The retrospective show will include dozens of prints from etchings, aquatints, and woodcuts, as well as some oil paintings. All art sale proceeds will be donated to Woodlands Conservancy, a nonprofit Louisiana land trust. Refreshments, beer, wine, and light snacks will be offered during the show.

   "We often work with the art community on pop-ups for New Orleans artists,” Espirtu owner Amanda Sesser said. “We are particularly delighted to take part in this event as Milda was someone we knew and cared for deeply. Her story is as inspiring as the family legacy she leaves behind. Bringing together the Spindlers and Woodlands Conservancy will celebrate Milda, as both an artist and amazing woman, and the natural places she loved."

   “Milda Spindler was a lifelong advocate of preserving nature, which is evident in the multitude of her works of wildlife, wetlands and scenic vistas,” said Woodlands Conservancy executive director Katie Brasted.

   Milda Spindler’s art, love of nature, and expression of individuality was greatly influenced by her early life experiences as a WW II refugee.  From 1941-1945, she was separated from her family and walked through five countries with her high-school classmates to stay ahead of the violence. Her experiences as a teenager allowed her to see humanity at its best, and worst.

   Spindler found ways to look for the good in people and her surroundings, forced herself to see beauty each day wherever she could find it. She mused, “The flowers still bloomed and the birds still nested, no matter what the war was doing around them.”

   Spindler was born in Lithuania, emigrated to Canada, and eventually to Louisiana. From 1971 to 2005, she sketched, painted, and developed a unique style of metal plate etching and printmaking. She rarely mentioned hardships endured in the War, but chose to look forward and focus her art on the natural beauty and atmosphere of the New Orleans and Gulf Coast area.

   Before her death in 2021, Spindler reminisced: “In my art one can notice hints of beauty. I think it is important to talk about a person’s individuality as a form of freedom of choice, which was so lacking in the war years.”

   Spindler studied at the Munson William Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, NY, and later earned a Bachelors in Fine Arts from the University of New Orleans.  Spindler was mentored by some notable Louisiana artists such as Howard Jones, Cheryl Hayes, Jim Richard, and Ida Kohlmayer. 

   The Lithuanian National Museum of Art featured Spindler’s work in a 2018 show, with 44 of her prints in their permanent collection in Vilnius, the capital city. She was awarded in over 24 juried art shows of the New Orleans Art Association and the Metairie and Jefferson Art Guilds.

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