30 ft long 'Post Card from New Orleans' made from recycled Mardi Gras beads

ns over a million recycled Mardi Gras beads. The artwork is called “Sanctuary of Alegria – Home of Happiness and showcases the skyline of New Orleans.”

14 months ago, Stephan began the tedious process of assembling over a million single-cut beads in order to create awareness for thousands of tons of annually discarded Mardi Gras beads that are destined to become landfill. The colorful mosaic “Sanctuary of Alegria” is now on display at his Galeria Alegria on 1924 Magazine St., in New Orleans until March 9, 2012. Then “Sanctuary of Alegria” will be auctioned off by the Make It Right Foundation to raise funds for the lower ninth ward, a neighborhood in New Orleans that was completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. About 97 % of all the beads that Stephan is using in his artworks, are recycled and many of them spray-painted. He continues to create huge mosaics that will help promote his adopted hometown and the state of Louisiana.

“Sanctuary of Alegria” showcases a view across the mighty Mississippi River towards downtown New Orleans, complete with the Natchez steamboat, the Carnival Triumph, the Italian tall ship “Amerigo Vespucci” (America received its name from Amerigo) and the German tall ship “Gorch Fock” because of Stephan’s heritage as he was born in Wilhelmshaven, Germany – a seaport on the North Sea.

“Sanctuary of Alegria”, is a very busy river scene to mark the 200th anniversary (1812 – 2012) of Louisiana’s attainment of statehood as the 18th state in the Union and stressing the great importance the Mississippi river has had in Louisiana. "I have always wanted to create a skyline and I believe this project will be the perfect attempt for competing for a Guinness World Record and do some good," says Stephán Wanger from his gallery located at 1924 Magazine St., in New Orleans. The community helped as well by signing the artwork, as Stephan has beaded out the signatures of over 300 people’s on this gigantic postcard to the world. Two weeks before completion many volunteers helped with filling in the sky and the water. The technique of cutting beads, using glue instead of hot glue and the process of creating these art works is new and Stephan gladly teaches it to students and in adult classes. It is an art form by the community for the community as many people drop off these Mardi Gras beads so Stephan can continue with his vision to promote New Orleans and the state of Louisiana in order to increase tourism. “The city of New Orleans has given me such a beautiful gift with this idea and I simply wanted to return the favor, that is why I donated the mural. What better way is there to have an artwork possible benefit a community?” asks Wanger. The record-breaking mosaic is part of the "A Million Greetings from New Orleans” exhibit that Stephán has been working on since 2006. The exhibit will eventually tour Europe to further promote New Orleans and hopefully increase tourism to the city. By signing this gigantic postcard Stephan hopes to create awareness to recycle Mardi Gras beads. For more information visit galeriaalegria.com or if you like to volunteer or drop off beads contact Stephán at (504) 400-4603. The world record attempt is sponsored by FuzziBunz Baby Products, Café Du Monde, PU Furniture, Ryan North Photography, St. Michael Special School, The Arc of Greater New Orleans. Collected Mardi Gras Beads can be dropped off at Galeria Alegria at 1914 Magazine Street of at St. Michael Special School or at the ARC of greater New Orleans. How did you get your start as an artist? Can you tell me a little bit about your background and your relationship with New Orleans? I am originally from Wilhelmshaven (near Hamburg), Germany and immigrated to Chicago in 1990. I have a BA in Marketing from Columbia College, Chicago. Under the leadership of Mayor Richard M. Daley and his brother, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and current Chief of Staff Mr. William Daley, I worked as a Director of Special Projects for the City of Chicago Host Committees for the 1994 World Cup Soccer Tournament and the 1996 Democratic National Convention with the sole responsibility of positioning Chicago in such a way as to get a world wide TV audience excited to consider traveling to Chicago. In 2000, I joined a Canadian Financial Software Company as Business Development Director in charge of Europe and North America with the task of increasing sales leads. During my tenure with the company I traveled a few times to New Orleans and fell in love with the city. After Hurricane Katrina I decided to move to New Orleans to help rebuild the city.


2. What first inspired you to use Mardi Gras beads in your work? After my first Mardi Gras parade in the city I noticed the insane amount of beads that were thrown and hauled away at the cost of taxpayers. I couldn't believe it. I started to use reclaimed Mardi Gras beads and glued them onto plastic planters. I showed my first pieces around town but feedback were like, "Stephan, don't waste your energy or talents. A lot of artists melt or make art out of beads." From my humble efforts on the planters I learned that I was constantly limited by the size of the beads. So in order for me to show detail, I had to make larger visuals. After work and on the weekends I progressed creating these murals. For a couple of years I still got no response when reaching out. I applied to all these artist supporting organizations in New Orleans in order to display or sell my art but was flat out denied by all of them. Instead of giving up Mardi Gras Bead art I made it my mission.

