Bruce Loeschen / Artist

Bruce Loeschen’s pen and ink montages have reflected the architectural and historic spirit of small towns throughout the country for over 25 years.

Combining local landmarks and figures with the commercial landscape, Loeschen’s portrait’s are a time capsule, capturing one moment in the life of a city. With what critics have described as Victorian style, Loeschen creates a distinguished rendering of modern structures. The foundation incorporates the roots and location of the city, working upwards towards the contemporary skyline.

The pieces have been popular with local residents and businesses even years later, acting as reminders of the cityscapes from their past. In 1979, his first piece, of Austin, Minn., was a surprise hit, prompting a one-man show that traveled through many states. As his popularity increased, he was commissioned to do more montages of local areas and eventually on a national level with Community Creations, Inc. Corporations, school districts and family reunions have also employed Loeschen’s unique montage style. In 2001, he completed a montage celebrating the sesquicentennial of Wartburg College, with religious features represented in the context of the World Trade Center attacks of September 11th.

Loeschen received his Bachelor of Arts in art education from Wartburg College. He received graduate credits from the University of Minnesota and received his Masters Degree at Bank Street College and Parson’s School of Design in New York, New York. He also completed summer studies in Cuernavaca, Mexico City, Mexico, and Taos, New Mexico.

In his career, he has created nearly 500 city and 20 corporate, personal and school montages and has been featured in Arts and Activities magazine and Illinois Prairie Visions.

He has been an art instructor at Southland ISD 500, Art Instruction schools, Minneapolis, U of W summer Indian Head and Austin MN High School. At Austin he received the first Apple Award for Excellence in Education, and various distinguished, honorable and Mentorship Teacher Awards.

Other activities include:

• 25 commemorative prints placed aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1981 for its third mission. He is the only artist ever to receive this honor.
• Illustrator for the Hormel Foods Inc. Centennial Poster.
• The best-in-show award at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in 1988.
• Two 1,000 square-foot murals for Wartburg College commemorating the school’s heritage.