movements woven into dynamic sweeping phrases of motion.

You’ve been away furthering your own educa-tion. How did you come to this decision?

I believe that to be a great teacher, you must continue to learn. To be a great choreographer, you must continue to ex-plore. With this in mind, I returned to school and recently graduated from UW/Milwaukee’s dance program with a BFA in Choreography & Performance. I am in-volved with community organizations that focus on spreading knowledge and rais-ing awareness of dance as an art form. I stay active in a thriving contemporary dance community where I am a member of Danceworks Performance Company as well as a performer for Maria Gillespie. I will be premiering my own dance concert in Milwaukee in September of 2015.

The more I learn, the more I am driven to share. My education and involvement in the growing arts scene keeps me excited as both an instructor and artist. For my stu-dents, I strive to share my knowledge and experience each day through classes and conversation, but also to set an example of the Laurenzi Dance core values of passion, personality, and perseverance.

For more information about Laurenzi Dance, visit their website at www.laurenzidance.com

Left of The Lake / Gina Laurenzi: A Passion For Dance 11

“Honoring our Past” Summer Pops Friday, June 27, 2014 – 7:00 pm Festival Hall, 5 Fifth Street (Doors open at 5:30 pm)

“Music for a Summer Evening”“Sophisticated Swing” – Special Event

Saturday, July 19, 2014 – 5:00 to 8:30 pm The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread

“Great Orchestral Film Music Festival” Summer Pops

Friday, August 22, 2014 – 7:00 pm Festival Hall, 5 Fifth Street (Doors open at 5:30 pm)

“Composing our Future” Masterworks Concert

Saturday, October 11, 2014 – 7:30 pm Racine Theatre Guild 2519 Northwestern Ave

“Holidays Past……and Future” Holiday Pops

Friday, December 5, 2014 – 7:00 pm Festival Hall, 5 Fifth Street

“New Voices” Masterworks Concert

Sunday, March 8, 2015 – 3:00 pm UW-Parkside, 900 Wood Road Frances Bedford Concert Hall, UW Parkside

“A Composition in Time” Masterworks Season Finale

Saturday, April 25, 2015 – 7:30 pm Racine Theatre Guild 2519 Northwestern Ave

Free Community Concerts

Young Artists’ Competition – Sponsored by Kiwanis Club of West Racine

Sunday, February 8, 2015 – 1:00 pm First Presbyterian Church 716 College Avenue

Concert for Fifth Grade Students – Sponsored by Educators Credit Union

“Compose Yourself!” by Jim Stephenson Tuesday, March 17, 2015 9:15 and 10:45 am Grace Church, 3626 Hwy 31

R a c i n e S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a 2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5

Honoring Our Past – Composing Our Future

Tickets are available by calling 262.636.9285 or online at www.racinesymphony.org

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14 Edison’s Electric Elephant / David V. Holmes

You were barricaded in your room at the top of those black stairs and it would take me hours to climb them quiet in my toddler way and I’d peer over the very top one eye-ing all the battery powered won-ders and dirty plates that made grandma crazy anticipating fingers would grip the dark runner, creep closer to helicopters and remotely operated dune buggies and you would throw the switch send-ing the hideous monster with its brilliant red eyes forward to stand at the top of the stairs, its fur-cov-ered arms flailing in anger and its gears grinding faster than I could back my way down those treacher-ous steps.

By Peg Rousar-ThompsonKong

16 Cherry Waltz / Martin Antaramian

Cynthia Lund Torroll / Timor Servilis 19

20 Behind The Scenes / Left of The Lake

RAM Professional Artist Development SeriesGrow your creative career in 2015, further details at ramart.org

RAM’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts2519 Northwestern Avenue, Racine 262.636.9177

Presenters include: Frank Juarez and Pamela Anderson

www.getbehindthearts .com

art exhibition, meet the artists, l ive entertainment, art demonstrations,

raffle prizes, free food & a cash bar

2D/3D art - music


— Director Gina Laurenziwww.laurenzidance.com5913 6th Avenue ADowntown Kenosha, WI 53140(262) 654 - STEP (7837)

22 Restoring a Lost Art: Dean Tawwater / Left of The Lake

I f you l ive in or v is it Kenosha , the Milwaukee area, or a handful of oth-er Wisconsin cities, chances are that you’ve seen some of Dean Tawwater’s exquisite work and just not realized it. It may have been a painted sign, deli-cately gilded lettering on a window, or a mural on a wall; Dean takes what might otherwise be drab, everyday items like wood, glass, and brick and adds touches that make them extraordinary as part of his business, Tawwater Sign Co.

