Last summer, Milwaukee Magazine visited Just Art’s Saloon for our cover story on dive bars . Part of that feature was a “signs you’re in a dive” checklist, and walking through the door, it was immediately evident that Just Art’s would tick almost every box. Proprietor Art Guenther, who died on Aug. 14 at age 80, his was behind the bar, playing dice, offering his unvarnished opinion on the news and cracking jokes with his regulars. Friends will have a chance to say goodbye on Tuesday at a service in Wauwatosa.
Guenther bought his building at 181 S. Second St., a former gay bar called The Flame that suffered a fire, in 1980. He remodeled the building, creating his home on the second floor. In its heyday, business boomed as his employees kept burgers and pizzas rolling in the kitchen att