Milwaukee VA helps fulfill artistic Veteran's dying wish
By David Walter, Public Affairs Specialist
A Veteran’s dying wish to have his artwork seen in a museum was fulfilled recently.
U.S. Air Force Veteran Mike Karlovich, 78, who has lived at the Milwaukee VA for 27 years, was recently diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, given only a few months to live.
When the longtime artist mentioned that he’d always wanted to see his work hanging in a museum, the staff at the Community Home where he resides sprang into action.
The result? Three pieces of Karlovich’s artwork were viewed during a private group visit on Friday, March 13, at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
The germ of the idea came when Karlovich and his fellow Veterans took a trip to the museum about a year ago.
“I looked around and said, ‘Someday I’m going to have something hanging here,’” he said.
At the time, it was more of a pipe dream. But when the diagnosis came down a few weeks ago, case manager Katelynne Klein remembered Karlovich’s wishful statement and set about making it come true.
Klein reached out to recreation therapist Laura Madisen, who helped connect Klein with the museum. From there, things moved quickly, and Karlovich’s pieces were viewed at the museum with family, friends, VA staff and Karlovich’s fellow CLC residents in attendance.
“When I found out, I started bawling my eyes out,” Klein said. “Our goal is to give Mr. Karlovich his flowers while he’s still with us.”
“When we told him, it brought a tear to his eye,” said Michelle Metzger, nurse manager for the Community Homes. “This is really important to him.”
'This brings happiness to my life'
Karlovich said he’s happy to see his wish come true.
“It’s a big deal. I’ve made the big time,” he said. “This is what I’ve dedicated my life to after a couple of strokes. This brings happiness to my life.”
At the gathering, Karlovich received congratulations and well wishes from the attendees, and was visibly moved when he saw his work in the museum.
“This is a special moment,” Madisen said. “It felt good to see this come full circle.”
The pieces viewed:
- A likeness of boxer Joe Louis, inspired by Karlovich meeting the former champ at Caesar’s Palace in the late 1960s. When he created the piece, Karlovich said he was winding crepe when he found that it reminded him of Louis after a boxing match.
- Dried flowers on a canvas of ceiling tile. While living in the domiciliary at the Milwaukee VA, Karlovich would plant flowers in the garden, then pick and press them for his art. Having no traditional canvas available, he used discarded ceiling tiles as his canvas.
- A Picasso-inspired portrait. Karlovich rendered the colorful image after seeing Picasso’s work at the Milwaukee Art Museum. It earned him first place in the 2021 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.
A lifetime away from art
Karlovich hasn’t always been an artist. The Milwaukee native served in the Air Force for 3½ years starting in 1965. Stationed in North Dakota, his job was to aid soldiers manning the missile silos.
After leaving the service, he stayed in North Dakota, taking classes at Minot State University. He studied art and political science for three years but had to leave his studies behind when news came that his father was in failing health.
Returning to Milwaukee, Karlovich took his place in the family’s restaurant business after his father’s death, putting away his art supplies.
“I never did a piece of art for 32 years because I was running a business,” he said.
He had a stroke in 1999, which led to him moving into the Milwaukee VA’s domiciliary and eventually into the Community Living Centers, which are VA nursing homes. As part of his recovery, he picked up his art again and has been pursuing it ever since.
He still has the first piece he rendered after his stroke — a pencil drawing featuring a person in profile. Because the stroke affected his motor skills, he said he created the piece by holding the pencil as steadily as possible, then moving the paper under it.
Art everywhere
His artwork plasters the walls of his room; nearly every space — even in the bathroom — is occupied with something he created.
His pieces consistently earn honors in the annual Veterans Creative Arts Festival, and one of his pieces was donated to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The piece was an abstract depiction of the Deer District and teams running up and down the basketball court.
Most of his work is abstract, and he said he also draws inspiration from the works of Picasso and Van Gogh.
He often uses found materials in his work, including pencil shavings, coffee filters and pill cups. One piece bears the charred remains of an overcooked meal; another is made from discarded cardboard. And one features a clown with the fangs of a vampire.
He has sold and donated numerous pieces, and his two daughters have a number of pieces as well.
A soothing hobby
His inspiration comes from what he sees around him, and he finds the work therapeutic.
“(Art) soothes me from what’s going on in the world and takes me away to a different place,” he said.
“You need something to turn to, a hobby,” he said when he was interviewed last summer for a podcast. “That will take you away from all the stress around you and put you into a calm that you like to be in.
“I urge everyone to look deep down inside yourself and find that calmness, a hobby. You’ll be a different person.”