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NU native opens show at 4 Pillars Gallery

Staff photo by Fritz Busch New Ulm native Bob Nonnemacher prepares for the opening reception for “The Division of Space” 7 to 9 p.m., Friday, Aug. 10 at the 4 Pillars Gallery at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture, 210 N. Minnesota St.

NEW ULM — New Ulm native Bob Nonnemacher opens “The Division of Space” with a 7 to 9 p.m. reception at the 4 Pillars Gallery at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture Aug. 10.

Nonnemacher’s abstract canvases were designed using bold lines and geometric shapes. He used contrasting techniques, painting both sides of the canvas.

He cut the canvas apart, laying the two styles side by side, then glued them together The result creates an optical energy in the final image.

Now living in Gurnee, Il., north of Chicago, Nonnemacher talked about his art ability was discovered at a tender age.

“I was a nuisance at my grandma’s (Alvina Nonnemacher’s) house at age four,” Nonnemacher said. “She told me to draw something for her, so I drew a statue of a horse that was in the house.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Art at Winona State University, Nonnemacher started a thriving publishing career as a designer, art coordinator, art buyer, illustrator and project manager that covered 30 years. He worked at a number of world-renowned publishing houses that specialized in children’s textbooks.

Three years ago, Nonnemacher showed Native American portraits. In so doing, he described his world as “exploring the history and spirituality of himself and the rich, indigenous cultures of America.”

He viewed his colorful Native American art as “more than sepia (reddish-brown) toned images engraved in our social consciousness from inaccurate, misleading schoolbooks and exaggerated caricatures from early television.”

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.

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