During June's 3rd Friday at Biddle Gallery, Leo Kuschel will unveiled his latest print Wyandotte Depot from his new series Downriver. Leo plans on creating 15 new prints for this series. The first in this series is of the Wyandotte Depot. Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity and a brief history of the Wyandotte Depot.

Leo unveiled the print during a special ceremony at Biddle Gallery on Friday, June 17th,.
Mr. Keshel was present to sign and personalize each print. This is a limited edition giclee print (8.75"x 12.75") of only 150 (50.00 unframed and 150.00 framed).

Leo currently has sketches of works in progress from this series available for viewing at Biddle Gallery. Orders will be taken if anyone is interested in purchasing them before they are officially released.

Leo Kuschel has had over five years of formal education on the University level and has spent over 40 years working to improve his art. He has traveled extensively throughout the Great Lakes Region (United States and Canada) searching out the many art museums and galleries to further study the visual arts. During these travels, the exploration of the lighthouses and boats are recorded by him through his photography, drawings and paintings.

Leo spent his adolescent years in Detroit and Port Huron, Michigan always by the water; this along with the fact that three of his uncles served in the United States Lighthouse Service ( Great Lakes Region), has inspired him to devote his creative energies to record the maritime history of the Great Lakes.

For a span of 10 years the Historical Society of Michigan published an annual Great Lakes Lighthouse Calendar featuring pen and ink drawings by Leo and short stories written by both Leo and his wife Sue Kuschel.

In October 1991, Leo was commissioned by the German American Committee - U. S. A.. to create a painting depicting the fellowship between the two countries. The original painting was presented to then President George Bush as he signed documents declaring October 6th as German American day here in the United States. This painting hung in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington D.C. until the End of his presidential term. A limited edition print, entitled ‘Lights of Peace and Friendship’, was made from the original.
 

Leo Kuschel 

EDUCATION:
Meinzinger Art School, Detroit ,Michigan 1957 to 1960
The Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan 1960 to 1961


ASSOCIATIONS: (PAST AND PRESENT)
Watercolor Society of Michigan  |  Watercolor Society of Alabama  |  Northwest Detroit Art Patrons - President 2 years  |  The Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan  |  Fort Malden Arts and Craft Guild, Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada  |  Founders Society Detroit Institute of Art  |  University of Michigan Artist and Craftsman Guild, Ann Arbor, Michigan  |  Great Lakes Maritime Institute, Detroit, Michigan, - Board of Directors 6 years  |  The Historical Society of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan  |  Downriver Arts and Crafts Guild - President 3 years  |  Taylor (Michigan) Council for the Arts - Board of Directors  |  Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association - Vice President and Board of Directors  |  Save our South Channel Lights (Lake St. Clair) - Board of Directors  |  Art Ambience - Executive Committee  |  Wyandotte Historical Society, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Grosse Ile Historical Society, Grosse Ile, Michigan  |  Great Lakes Historical Society, Vermillion, Ohio  |  Michigan Historical Society, Lansing, Michigan  |  Founders Society Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio  |  Ducks Unlimited - Numerous chapters  |  U.S. Lighthouse Society, California  |  Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse Society  |  Pharos International  |  Nova Scotia Lighthouse Society


ONE MAN SHOWS:
International Arts Center, Detroit, Michigan  |  Kenilworth Art Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan  |  The Gibson Gallery, Amherstburg Ontario, Canada  |  Mercy College, Detroit, Michigan  |  Coachhouse Gallery, Detroit, Michigan  |  Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Detroit ,Michigan  |  Municipal Building, Taylor, Michigan  |  Mt. Clemons Art Center, Mt. Clemons, Michigan  |  Goedeke Gallery, Mt. Clemons, Michigan  |  Lambert Brow Galleries, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Michigan Historical Museum, Lansing, Michigan Beacon and Bravery  |  Great Lakes Gallery, Grosse Ile, Michigan  |  Mill Creek Museum, Mackinac State Park, Mackinaw City, Michigan  |  Edan Gallery, Mt. Clemons, Michigan  |  Flint Public Library, Flint, Michigan  |  River’s Edge Gallery, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Port Huron Museum of Arts and History, Port Huron, Michigan  |  Great Lakes Marine Art Gallery, Greenbush, Michigan  |  Owosso Art Center, Owosso, Michigan  |  Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada


