Sunday, April 28, 2013
brochures available
The Les Paul Foundation has produced a brochure briefly describing highlights in Les' life and maps to Waukesha locations prominent in his youth. Brochures available at Waukesha County Museum and Pewaukee Convention and Visitor Bureau.
Friday, April 12, 2013
The Way Home
Learned this week the Waukesha County Museum's exhibit: "Les Paul: The Wizard of Waukesha" finally opens June 9th, on what would've been Les' 98th birthday.
Sam Llanas of the BoDeans worked with the museum to produce a pretty nice video featuring his song The Way Home. He's playing one of Les' early guitars and visiting several Waukesha sites.
Sam Llanas of the BoDeans worked with the museum to produce a pretty nice video featuring his song The Way Home. He's playing one of Les' early guitars and visiting several Waukesha sites.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
The 39
Here is the link to the individuals and teams taking control of fifteen 10' guitar sculptures and 24 playable Les Pauls for the 2013 version of GuitarTown II. I went to the packed Bernie's Tap Room for the artist unveiling and came away with the feeling that 39 guitars may be too much to add to the ten 10' and 17 playable already on display in Waukesha. I'm sure I'll be proven wrong, but that was just my feeling at the time. I also had reservations about some of the chosen artists which, again, I'm sure will be proven otherwise. Three standard and one ten-footer for middle school students? Please forgive my nervousness.
Several are returning artists from last year, so we already what quality to expect. I'm familiar with the high level of Carroll University and Waukesha's North and West art, but wouldn't know what to expect from Team La Casa de Esperanza or Team Saratoga STEM Academy. I'm glad to see artist Cecelia Blenker got a Les Paul. I've seen her studio in the Springs Gallery and like what she does with pets and children. Charles Lichtie makes me a little nervous as I remember his art as being very dark.
Last year I was nervous about the quality of art we'd see and I was totally relieved. It was phenomenal! This year, with all the students participating, I get the same queasy feeling. I'm positive we will be pleasantly surprised! Waukesha has a lot of talent and I can't wait to see it.
The standard Les Pauls were distributed March 18th at Bernie's and at least one, Tom Noll's, is already finished. The ten foot sculptures were delivered, and picked up, last Wednesday.
Several are returning artists from last year, so we already what quality to expect. I'm familiar with the high level of Carroll University and Waukesha's North and West art, but wouldn't know what to expect from Team La Casa de Esperanza or Team Saratoga STEM Academy. I'm glad to see artist Cecelia Blenker got a Les Paul. I've seen her studio in the Springs Gallery and like what she does with pets and children. Charles Lichtie makes me a little nervous as I remember his art as being very dark.
Last year I was nervous about the quality of art we'd see and I was totally relieved. It was phenomenal! This year, with all the students participating, I get the same queasy feeling. I'm positive we will be pleasantly surprised! Waukesha has a lot of talent and I can't wait to see it.
The standard Les Pauls were distributed March 18th at Bernie's and at least one, Tom Noll's, is already finished. The ten foot sculptures were delivered, and picked up, last Wednesday.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
2013 Encore
Fifteen more ten-foot sculptures, as well as 24 playable guitars, will be added to the streets and businesses of Waukesha in 2013 thanks to Gibson Guitar Corp. and the Waukesha GuitarTown committee. Chosen artists will be announced Monday, March 18th, and sculptures unveiled June 7th.
Something new this year will be a mural marathon. The Walldogs are coming to Waukesha! We will be seeing many previously blank walls covered in music, Les Paul and Waukesha related themes within a very short time frame sometime this summer.
From the Freeman:
GuitarTown: Encore!
Artists to be announced at Monday reception
By Sarah Pryor
Freeman Staff
WAUKESHA – It may still feel like winter outside right now, but one sure sign of summer approaching is the rapidly solidifying plans for Gibson GuitarTown Encore, which will officially kick off in June.
Monday evening, the Waukesha GuitarTown Steering Committee will announce the artists selected to design the next round of 15 10-foot fiberglass replicas and 24 playable Les Paul guitars in the public art project.
According to a press release from the steering committee, the free reception is open to the public and will take place at Bernie’s Tap Room, 351 W. Main St., at 5 p.m.
Last year, the project included 10 10-foot and 20 playable guitars decorated by local artists with everything from stove coils to leather and more, all of which were displayed both indoors and out in downtown Waukesha.
This year, the project has grown to 15 ten-foot guitars and to 24 playable showcase guitars, for a two-year total of 25 10-foot guitars and 44 regulation- sized playable ones, according to the release.
A committee headed by Lynn Gaffey, owner of the Almont Gallery and artistic director of the Waukesha GuitarTown Project, selected the artists. Artists were required to submit a bio, portfolio and proposed conceptual ideas, and selection was based on artistic merit as well as the guidelines for public art provided by Gibson and Waukesha’s Public Art Committee, according to the release.
This year’s sponsors will be able to display the guitars at their places of business, as well as on an area map of Waukesha like last year’s guitar pick map, according to the release.
Playable guitars will once again be sent to Gibson for the addition of strings and related hardware before being returned to Waukesha for indoor display.
All the guitars will be displayed in downtown Waukesha during the opening weekend of summer music festival Waukesha’s Freeman Friday Night Live on June 7.
The joint efforts of the Gibson Guitar Foundation and local sponsorships are providing funding for this project, according to the release. For sponsorship information, contact Waukesha GuitarTown President Rick Congdon via www.waukeshaguitartown. com
Email: spryor@conleynet.com
Something new this year will be a mural marathon. The Walldogs are coming to Waukesha! We will be seeing many previously blank walls covered in music, Les Paul and Waukesha related themes within a very short time frame sometime this summer.
From the Freeman:
GuitarTown: Encore!
Artists to be announced at Monday reception
By Sarah Pryor
Freeman Staff
WAUKESHA – It may still feel like winter outside right now, but one sure sign of summer approaching is the rapidly solidifying plans for Gibson GuitarTown Encore, which will officially kick off in June.
Monday evening, the Waukesha GuitarTown Steering Committee will announce the artists selected to design the next round of 15 10-foot fiberglass replicas and 24 playable Les Paul guitars in the public art project.
According to a press release from the steering committee, the free reception is open to the public and will take place at Bernie’s Tap Room, 351 W. Main St., at 5 p.m.
Last year, the project included 10 10-foot and 20 playable guitars decorated by local artists with everything from stove coils to leather and more, all of which were displayed both indoors and out in downtown Waukesha.
This year, the project has grown to 15 ten-foot guitars and to 24 playable showcase guitars, for a two-year total of 25 10-foot guitars and 44 regulation- sized playable ones, according to the release.
A committee headed by Lynn Gaffey, owner of the Almont Gallery and artistic director of the Waukesha GuitarTown Project, selected the artists. Artists were required to submit a bio, portfolio and proposed conceptual ideas, and selection was based on artistic merit as well as the guidelines for public art provided by Gibson and Waukesha’s Public Art Committee, according to the release.
This year’s sponsors will be able to display the guitars at their places of business, as well as on an area map of Waukesha like last year’s guitar pick map, according to the release.
Playable guitars will once again be sent to Gibson for the addition of strings and related hardware before being returned to Waukesha for indoor display.
All the guitars will be displayed in downtown Waukesha during the opening weekend of summer music festival Waukesha’s Freeman Friday Night Live on June 7.
The joint efforts of the Gibson Guitar Foundation and local sponsorships are providing funding for this project, according to the release. For sponsorship information, contact Waukesha GuitarTown President Rick Congdon via www.waukeshaguitartown. com
Email: spryor@conleynet.com
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