Beginning around the middle of the nineteenth century and thriving until about a generation ago, Sheboygan has a rich history as the epicenter of Midwestern circus production, dominated by a handful of family dynasties, many of whose descendants remain in the area. As I continue to explore opportunities and resources for our project as artists […]
Tag Archives: deep craft
Kohler Arts Dispatch
a morning commuter braves the November chill in Sheboygan, Wisconsin Sheboygan is easily one of the coolest towns I’ve experienced. The people here exude a pragmatic optimism and can-do eagerness that conjure another time, a friendlier America of the past that in many ways has never left this small city on the lake. Clearly, Sheboygan […]
Kohler Arts Dispatch
looking E. over Sheboygan Reef, a geological oddity along Lake Michigan’s shores A gentle westerly breeze rolls tiny breakers over Sheboygan Reef, a rare protrusion of limestone bedrock extending to Niagra Falls, as I walk along the lakefront bike path before an afternoon of meetings with Kohler Arts Center. I’ll be here for the week, […]
The Kohler Legacy
Introduction page from a 1930 Kohler catalog Between innings of last night’s final game of the World Series, I was telling my friend Richard Ernst about my upcoming trip to Wisconsin at the invitation of the Kohler Art Center (more info here). Before the game resumed, Richard had fetched a hard bound catalog of Kohler […]
Boat Slicks and Baseball Bats
It’s probably no coincidence that one of my favorite tools is the ‘boat slick’, a huge chisel whose long wooden handle either resembles, or is made from a baseball bat. I first learned about the properties of wood playing baseball as a kid, carefully selecting the bat with the tightest grain before going to the […]
Update on Furniture for Becoming Independent
1 of 16 painted panels by the artists at Becoming Independent Late last week I received the first batch of panels painted by the artists of Becoming Independent, exploring the theme of ‘space’. There will be a total of 16 panels (2 per chair), all painted in acrylic on plywood boards, to be mounted in […]
Joe’s Mushroom Report
artist/musician/chef Josef Szuecs of The-Way-To-Go-Joes My friend and neighbor Josef Szuecs is one of the most multi-talented people I’ve ever met. Owner of Renga Arts in Occidental, CA, guitarist/founder of the locally popular, self-described ‘porch jazz’ combo, The-Way-To-Go-Joes, Joe is also an accomplished chef, and his food often features seasonal fare he hunts, grows, fishes […]