Besides plenty of raw talent that allows him to work this magic around town and elsewhere, Dean draws from his back-ground in fine art. He was involved in art programs in junior high and high school,

and says that he “always had a sketchbook, and something to mark it up with.” After attending MIAD in Milwaukee, he spent time in Oregon, Hawaii, Colorado, and San Francisco before returning home to Kenosha and attending UW-Parkside for two years as a painting/drawing major.

Since then, Dean has had a working stu-dio space where he’s shown and sold his work, and has been employed at a local sign shop that specializes in dimensional hand-painted signs, vinyl, and large format printing. About two years ago though, he decided to branch out with his own busi-ness, focusing more on vintage and retro style signage, brick murals, window and door lettering, restoration, etc. Since these

By Lisa Adamowicz Kless

Left of The Lake / Restoring a Lost Art: Dean Tawwater 23

specialties don’t compete with the sign shop, he’s been able to keep working there as well, continuing to hone his skills.

The desire to start his own company came from his passion for working with his brushes and enamels, his love of vintage advertising, and his respect for quality, hand-crafted work, he says. “I was seeing old hand-painted signage disappearing and not very many examples of contemporary hand-painted work to replace it. I feel that hand-painted signs have an energy in them that can’t be matched by vinyl or printed media.”

And energy can definitely be found in all of his work. Here in Kenosha, he’s done some

restoration, such as touching up the letter-ing on the side of the iconic Franks Diner car and sprucing up the windows of another Kenosha favorite, Yee’s Oriental Inn. More recent businesses have also benefited from his talent and art training. Kaiser’s Pizza & Pub has hand-painted lettering and a mu-ral on one outside wall, with another yet to come. Dean’s work is being showcased on and in both the soon-to-open Mike’s Donuts & Chicken building and the re-cently launched Modern Apothecary drug store too, where he put his skill with gold leaf to use, creating gorgeous lettering in the Apothecary’s windows that enhances its elegantly vintage appeal.

24 Restoring a Lost Art: Dean Tawwater / Left of The Lake

Versatility is a trademark in all Dean does. Painting the logo on an outside wall at Mike’s was a challenge, he says, because the old, bumpy brick was a tricky surface to paint on. Likewise, doing lettering is no easy feat. People may mistakenly think it isn’t as hard as it seems, but he doesn’t use stencils, so it’s all truly done by hand. He sometimes has a rough guide when he’s do-ing reverse painting on windows, but it’s not there to trace or paint over; it acts as a place keeper since he’s essentially working backwards.

Creating wooden signs is a skill that he picked up during his time in Colorado, and he makes these for both businesses and private residences. He completes the entire process himself, cutting the initial shape of the sign out of wood, refining it and add-ing any other details that are needed, then painting it according to the customer’s wishes.

For those interested in hiring him, Dean is happy to draw up sketches based on their ideas, but he can also touch up or replicate existing designs that may have been on buildings for decades, if that’s what’s need-ed. He works with other graphic designers too, and will paint designs or logos that they’ve produced. Whether it’s something

that Dean has designed himself or not, the end result has an undeniable charm and character that more modern signage seems to lack.

He considers sign painting a lost art, and studies books, old signs and lettering, and the work of others to help him learn more about the profession. Last year, he was a presenter at the Lost Arts Festival at the Grohmann Museum in Milwaukee, an event that showcases art and trades that document the evolution of organized work.