EXHIBITIONS: (REGIONAL AND NATIONAL)
16th Annual Regional Art Exhibition, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan  |  IAI Traveling Collection of Contemporary Art - Invitational  |  5th Annual Jefferson Arts Festival, Gretna, Louisiana  |  International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan, (1970 Honorable Mention)  |  1970 National Drawing Exhibition, San Francisco Museum of Art  |  36th Annual Exhibition of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers, Washington D.C.  |  Alumni Show, Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan  |  Flint Art Fair, Flint Michigan  |  Detroit Institute of Arts Rental Gallery, Detroit, Michigan, (Invitational)  |  Russel Woods Art Festival, Detroit, Michigan, 19970 Honorable Mention  |  Garden Art Festival, La Grange College, Pine Mountain, Georgia, 1970 Invitational  |  Stone Village Art Festival, Jackson, Michigan, 1970 National  |  Schuss Mountain Art Festival, Mancelona, Michigan 1970  |  10th Annual Salon of America Institute of Architects - Invitational  |  31st Annual Watercolor Competition, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Alabama  |  Beethoven Poster Contest - 1970 Honorable Mention  |  Greater New Orleans National Exhibition 1970  |  Creative Moods 1971, Detroit, Michigan - Honorable Mention  |  New Mexico Art League, National Small Drawing Exhibition - 1971  |  Saginaw Art Fair, Saginaw, Michigan - 1971 First Place  |  1971 Annual Art Exhibition, Gallery Paula Insel, New York - Invitational  |  The Oquinquit Art Center 52nd National Exhibition of Painters, Maine  |  Scarab Club Gold Medal Exhibition, Detroit, Michigan 1971 Second Place  |  18th Annual Drawing and Small Sculpture Exhibition, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas  |  Arts and Apples Judged Show, Rochester, Michigan - 1972 Honorable Mention  |  Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana - 1973  |  Nashville Art Fair, Nashville, Michigan - 1974 Best of Show  |  Tawas Art Fair, Tawas, Michigan 1974 - 1976 Honorable Mention  |  Purchase Awards, Lending Libraries, Bay City, Michigan 1974  |  Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1975 Juried  |  Fashion Square Mall Art Fair, Saginaw, Michigan  |  Art in the Park, Windsor, Ontario, Canada  |  Wisconsin Festival of Fine Arts, Milwaukee, Wisconsin - 1976  |  Charlevoix Art Fair, Charlevoix, Michigan  |  Hampton Square Mall Show, Bay City, Michigan, 1976 Best of Show  |  Art Ambience - 1989 Honorable Mention, Peoples Choice Award 1991  |  St. Clair Shores Art Fair - 1988 Second Place and Purchase Award, 1993 Honorable Mention  |  Wyandotte Street Art Fair, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Algonac Art Fair, Algonac, Michigan - 1992 Honorable Mention  |  Lexington Art Fair, Lexington, Michigan - 1992 and 1993 Honorable Mention  |  Virginia Highlands Festival, 22nd Annual Nation Art Show, Abingdon, Virginia - Third Place

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
Port Huron Museum of Arts and History, Port Huron , Michigan  |  Wayne State university, Detroit, Michigan  |  Solidarity House, Detroit, Michigan (Portrait of Walter Ruether)  |  Fort Wayne Military Museum, Detroit, Michigan  |  Mercy College, Detroit, Michigan  |  Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital, Detroit, Michigan  |  Dossin Great lakes Museum, Detroit, Michigan  |  The Professional Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio  |  University of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan  |  Marygrove, College, Detroit, Michigan  |  Michigan Humane Society, Detroit, Michigan  |  Prudential Insurance Company of America, Toledo, Ohio  |  Sombra Township Museum, Sombra, Ontario, Canada  |  Allen Park Public Library, Allen Park, Michigan  |  Brasscraft Manufacturing, Brownstown, Michigan  |  Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, Michigan  |  Champion Spark Plug of Canada Ltd., Windsor, Ontario, Canada  |  Murphy Diesel Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin  |  World shipping Inc., Terminal Office, Detroit, Michigan  |  People’s Bank of Port Huron, Port Huron, Michigan  |  Carbidex, Southgate, Michigan  |  CIL Chemicals Inc., River Rouge, Michigan  |  Charter National Bank, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, Newport, Michigan  |  New Presque Isle Lighthouse Museum, Presque Isle, Michigan  |  Great Lakes Shipping Company Restaurant, Grand Rapids, Michigan  |  Chautauqua County Armed Forces Memorial, Park Lighthouse Museum, Dunkirk, New York  |  Fairport Harbor Lighthouse Museum, Fairport, Ohio  |  Lighthouse Inn, Lighthouse Cove, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada (Lake St. Clair)  |  Tri Cities Historical Museum, Grand Haven, Michigan  |  Flint Library, Main Branch, Flint, Michigan  |  Security Bank and Trust, Southgate, Michigan  |  BASF Credit Union, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Red Roof Inn, Main Lobby, Taylor and Rochester, Michigan locations  |  Highway Contracting Services, Flat Rock, Michigan  |  Co-op Credit Union, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Wyandotte City Hall, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Riverside Osteopathic Hospital, Trenton, Michigan  |  Senator Donald Riegle, Senate Office Room, Washington D.C.  |  Governor James Blanchard, Capital Building, Lansing, Michigan  |  D.J. Gallaghers Restaurant, St. Clair, Michigan  |  Jesse Besser Museum, Alpena, Michigan  |  Battery Point Lighthouse Museum, Crescent City, California  |  Senator Gil DeNillo, State Capital, Lansing, Michigan  |  U.S. Coast Guard Base, Mt. Elliott, Detroit, Michigan  |  Shore Village Museum, Rockland, Maine  |  U.S. Coast Guard Station, St. Clair Shores, Michigan  |  Portofino Restaurant, Wyandotte, Michigan  |  Norfolk and Southern Railroad Corporate Headquarters, Roanoke, Virginia  |  Big Point Sable Lighthouse Museum, Ludington, Michigan  |  Big Bay Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, Big Bay, Michigan  |  Ford Yacht Club, Grosse Ile, Michigan  |  Great Lakes Steel Boat Club, River Rouge, Michigan  |  St. Clair Shores Public Library, St. Clair Shores, Michigan

This is a partial listing of public collections, there are many other companies and institutions in which Kuschel Art is represented,

AWARDS OF DISTINCTION:
Salute to Excellent Award 1996, Downriver Council of the Arts  |  University of Michigan Burn Center 1996  |  First Day Cover Illustration for Great Lakes Lighthouse Commemorative Stamps, June 17, 1995,  |  Cheboygan, Michigan   |  Historical Society of Michigan Award of Merit 1990  |  Minuteman Citation of Honor 1988  |  Numerous Stamp Cancel designs for the U.S. Postal Service

Leo Kuschel’s Art has been collected by thousands of people on this continent and throughout the world. A Kuschel painting or print hangs in every continent of the world.
 

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