Leo Kuschel has had over five years of formal education on the University level and has spent over 40 years working to improve his art. He has traveled extensively throughout the Great Lakes Region (United States and Canada) searching out the many art museums and galleries to further study the visual arts. During these travels, the exploration of the lighthouses and boats are recorded by him through his photography, drawings and paintings.

Leo spent his adolescent years in Detroit and Port Huron, Michigan always by the water; this along with the fact that three of his uncles served in the United States Lighthouse Service ( Great Lakes Region), has inspired him to devote his creative energies to record the maritime history of the Great Lakes.

For a span of 10 years the Historical Society of Michigan published an annual Great Lakes Lighthouse Calendar featuring pen and ink drawings by Leo and short stories written by both Leo and his wife Sue Kuschel.

In October 1991, Leo was commissioned by the German American Committee - U. S. A.. to create a painting depicting the fellowship between the two countries. The original painting was presented to then President George Bush as he signed documents declaring October 6th as German American day here in the United States. This painting hung in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington D.C. until the End of his presidential term. A limited edition print, entitled ‘Lights of Peace and Friendship’, was made from the original.

Meinzinger Art School, Detroit ,Michigan 1957 to 1960
The Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan 1960 to 1961

Watercolor Society of Michigan

Watercolor Society of Alabama

Northwest Detroit Art Patrons - President 2 years

The Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan

Fort Malden Arts and Craft Guild, Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada

Founders Society Detroit Institute of Art

University of Michigan Artist and Craftsman Guild, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Great Lakes Maritime Institute, Detroit, Michigan, - Board of Directors 6 years

The Historical Society of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Downriver Arts and Crafts Guild - President 3 years

Taylor (Michigan) Council for the Arts - Board of Directors

Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association - Vice President and Board of Directors

Save our South Channel Lights (Lake St. Clair) - Board of Directors

Art Ambience - Executive Committee

Wyandotte Historical Society, Wyandotte, Michigan

Grosse Ile Historical Society, Grosse Ile, Michigan

Great Lakes Historical Society, Vermillion, Ohio

Founders Society Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio

Ducks Unlimited - Numerous chapters

U.S. Lighthouse Society, California

Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse Society

Pharos International

Nova Scotia Lighthouse Society

International Arts Center, Detroit, Michigan

Kenilworth Art Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan

The Gibson Gallery, Amherstburg Ontario, Canada

Mercy College, Detroit, Michigan

Coachhouse Gallery, Detroit, Michigan

Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Detroit ,Michigan

Municipal Building, Taylor, Michigan

Mt. Clemons Art Center, Mt. Clemons, Michigan

Goedeke Gallery, Mt. Clemons, Michigan

Lambert Brow Galleries, Wyandotte, Michigan

Michigan Historical Museum, Lansing, Michigan Beacon and Bravery’

Great Lakes Gallery, Grosse Ile, Michigan

Mill Creek Museum, Mackinac State Park, Mackinaw City, Michigan

Edan Gallery, Mt. Clemons, Michigan

Flint Public Library, Flint, Michigan

River’s Edge Gallery, Wyandotte, Michigan

Port Huron Museum of Arts and History, Port Huron, Michigan

Great Lakes Marine Art Gallery, Greenbush, Michigan

Owosso Art Center, Owosso, Michigan

Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

EXHIBITIONS (REGIONAL AND NATIONAL):

16th Annual Regional Art Exhibition, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

IAI Traveling Collection of Contemporary Art - Invitational

5th Annual Jefferson Arts Festival, Gretna, Louisiana

International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan, (1970 Honorable Mention)

1970 National Drawing Exhibition, San Francisco Museum of Art

36th Annual Exhibition of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers, Washington D.C.

Alumni Show, Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan

Flint Art Fair, Flint Michigan

Detroit Institute of Arts Rental Gallery, Detroit, Michigan, (Invitational)

Russel Woods Art Festival, Detroit, Michigan, 19970 Honorable Mention

Garden Art Festival, La Grange College, Pine Mountain, Georgia, 1970 Invitational

Stone Village Art Festival, Jackson, Michigan, 1970 National

Schuss Mountain Art Festival, Mancelona, Michigan 1970

10th Annual Salon of America Institute of Architects - Invitational

31st Annual Watercolor Competition, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Alabama

Beethoven Poster Contest - 1970 Honorable Mention

Greater New Orleans National Exhibition 1970

Creative Moods 1971, Detroit, Michigan - Honorable Mention

Saginaw Art Fair, Saginaw, Michigan - 1971 First Place

1971 Annual Art Exhibition, Gallery Paula Insel, New York - Invitational

The Oquinquit Art Center 52nd National Exhibition of Painters, Maine

Scarab Club Gold Medal Exhibition, Detroit, Michigan 1971 Second Place

18th Annual Drawing and Small Sculpture Exhibition, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas

