Welcome in to The Intimate World of Leonard Piha

Leonard Piha's work is a great fit with The Arts Company. We pride ourselves on being the gallery that over the last 15 years has consistently presented artwork that is fresh, original, and contemporary. With Leonard's work, there is something more--a rare artistic vision, in the same spirit as our own Brother Mel. In both artists, their spiritual commitments are deep and personal--Brother Mel in Catholic traditions and Leonard in Jewish traditions. In each, their academic backgrounds are stellar--Brother Mel with a master's degree in art from the University of Notre Dame, and Leonard with an M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Neither of them has ever sought fame and fortune for themselves and their work. Both of them use unusual materials, and they both see themselves as builders, though they are trained in painting as well. They are each genuinely modest about their work, more interested in making the work than in what happens to it.

Leonard Piha, Judah Buddha, 69 x 80 x 3 inches

My first entry into Leonard's world was by fluke, not by plan. It was truly a dark and dreary (and cold) night when some friends and I finally found Leonard's complex of home, studio, gallery, and a large hillside yard full of sculpture of all sizes. Flashlights in hand, we spotted art on buildings and in trees, and on the walls inside various buildings, including his house. It can only be described as a magical evening. We knew we were seeing something we had not seen before. Returning the next morning in daylight confirmed the magic. We were surrounded by literally hundreds of pieces of art as yet unseen beyond the confines of his complex. We knew we were seeing an accomplished artist at work, a trained artist with an outsider aesthetic.

Upstairs at The Arts Company--the right venue

I can only hope that we do some justice to that experience in the way we present The Intimate World of Leonard Piha Upstairs at The Arts Company. We chose the upstairs galleries for his exhibition because it is expansive space that makes it possible to show the scope and scale of his work.

The upstairs gallery at The Arts Company

We hope you will walk through this exhibit and experience the thrill of discovery of a truly unusual body of work, all of it related through Leonard's series of icons gleaned from his personal life and Jewish traditions that are repeated in fresh and surprising ways, using fresh and surprising materials.

Discovering the outsider aesthetic

When Leonard began to study art, his first inclination was to draw rabbis, menorahs, and other Jewish symbols from his family traditions. One college professor steered him away from that and suggested he needed to learn to create art in the style and subject matter of his contemporaries. However, once he discovered outsider art and artists, he was attracted to their work, considering it more direct and profound in subject and form than what he had been doing. Inspired by the work of outsider artists, he began to rediscover his Jewish roots and began to create a new artistic alphabet for himself, both in subject matter and in his choice of rough materials. Equipped with his academic training, but this new passion, something new was bound to happen.

The result is distinctly intimate, engaging, original, and contemporary. "I love finding stuff and putting it together," says Leonard, "I'm always on guard, ready for some idea or some feeling--but I just do things that are important to me." The fact that he translates religious and personal themes into contemporary icons adds a universal dimension. See below his Mondrian's Torah, constructed from cardboard, painted with oil paint, as a sample.

Leonard Piha, Mondrian's Torah, 36 x 41 x 7 inches

Leonard and his wife Cyndy literally built their home together. Since then, he has continued to add various outbuildings such as a studio, gallery, garages, and a gazebo; and he has populated his hillside property with very large and very small sculpture of all kinds. He is an elementary art specialist in a nearby school, a satisfying way to pay his way as an artist. He likes best staying at home and building his work, whether sculpture or painting. He and his wife have two young sons, both of whom have recently completed assignments in Afghanistan.

If you love the adventure and discovery of what a good artist has to offer, come spend some time in the intimate world of Leonard Piha. His is not art as usual.

Meet Leonard

during the First Saturday Art Crawl

at The Arts Company

May 7, 2011, 6-9 pm

Remarks by Anne Brown

Brother Mel has done it again...and again and again

Brother Mel's 83rd year--which we will be celebrating at The Arts Company during his 14th Annual Artistic Pilgrimage to Nashville June 3 & 4--has truly been another phenomenal year for this rare artist who has been a Catholic brother in the Marianist community for over 60 years and a practicing artist for over 50 years.

Brother Mel outside his studio

Between now and the time we will see him in early June, his year will be topped off in three important ways:

1) First and foremost: On May 21, St. Louis University will award him an honorary doctorate in the arts for his lifetime of making art.

2) As if that is not enough, some 18-20 of his large outdoor sculptures have been purchased by St. Louis University to be placed in a special park at the entrance to the university in the middle of downtown St. Louis in mid-May, just ahead of the degree ceremony. While the university and other businesses and public spaces have purchased and commissioned his work for years, this newest purchase and special presentation, plus this academic honor, is further testament to the demand for and quality of his work.

...and the best for last...

3) Lucky for Nashville, Brother Mel will be coming to Nashville just two weeks after this honor and the formal dedication will have taken place. If you are one of his special collectors and fans, listen up. He will be at The Arts Company for two occasions, accompanied by his latest exhibition of new work.

On Friday, June 3, he will be the subject of that night's Collectors Art Night at The Arts Company. To honor him further, his visit that night will be hosted and presented by some very special collectors who will be there to talk about why they keep coming back to his work and why it matters to them--from corporate to individual collectors.

On Saturday, June 4, he will be available to meet and greet his Nashville friends as they come to see his latest work...and to celebrate his 83rd birthday.

Brother Mel, Ovals, 11 x 21 x 21 inches

This year, we have asked him to focus on small sculptural shapes and colors, more artwork to "bring beauty to space to lift up spirits." It's exciting work commissioned especially for this year's Nashville exhibition. It's artwork we can all take personally.

In true Brother Mel fashion, once St. Louis University made their selections, within a short time Brother Mel had produced more large sculptures to re-populate his own sculpture yard outside his studio. He is never at a loss for new ideas, and his love of working at art all day six days a week never wanes.

We are lucky in Nashville to have direct access to this rare artist during his annual exhibitions.

The Shapes & Colors of Brother Mel

Opening at The Arts Company

Saturday, June 4, 6-9 pm