3. How does your medium impact viewers' experience of your work? I am executing my work in a photo-realistic style. I re-create scenes, images, and icons of Louisiana to help bring awareness to the world of the innate beauty and wonder of the state's unique culture and varied communities. When folks walk by the gallery, I hear them just say, "Oh bead art." But when they walk in you will hear them say most of the time, "Amazing, WOW, or I can't believe those works are made out of Mardi Gras beads." They touch the art and ask me while touching the art if it is ok to touch the art, they take pictures of my art and while taking pictures they ask me if it is ok to take pictures. I always say, "Hey, those are Mardi Gras beads they are supposed to be touched and have pictures taken off of them. How can I say "NO" to that? It has been overwhelming for me. My gallery is located on 1924 Magazine Street and has been open for 18 months now. It's all been a very humbling experience for me.

4. Who/What are some of your artistic influences? Through my experiences traveling the world, I have gained insight and influence from the Spanish Art Nouveau designs of Antoni Gaudi, the Moorish and Persian architectural details in Istanbul,Turkey, and the sculpture and environmental art of Chicago artist and friend John David Mooney. These designs and images have translated to my work in pattern, design and fine detail. Though I am not formally trained as an artist, I engage in a craft that speaks to fine art, and I do borrow the ideals of Post-Impressionistic Pointillism and emulating the style and scale of Roy Lichtenstein's Pop-Art works.

5. You stress recycling and conservation of materials. Why is art such a powerful tool in delivering this message? I want to bring attention to the prevention of global warming through the promotion of recycling old materials. Mardi Gras parades generate about 10,000 tons of trash along the entire Gulf Coast – every year. Most of the trash is beads, lots of beads. If you add the tonnage of Mardi Gras beads thrown of the last 50 years together, you have the tonnage of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The difference is that the Oil in the Gulf dilutes, the beads in landfills - not. What starts as a happy string of beads being thrown to a smiling catcher gets worn for a couple of hours – and then goes into storage. The rest, the most unlucky beads, are being hauled to the next landfill. It is my mission to capture the excitement of the thrower to the catcher – and through art make that happiness everlasting. Nothing beats the smell of brand new merchandise. A consumer-based society changes old habits slowly. It's my personal challenge always to make my art smell and look brand new.

6. How do you decide your subject matter? First, my art has to promote the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans in such a unique way that it will generate interest in our city and motivate exhibit visitors to travel to New Orleans and Louisiana. Then I decide what's my current emotional state of mind. My large works take such a long time to create (we are talking months) that I really have to select something that comes from the deepest spot of my heart. I really have to relate to it. When I created NOLA's Resilience last year I went through an extremely difficult time of my life. The remembering of the 5th year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I felt that all of Louisiana wanted to bury Katrina, so I visually buried it and with it the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. We executed a Jazz Funeral on Canal Street to unveil NOLA's Resilience at the JW Marriott New Orleans.

7. Can you describe your technique and your artistic process? In preparation for the formal construction of each artwork, beads are meticulously sorted by size down to the exact millimeter and perfect shade, creating a detailed and varied palette much like a painter would for painting. The key is cutting all beads off the strand. I am using E-6000 as an adhesive because it gives me the flexibility when applying the beads as tightly as possible. I use really tiny beads to fill any gaps. Additionally, the resulting play of light and color add a new dimension of glitter and shine through the use of metallic, plastic and luminescent beads. Like the disco balls. I create illusion of three-dimensional space through the use of perspective but also the variety of sizes of the beads I use to create actual dimension and add an element of bas-relief.

8. How does your art relate to people outside of New Orleans? People in New Orleans? Folks really love to take home a piece of New Orleans. I have sold artworks to Europe, Canada and Asia. I am glad to say that I have accepted large scale mural commissions from Phoenix, AZ and Jacksonville, FL all the way through February, and because these works take so long to create I can barely keep up the demand to have smaller pieces displayed in local businesses. I still see first hand how New Orleans and Louisiana still suffer after Katrina and the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Musicians still need more bookings. The lower ninth ward still needs help. I am working closely with many not-for-profit organizations and have donated to anyone who has asked. I am very thankful of the opportunities this country has given me and am honored that I can give back a little bit. I am deeply humbled that I am allowed to do art on a full-time basis, using mostly recycled materials and promote Louisiana at the same time.