World’s Largest Mosaic made out of recycled Mardi Gras Beads is completed

New Orleans, LA - Stephan has completed the World’s largest mosaic ever made out of beads. The size of the work is 8 feet tall by 30 feet wide and contains 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. Over 300 people have signed the artwork and Stephan beaded out their signatures in the water and the sky. Many volunteers have cut thousands of beads and helped fill in the sky and water to finish the project. Thank you all so much.

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WELCOME TO GALERIA ALEGRIA

Stephán Wanger is a self-taught artist who channels his creative energy into assembling dazzling mosaics using recycled Mardi Gras beads. Working in a photo-realistic style, Mr. Wanger re-creates 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.

Through his experiences traveling the world, Mr. Wanger has gained insight and influence from the Spanish Art Nouveau designs of Antoni Gaudi, the Moorish and Persian architectural details in Istanbul, Turkey, and the the sculpture and environmental art of Chicago artist and friend John David Mooney. These designs and images have translated to his work in pattern, design and fine detail. Though Mr. Wanger is not formally trained as an artist, he engages in a craft that speaks to fine art, borrowing the ideals of Post-Impresssionistic Pointillism and emulating the style and scale of Roy Lichtenstein's Pop-Art works. By approaching each piece with superior craftsmanship, Mr. Wanger has elevated what might be considered kitsch because of the whimsical materials he uses, and brings a level of "high art" to his craft.

In preparation for the formal construction of each piece, 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 resulting play of light and color recalls several Post-Impressionistic artists' works while adding a new dimension of glitter and shine through the use of metallic, plastic and luminescent beads. The illusion of three-dimensional space is often created through the use of perspective but also the variety of sizes of the beads he uses to create actual dimension add an element of bas-relief. The finished works are stunning to regard both from distance and upon close inspection of his fine craftsmanship.

Part of Mr. Wanger's goal is in using recycled materials for his pieces. Not only does he collect discarded beads throughout Mardi Gras in an effort to clean post-parade debris, but also, he regularly visits salvage yards to gather additional materials for his work. Through his art, Mr. Wanger hopes to inspir e the citizens of Louisiana to recycle and to create, and the the rest of the world to appreciate and gain fondness for the unique culture and natural beauty that Louisiana has to offer. The exhibit is called "A Million Greetings from New Orleans."

Noticing how pessimistic the city of New Orleans had become after the hurricane nearly destroyed it completely, Stephán formed Galeria Alegria (Alegria means Happiness in several Latin languages) in order to promote New Orleans to an international audience starting in 2012. Galeria Alegria is located at 1924 Magazine Street in New Orleans. Stop on by.