(Chelsea Update would like to thank the Chelsea River Gallery for the photos and the information in this story.)
Chelsea River Gallery will host a special one-day public art opportunity on Sept. 7 from noon-4 p.m. by Wendel Heers, a nationally recognized, long-time Ann Arbor citizen, educator, artist and community treasure.
Originally from a family of nine in a rural community in Minnesota, Heers was recruited by the University of Michigan in the early 1960’s to set up a metals and jewelry program. A pioneer in developing art education in his native Minnesota, he was the sole art educator in his district in the 1950’s.
Wendel is a professor emeritus at the Penny Stamps School of Art & Design and served as interim dean during his prolific and well respected tenure as an honored, well-loved member of the U-M faculty.
Many of his students are successful and respected artists and academics themselves and many of their children can also boast that they have been educated and mentored by Heers.
Wendel has experienced great critical and commercial success as well. He has completed public art commissions in Michigan, MA, PA, and France, including large scale stone meditation gardens and commemorative stone and rock sculpture installations.
His work and commissions can be seen in the Providence Park Hospital in Novi and the Cardiovascular Center at U-M Hospital in Ann Arbor and at the Mary Egan Memorial Garden at Deacon-Waltham Hospital in MA.
He is currently completing a major commission “Periodic Table” for the Quaker School, Westtown in West Chester PA, which will be installed in the science center.
A new major, large scale rock series titled “Walking Boulders” will be installed and ready for viewing on site at the Sept. 7 event.
Wendel’s residence on Liberty Street is home to many of his outdoor works which are installed on his property and gardens. The scale, design, placement and materials of these major outdoor sculptures rival the works seen and experienced in the best public sculpture parks nationally.
River Gallery will be hosting this one day event with Wendel and his wife Nancy Heers as they invite us to walk the grounds with them and marvel at the presence, grace and strength of these contemporary studies in stone, copper, wrought iron and antique farm implements and materials.
Parking will be available at Precision Manufacturing on Liberty west of Wagner Road and a shuttle service will be available.
Click here for more details or call the gallery at 433-0826.
