The new Spackle Gallery in Bay View launches a show with works by gallery co-owner Tara Klamrowski and New York's Delaney Jane Larson. "Peculiar Creatures, Charming Beasts" kicks off Friday, May 23, with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. at 2674 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

"The show at Spackle Gallery is basically a show case of a few things that I've been working on in the past year," says Delaney. "A while ago I applied to Hotcakes Gallery and they forwarded Spackle my information. At the same time I had launched my Web site and it was posted on a few design blogs, Notcot.com and Swissmiss.typepad.com."

Born in Colorado, Larson moved to New York to attend the School of Visual Arts, where she earned her BFA. She remained in New York where she has exhibited at numerous galleries.

"I concoct curios ruled by nonsense, love, unexpected reveries and wishes," says Larson of her work, executed primarily in gouache, ink and collage. "Myriad peculiar creatures and charming beasts live in simple spaces, where they find themselves in absurd situations."

At Spackle, Larson will show works from her "Plane Jane" series.

"'Plane Jane' is a world created by a very curious girl, me, Delaney Jane Larson," Larson says in her artist statement. "I use familiar iconography as a language for the characters, and employ a limited color palette to counterbalance the situational idiosyncrasies. White creates simple dreamscapes and evokes a childlike innocence.

"My process is ever-changing. Every piece is conjured from games I play, built on ridiculous scenarios, silly poems, and outlandish narratives. I play with the collaged elements like puzzle pieces. The pieces are connected through pencil sketches, and completed with ink and gouache. The result is a world where clouds are summoned from the wool of ornery sheep, the moon may sprout legs for a midnight stroll, and reports of a troublesome chicken-fish are commonly heard."

Klamrowski, meanwhile, is a Milwaukee-based painter who earned her BFA at UWM. She is one a co-founder of Spackle. She has shown at Art Miama-Aqua, the Milwaukee International Art Fair and Hotcakes.

"Spackle consists of five recent UWM grads -- Katie Perton, Megan Vetting, Sarah Simpson, Andrea Larson, and myself -- who received BFAs in painting," says Klamrowski.

"Two reasons prompted us to start a gallery -- we wanted to stay connected with the art community after graduation and we also felt Milwaukee's gallery scene is too polarized. We wanted to create a venue that was professional, clean and elegant, but featured edgier contemporary work from up and coming artists; our goal was, and is, to bridge the gap between highbrow and alternative galleries.

"We had our first opening March 14 and have had another show since then. We are open to showing any kind of work, painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, installation, etc etc. and plans for a video booth are in the works."