Stephan Wanger's Sanctuary of Algeria - pending confirmation by Guinness, a world record setting mosaic!
Tonight I attended a small soiree at Stephan Wanger’s studio, Galeria Alegria, where I had the pleasure of viewing his magnificent mosaics. The above mosaid has over one million Mardi Gras beads in it and, pending confirmation by Guinness, it sets the world record for the most beads in a mosaic. It features the New Orleans waterfront as well as the ships that are famous for their travel just off its shore.
The Krewe of assistants that helped Stephan in one way or another with his mosaic
The gathering was in honor of the many friends of Stephan that helped him in one way or another in the completion of this huge undertaking. I had the fortune of an invite via a local New Orleans writer, Dionne Charlet (seen here putting bunny ears over her husband Keith’s head!)
In the skyline are hundreds of signatures of local people Stephan invited to sign the mosaic
This huge 8 foot by 30 foot piece of artwork has the signatures of hundreds of local New Orleans residents embedded in the skyline and will tour Europe as a Post Card from New Orleans. Stephan does this to raise awareness of the city and to encourage tourism and the artwork will be sold with the funds going for the recovery of New Orlean’s 9th Ward.
Guests relax and chat
While not the focus of the party, the Galeria Alegria is full of Mr. Wanger’s mosaics.
Even the bathroom is a display room!
Even the bathroom is a display for Mr. Wanger’s art. Though not part of his artwork, he displays a poster from House of Blues in Chicago where he spent some time in the past. He has often visited Chicago and Detroit and spent some time there when he first arrived in the US from his homeland, Germany.
Notice there are missing Fleur de Lis in the pattern of the veil on this image
As you look at this beautiful mosaic of a veiled woman, note that the veil pattern of Fleur De Lis is broken with a missing Fleur De Lis on the left side of her mouth, in memory of those who were lost to New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.
For more photos from my visit with Stephan Wanger at Galeria Alegria, check out my photo album!
John N. Collins is a writer, photographer, game & coloring book designer and a bad dancer.
Any resemblance to the King John character is merely a coincidence.
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