"Agnes" by Darla Leclair
There are plenty of similarities between the visual arts and the written word, and a local art gallery has put that on display. Darla Leclair is the owner of the Basil Ishkabibble’s Art Gallery in Two Rivers.
Recently, Leclair was a guest on the Hello Lakeshore Podcast. She spoke with hosts Craig and Ruby about the somewhat odd name for her gallery, explaining that she had named her first car Basil Ishkabibble. When she got a new car, she said the name just didn’t fit the character, so she sat on the name for decades. Then, when she decided to open up the gallery she thought “It’s perfect.”
Leclair’s gallery focuses on featuring local artists, with most coming from the Manitowoc County area, but some also come from the Sheboygan and Green Bay areas. She explained that she features local artists because there are only a “smattering of galleries” in the area where they can share their artwork.
Her newest exhibit is called Art as Poetry/Poetry as Art, which was done in conjunction with the Lakeshore Artists Guild. “It’s kind of a call and response type of relationship between the written word and visual art,” LeClair explained. “There were poets who wrote poems that inspired artists to paint pictures, and there were paintings which were created to inspire poets to write new poetry.” Leclair says it is really interesting to see how others interpret the works of their fellow artists in a different medium. She participated in the project, and said seeing a piece of art inspired by one of her poems was “a real thrill.” Basil Ishkabibble’s Art Gallery, located at 1612 Washington St in Two Rivers, is currently open to the public following a month and a half closure due to COVID-19. The exhibit is open for viewing from 10:00 to 5:00 PM Thursday through Saturdays through July 10th, or by appointment.
To schedule an appointment, call 920-645-4896.