When I asked Dean what made him want to specialize in this particular line of work, he said that it was hard to zero in on just one thing. “I love it all,” he explained, “the planning, the researching, the designing, and the technical aspects.”

“There’s something about seeing the brush-stroke in a letter or a little bump in a line that just speaks to people, lets you know that someone put a little bit of themselves up there.”

And Dean Tawwater is doing just that, leaving a legacy of his remarkable work and art all around Wisconsin, a bit at a time.

Left of The Lake / Restoring a Lost Art: Dean Tawwater 25

HARBORPARKWALKSCULPTURE

ExperienceKenosha’s HarborPark

Sculpture Walk14 world-class sculptures along

Kenosha’s beautiful lakefront.

�is larger than life exhibit will run through September 2015.New sculptures will be exhibited for 2015-2017.

www.kenoshaartsfund.org

Helen Napier / War Machine 27

28 White Peony / Jan Marchuk

30 Untitled, Untitled / Samantha Friedl

32 Myth / Prince Parise

Left of The Lake / Behind The Scenes 33www.kenoshasymphony.org • (262) 654-9080

Friday, September 5, 2014 • 6:00 - 9:30 pmPennoyer Park, 7th Ave & 35th Street

Friday, August 22, 2014 • 6:00 pmKenosha Country Club, 500 13th Avenue, Somers, WI

KSO 75th Anniversary Diamond Gala

KSO 1st Annual Shindig On The Shore

Saturday, October 18, 2014 • 7:30 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Ode To Joy

Sunday, December 14th, 2014 • 3:00 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Symphonic Sweets

Saturday, April 18, 2015 • 7:30 pmReuther Auditorium, 913 57th Street

Our Town, Your KSO

Saturday, February 14, 2015 • Time and Location: TBAPizzicato Promenade • Valentine’s Celebration

Honoring our sponsors and donors

Free concert of pops and movie music

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony

An afternoon �lled with Christmas joy

Dance the night away with the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra

A celebration of our cultural history

Saturday, June 13, 2015 • 7:30 pmUW-Parkside Bedford Hall, 900 Wood Road

Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy

Gershwin tunes and hit movie music

Melissa Cardamone, Soprano • Allison Hull, Alto • Alan Taylor, Tenor • Philip Kraus, BaritoneVOX 3 Collective, Guest Choir • Guest artists sponsored, in part, by the Kenosha Community Foundation and Carthage College

Featuring music from Pirates of the Caribbean and Jurassic Park

Featuring the music of the iconic American composer, Aaron Copland

Choirs from the community join KSO in a glorious “Hallelujah!” Special guest: Santa Claus

Sway along to a Strauss Waltz and step to a light-hearted polka

Featuring vendors, concessions, KSO shirt sales and KSO musicians, bringing the party to the park

Eat , drink and be merry at our gala event. Heavy hors d’eouvres served.

Guest artists: Tremper Chorale, directed by Mrs. Polly Amborn

34 2FL: JD McPherson / Lisa Adamowicz Kless

By Lisa Adamowicz Kless

Having a dad who grew up during the 1950s and 60s, the first time that I heard JD McPherson’s “North Side Gal”, if I’d had my eyes closed I would’ve sworn that I was back in time in the family car, and my dad had just popped one of his cassettes into the tape deck.

Within the first few notes of that opening song from his 2010 debut album, “Signs and Signifiers”, you’re sucked into this high-en-ergy record, and when McPherson’s voice (sounding like it could’ve come straight from Motown) booms in shortly after, well—if you can turn it off, you’ve got more willpower than me.

Hearing McPherson’s musica l chops, you’d guess that a career in that business has been a lifelong ambition. In reality, he first planned to be a visual artist, attending the University of Oklahoma in his home state and eventually earning his MFA in Open Media. McPherson is quoted as saying that he leaned more towards want-ing to “paint, do installation, make video art, performance stuff, (and) sculpture.” Listening to music like Delta blues and jazz, Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, punk music, Led Zeppelin, Little Richard, and much more in his youth and then playing in bands during college, McPherson’s musical career took root after he teamed up with Chicago-based producer Jimmy Sutton.