Arts and Apples Judged Show, Rochester, Michigan - 1972 Honorable Mention

Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana - 1973

Nashville Art Fair, Nashville, Michigan - 1974 Best of Show

Tawas Art Fair, Tawas, Michigan 1974 - 1976 Honorable Mention

Purchase Awards, Lending Libraries, Bay City, Michigan 1974

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1975 Juried

Fashion Square Mall Art Fair, Saginaw, Michigan

Art in the Park, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Wisconsin Festival of Fine Arts, Milwaukee, Wisconsin - 1976

Charlevoix Art Fair, Charlevoix, Michigan

Hampton Square Mall Show, Bay City, Michigan, 1976 Best of Show

Art Ambience - 1989 Honorable Mention, Peoples Choice Award 1991

St. Clair Shores Art Fair - 1988 Second Place and Purchase Award, 1993 Honorable Mention

Wyandotte Street Art Fair, Wyandotte, Michigan

Algonac Art Fair, Algonac, Michigan - 1992 Honorable Mention

Lexington Art Fair, Lexington, Michigan - 1992 and 1993 Honorable Mention

Virginia Highlands Festival, 22nd Annual Nation Art Show, Abingdon, Virginia - Third Place

Port Huron Museum of Arts and History, Port Huron , Michigan

Wayne State university, Detroit, Michigan

Solidarity House, Detroit, Michigan (Portrait of Walter Ruether)

Fort Wayne Military Museum, Detroit, Michigan

Mercy College, Detroit, Michigan

Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital, Detroit, Michigan

Dossin Great lakes Museum, Detroit, Michigan

The Professional Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio

University of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan

Marygrove, College, Detroit, Michigan

Michigan Humane Society, Detroit, Michigan

Prudential Insurance Company of America, Toledo, Ohio

Sombra Township Museum, Sombra, Ontario, Canada

Allen Park Public Library, Allen Park, Michigan

Brasscraft Manufacturing, Brownstown, Michigan

Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, Michigan

Champion Spark Plug of Canada Ltd., Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Murphy Diesel Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

World shipping Inc., Terminal Office, Detroit, Michigan

People’s Bank of Port Huron, Port Huron, Michigan

Carbidex, Southgate, Michigan

CIL Chemicals Inc., River Rouge, Michigan

Charter National Bank, Wyandotte, Michigan

Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, Newport, Michigan

Great Lakes Shipping Company Restaurant, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Chautauqua County Armed Forces Memorial, Park Lighthouse Museum, Dunkirk, New York

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse Museum, Fairport, Ohio

Lighthouse Inn, Lighthouse Cove, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada (Lake St. Clair)

Tri Cities Historical Museum, Grand Haven, Michigan

Flint Library, Main Branch, Flint, Michigan

Security Bank and Trust, Southgate, Michigan

BASF Credit Union, Wyandotte, Michigan

Red Roof Inn, Main Lobby, Taylor and Rochester, Michigan locations

Highway Contracting Services, Flat Rock, Michigan

Co-op Credit Union, Wyandotte, Michigan

Wyandotte City Hall, Wyandotte, Michigan

Riverside Osteopathic Hospital, Trenton, Michigan

Senator Donald Riegle, Senate Office Room, Washington D.C.

Governor James Blanchard, Capital Building, Lansing, Michigan

D>J> Gallaghers Restaurant, St. Clair, Michigan

Jesse Besser Museum, Alpena, Michigan

Battery Point Lighthouse Museum, Crescent City, California

Senator Gil DeNillo, State Capital, Lansing, Michigan

U.S. Coast Guard Base, Mt. Elliott, Detroit, Michigan

Shore Village Museum, Rockland, Maine

U.S. Coast Guard Station, St. Clair Shores, Michigan

Portofino Restaurant, Wyandotte, Michigan

Norfolk and Southern Railroad Corporate Headquarters, Roanoke, Virginia

Big Point Sable Lighthouse Museum, Ludington, Michigan

Big Bay Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, Big Bay, Michigan

Ford Yatch Club, Grosse Ile, Michigan

Great Lakes Steel Boat Club, River Rouge, Michigan

St. Clair Shores Public Library, St. Clair Shores, Michigan

This is a partial listing of public collections, there are many other companies and institutions in which Kuschel Art is represented,

Salute to Excellent Award 1996, Downriver Council of the Arts

University of Michigan Burn Center 1996

First Day Cover Illustration for Great Lakes Lighthouse Commemorative Stamps, June 17, 1995,

Cheboygan, Michigan

Historical Society of Michigan Award of Merit 1990

Minuteman Citation of Honor 1988

Numerous Stamp Cancel designs for the U.S. Postal Service

Leo Kuschel’s Art has been collected by thousands of people on this continent and throughout the world. A Kuschel painting or print hangs in every continent of the world.