Bill Hemmerling
Bill Hemmerling is the 2006 recipient of the Northshore
Regional Endowment For the Arts' Life Achievement Award. Bill epitomizes
the goals of the award and that is to honor those from this region that have
made notable achievements in their life because of their talent in the arts.
In addition, Bill has a strong commitment to the preservation of the culture of
Southeast Louisiana and also to the education of children of this region with
respect to the arts.
The Influence of southern folk culture and many diverse life experiences are
incorporated into the eclectic painting of William Hemmerling. Bill was born in
Chicago and moved to Ponchatoula, Louisiana in 1977. Upon retirement in March
2002, he finally found time to paint from the heart. He is an untrained artist,
yet his work reflects sophistication and creativity in both subject matter and
the use of unusual materials. Bill is constantly searching for and using found
or recycled materials for his one-of-a-kind creations.
There is an element of fantasy in much of his work and he often paints well
into the early morning hours. He explores various themes of New Orleans Jazz
musicians, Down By the River, nudes
and
famous artists and authors. But, he is best known for his series of Southern
African American folk culture depicting life in the old south entitled "Sweet
Olive". The Sweet Olive images are copyrighted and trademarked.
His love of people, his enthusiasm and his humble, "offbeat" nature bring a
definite excitement and energy to his folk art.
In the words of Bill Hemmerling, "One day when I let God out of the box I
built, he danced with me".
Copied below is an article that appear Inside Northside
Magazine written by local photographer, Margaret Hawkins.
Mrs. Hawkins photographed and made the
Strawberry Jam's
poster in 2002.
You know you have
arrived at Bill Hemmerling’s Ponchatoula gallery when you see an old rusty car
door with “Visit Rock City” hand painted on it leaning near the entrance of the
Louisiana Furniture Gallery.
Opening the old wood frame glass door is like opening a treasure chest. Fresh
country air combines with the clean scent of wood that softly envelops the
visitor. Waiting in the unpretentious gallery rooms is a variety of pieces made
of wood by many imaginative artists. Original photography and art scales the
walls from floor to ceiling.
In the back of this most unconventional place, through an extraordinary doorway,
is a warehouse of a room filled with painted wonders and a sense of peace—the
perfect setting for Hemmerling’s gallery. Leaves of a tall palm in the middle of
the room are gently moved by an old fan. A footed bathtub in a corner is the
recipient of softly trickling streams of water from a fountain made of an old
watering can and a bucket. Orange and mottled carp are at home in the pool at
the bottom of the tub. A tufted leather sofa and chairs made from limbs live
nearby in eccentric harmony.
And all around, covering walls 15 feet high, are Hemmerling’s paintings, on
every sort of found item.
He doesn’t buy paint. It just appears after people finish their painting
projects. He doesn’t use canvas. The surfaces are materials he finds on side
streets or other unlikely places, or that also appear as if by magic.
One friend brought pieces from a dismantled barn. Old doors, windows, louvered
screens, paneling, tin and wire screens find a new use. “Unusual stuff,”
Hemmerling says.
Bill used to be a runner, but gave it up for ice cream. Fortunately, before he
discovered his main food group, he happened to stop at the gallery during a run
and saw that the walls were empty.
Being of a positive mindset, he reasoned, “I can paint and help their walls look
good, and maybe sell a picture.” Shortly after that, he found wood that had
fallen off a truck. Then he found a big piece of tin and some cans of paint on
the side of the road. His art career had begun.
As Carol Siekkinen, Louisiana Furniture Gallery director, explains, “Bill paints
from the heart. There’s no formal training. He really has extreme talent, and is
a tremendous draw for the gallery.”
Bill Hemmerling is not completely without training, however. For many years, the
Chicago native worked as a “visual supervisor” for Sears stores.
“I was the ‘decorator police,’” he says. Presentation standards had to be met,
and he made sure the guidelines were followed and that the stores maintained a
comfortable continuity in the format. No matter where a Sears customer shopped,
it felt familiar.
Bill’s subjects are diverse, but center around a type of life found mainly in
the rural South. Black women and children in church-related activities, or black
men immersed in their music, seem to predominate. There is an inherent sincerity
and dignity throughout his works, and often a spiritual theme. He says, “One day
when I let God out of the box I built, he danced with me.”
The ordinary definitely can take on the extraordinary when Bill finds a subject
interesting. The quietness of a single chair in an empty room seems magical.
Discarded window screens are turned into an eccentric, fascinating canvas that
can merge with the surface behind it. Scenes painted on assorted lengths of old
ceiling boards seem to have levitated from the wall.
His talent breathes new life into familiar New Orleans scenes. He paints an
occasional still life, or even a self-portrait, but those are infrequent. His
work was just recently accepted by the Hemisphere Gallery of the Dallas Market
Center.
And in 2003, Bill Hemmerling set a New Orleans JazzFest sales record. There must
be something to that ice cream diet!
Bill Hemmerling’s gallery is located within the Louisiana Furniture Gallery at
495 Southwest Railroad Avenue in Ponchatoula.
Copyright 2004, M&L
Publishing, all rights reserved
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