Leonard Steinauer: Folk Art,
Paintings and Sculpture

September 1- November 21, 2010
Reception- September 4, 2010, 2-4pm

Folk art is a genre of art often overlooked by mainstream contemporary culture. Folk art, sometimes called primitive or naive art, includes furniture, textiles, sculpture, painting, decorative and applied arts and crafts. Folk art’s significance on American history cannot be underestimated. These images and works of art often unveil stories of history’s past, otherwise unrecorded.

The late Leonard Steinauer (1938-2006) of Dawson, Nebraska invigorates a historic painting style with new relevance. Reminiscent of well-known Grandma Moses, Steinauer’s artwork recounts a traditional style but focuses on the agrarian lifestyle in the early twentieth century. He reproduces in fresh visions his family and many like them who tackled the unending task of farming.

Interested in art as a young man, Steinauer studied art for a short time, but made his career as an electrician. After his children were grown he desired to once again explore his creativity. He took on the difficult task of three dimensional realism with the costly and delicate tools of brass and welding torch. Health problems forced him to set down his welding torch and pick a paint brush to continue expressing his visions of life’s fresh visions. Richly textured sculpture and flat figures in fields of color come together to form a charming exhibition emphasizing the resourcefulness of folk artists. They are compelled to create without fear of convention and boundaries.