They recorded “Signs and Signif iers” in Sutton’s home studio while McPherson was working as a school art teacher. The re-sult is a lush adventure where the sounds of piano, saxophone, guitar, drums, doghouse bass, and the tambourine layer so perfectly with the vocals and lyrics that each song becomes an experience in itself.

It would be unfair to slap a label on the mu-sic just to conveniently tuck it into a genre, but if forced to, rockabilly would probably fit the bill. With a record that contains pi-ano loops inspired by the Wu-Tang Clan’s work, bits of guitar stylings reminiscent of the Smith’s song “How Soon Is Now”, and a cover of the 1955 song “Country Boy” by Big Tiny Kennedy and His Orchestra though, trying to fit “Signs and Signifiers” into a neat little box would be a mistake. The grit and the ruckus are what make it so much fun, and worth listening to over and over.

To f ind out more about JD McPherson, inc lud ing in format ion on h is soon-to-be-re lea sed s econd a lbu m, v i s i t www.JDMcPherson.com.

For more art ic les by 2nd First Look, visit our website at www.2ndFirstLook.com. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/2ndFirstLook.


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Artworks Ad Winter 2015.pdf 1 1/5/15 4:53 PM


Amara SuraShakta / Whispers from the Wind 37

Armored Savin soldiers chanted their war song of loss in an undeviating line on the third level of Fort LuLi, recognizing those who gave their lives. The wordless song had the depth of what they felt; what the song meant was clear.

Amber watched great clouds roll over the hills of Fort LuLi. They brought more darkness, but at least this darkness didn’t come from another of her brother’s attacks. Debris from battle still remained scattered on the mountainside that had protected so many during the last encounter. No one had sifted through the rubble yet. No one had attempted to climb down to the Fort’s ruined first and second levels to care for the fallen. Few dared to walk what was left of the streets. Behind her, a wall tumbled. Elsewhere, boots shuffled across pieces of rock and soot. It was a weary walk that came with old age.

A cool wind circled in from the approach-ing storm.

“We fought for three days. This is what I have to show,” Amber said aloud to the wind as it drifted across her neck with a soft embrace. The Savins’ chant seemed to intensify the moment the wind joined her side. Funny how Amber noticed that, but the longer she listened the more she picked out – the melody, the harmony, the way the two combined creating an anchor that tied the single voices into a complete sound.

“The dust here will settle,” the wind said as it twirled around Amber’s bruised neck with an eager optimism she didn’t under-stand. “I’ve been here before. I’ve seen the people rebuild.”

Amber bit her lip. When she opened her mouth to speak again, she tasted the start of blood.

“He’ll hit the city you love next,” the wind informed her.

Amber closed her eyes. The higher pitched tenors held a note that made Amber feel like she was in the presence of family. Heavy bass pulsed warm notes of coura-geous support. “So how do I defeat him?”

“He uses black magic like an addict. It’s his vice,” the wind said as it rallied around her open palms. Amber felt its presence even with her eyes closed. The wind never failed to rally when she requested its help, never gave up on her even though it knew her brother’s powers as a Manipulator were stronger.

Whispers from the WindBy Amara SuraShakta

38 Stripwax / Jeff Moody

Left of The Lake / Submissions 39

Submit Your Work To Left Of The Lake

Left of the Lake Magazine is published quarterly and accepts work continuously. We welcome submissions from both new and established artists and writers, nationally and internationally, but first consideration is offered to the creative people in our region of Southeast Wisconsin and Northeast Illinois.

General Guidelines:• All work must be original and not previously published• No simultaneous submissions

Submissions Welcome:• Poetry (maximum of three pieces)• Fiction or Non-Fiction (400 words or less)• Visual Art, Photography, or Comics (maximum of two pieces)

How-To Submit:• We prefer electronic submissions, either as an attachment or in the body of an email. Send work to [email protected] and please include your name, address, and a short bio of 30 words or less.

Questions? Contact [email protected]


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Left of the Lake Magazine Issue 8