Tacke exhibits at Kiesling

By SARA SYVERSON

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- New Ulm artist William Tacke decided in 1976 to pursue painting on a full-time basis.

Tacke's paintings are now on display at the Council for Arts in New Ulm (C.A.N.U.) Kiesling House Gift Shop and Garden Gallery in New Ulm until June 18. An opening reception for Tacke will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. today.

Tacke and his wife and business partner, Mae, have lived and worked in New Ulm since July of 1979. They moved to New Ulm so their three children and son-in-law could live at home while attending Martin Luther College.

The Tackes plan to move to Seattle because Mae is helping to develop a school called Evergreen Lutheran High School.

Tacke has been a painter all of his life, but the decision to do it for a living came in 1976 while working a professional industrial designer in Grand Rapids, Mich.

"You don't go into this for the money," said Tacke, "You do it because you enjoy it. It's feast or famine. ... You have a good show and sell a few paintings."

Tacke uses various models for his work. He works mainly with acrylic paints and a wooden utensil instead of a brush to create scenes of nature, marina life, mother and child paintings and other scenes. He also has a number of local paintings in his collection.

"I strive to capture life in my paintings -- to be uplifting -- connecting with the viewer in some positive way," said Tacke in a promotional statement on a postcard.

Tacke's works are found in public and private collections in America and abroad.

"I love painting marinas and mother and child paintings," said Tacke, "I guess they're my favorite."

Tacke has made it his standard to only paint what he has seen in life with a few rare exceptions. He begins with a medium dark color of paint on his canvas, and he works with interrupted layers from the darkest to the lightest colors.

"The more layers you see the more successful the painting," said Tacke.

He studied industrial design at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (formerly the Layton School of Art).

When he changed from industrial design to painting, he did a 180-degree turn from working with images that were "slick and hard" to "organic" images that have "emotions."

Tacke's show is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served at tonight's reception.

The Keisling House Gift Shop and Garden Gallery is open Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. It is also open by appointment.