About

LOUIS SHANKS FURNITURE & KMFA CLASSICAL 89.5 PRESENT

ART & DESIGN GALLERY OPENING

FEATURING

ARTIST STEVE WILLGREN & DESIGN BY PRESIDENT/OWNER OF LOUIS SHANKS MIKE FORWOOD

Thursday, January 5 from 6-8pm | Louis Shanks Furniture

KMFA and Louis Shanks Furniture are excited to present Art & Design, a program that pairs local and regional artists with designers to create a custom gallery on the showroom inside Louis Shanks Furniture. Art & Design shows the art to the viewer in a natural setting as it might appear in a home or in an office.

We invite you to the Art & Design gallery opening featuring artist Steve Willgren and interior design by President/Owner of Louis Shanks Mike Forwood on Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Louis Shanks Furniture. Enjoy light bites The Pretty Farmer and sips by Tito's Handmade Vodka, Milam & Greene Bourbon, and Chawar Agave Spirit, as well as a performance by Justice Phillips from Austin Classical Guitar.

Like wine? Taste BOXT wine and learn about their award winning wines from Napa to your doorstep!

About Steve Willgren, Artist

Houston native Steve Willgren was raised in Austin, Texas, where he still lives. Steve attended the University of Texas and received a BFA in Fine Art in 1981. He worked as an art teacher while continuing to paint and exhibit his work in small art festivals around central Texas. After a few years, Steve put aside his brushes and began a career as a professional graphic designer. After 30 years of designing brochures, ads, newsletters and web sites, he decided he needed go back to his creative roots and start painting again. Years of working on the computer became very limiting and confining so he decided to workin a bold, colorful technique. Southwestern artists, John Nieto and Jeff Ham’s dynamic style and bold colors have been big influences. Steve’s career as a graphic artist continues to strongly influence his aesthetic and thematic approach to painting. He has always had a fascination with the Native American culture and iconology, which is reflected in his work. His paintings utilize intense vibrant colors, applied in bold strokes to give dimension and character to the canvas in order to capture the unique imagery and essence of the Southwest and the Native American culture.

About Mike Forwood, Designer

Mike Forwood is the president of Louis Shanks of Texas, Inc.  He is the grandson of the founder of the company, Louis Shanks.   Like most family businesses Mike has participated in all aspects of the business from an early age, and after receiving his degree from the University of Texas in 1982, he helped transform the company into a top 100 retailer with showrooms in Austin, San Antonio and Houston.  Louis Shanks remains one of the few “big box” high-end showrooms left in the country and now has a solid group of forth generation family members playing key rolls in the store’s operations.  Over the years, Mike has headed up and designed many residential and commercial project across the country. Most recently, Mike designed and furnished high-end lodges in Montana and Utah. Mike enjoys these types of challenges and designing the spaces with Steve Willgren’s artwork poses a fun and exciting project inside his own walls.

About Justice Phillips, Austin Classical Guitar

Phillips began playing guitar in 6th grade at Fulmore, now Lively Middle School. He was part of some of Austin Classical Guitar's first education programs in schools, and has now come full circle to become Box Office/Patrons Services Director & Composer. Justice attended high school at McCallum Fine Arts Academy, playing guitar under Andrew Clark, while taking private lessons with Dr. Steve Kostelnik. After high school, he attended the University of Texas before graduating in 2018 with a degree in Music Composition and Classical Guitar.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, January 5
• Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Venue: Louis Shanks Furniture

Ticket Information

• Cost: FREE
• Phone: 15125274739

Presenter Details

• Name: Louis Shanks Furniture

At Louis Shanks, we're furniture people; 4 generations in fact. It's what we do. In fact, its all we've ever done. And we've gotten pretty good at it. But it really isn't just about finding the right furniture for our customers. We really do live to help families love where they live. Regardless of the size or expense of their home, the right furniture and home furnishings turns a house into a home. It sets the stage for your life's moments. We want our customers to build environments where they can enjoy their families, and live their most authentic lives.

Venue Details