» Welcome to Ox-Bow House

the street to its current location, paving the way for a new chapter in the historic space.

Ox-Bow House will feature a retail and gallery space, administrative offices, and our rich archival collection. Our neighbors will include the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Center, the library in its new location, a variety of cafes and restaurants, and, of course, a number of art galleries. In joining Center Street, we hope to participate in some of the town’s long standing traditions, develop deeper connections with our neighbors, and add to the artistic legacy of downtown Douglas. We look forward to seeing you at Ox-Bow House.

ART ON CENTER

Throughout the years, Saugatuck and Douglas have lived up to their reputation as the “The Art Coast of Michigan.” Center Street in particular hosts a variety of art galleries including Water Street, LebenArt, Palette, Mixed Media, Mr. Miller’s Art Emporium, and the Button Gallery. These galleries are known not only for their own independent histories, but also for a longstanding legacy of camaraderie. Nothing demonstrates this more than the Annual Fall Gallery Stroll, which will celebrate its 45th anniversary this October. The collaborative event is known to feature over 20 galleries and a variety of artists. Every year it attracts both art appreciators and collectors from across the region.

In years past, Center Street’s Beery Park also occasionally hosted the annual Clotheslines Art Show. The event featured local artists from the Saugatuck Douglas Art Club (SDAC) and sales supported art scholarships at Saugatuck Public Schools. According to the SDAC, this tradition lasted over 70 years! As a nod to this long running tradition, OxBow looks forward to bringing more art to the streets (and maybe even clotheslines) of Douglas.

Much thanks to the SaugatuckDouglas Library and the SaugatuckDouglas Historical Center for sharing their archives, insights, photographs, and stories with us.

WELCOME TO OX-BOW HOUSE

Ox-Bow House is a pilot project by Ox-Bow School of Art, a 112year old, independent summer art school that has been welcoming artists from around the nation and beyond to West Michigan since its founding in 1910. Ox-Bow’s classes, workshops, residencies, and public programs are developed in-house by a professional staff of artists, curators, and educators. With a vibrant community of nationally and internationally respected artists on their campus each year, Ox-Bow House seeks to extend this resource to the public through a diverse menu of programs throughout the year.

The name Ox-Bow House acknowledges the legacy of this historic building as a place for community and celebrates the idea that our house will be a charming place to stimulate learning and exploration. This accessible location will be a welcoming space for our community neighbors in western Michigan as well as summer visitors to Douglas and Saugatuck. We are planning a comfortable environment where guests can partake in refreshments while digging deep into meaningful and open conversations over the arts. “We are thrilled about joining the Center Street community in Douglas this summer with our newest initiative, Ox-Bow House,” Steve Meier, Board President says, “our extension here will help cultivate deeper connections between our artists and art-lovers through a range of opportunities to connect, converse, learn and

appreciate the ground-breaking work happening in artists’ studios today.”

Ox-Bow House will be home to an exhibition hall, space for programming, and a retail environment for curated art and design objects by alumni and artists from throughout the region and beyond.

Ox-Bow House will open its doors to the public on June 10th, 2022 with the exhibition Summer School of Painting, a summerlong exhibition of contemporary painting curated from Ox-Bow’s 2022 faculty by Maddie Reyna. Alongside the exhibition, Ox-Bow House will feature a calendar of artist talks, performances, and other public programs throughout the summer, including a partnership with the Library of the Great Lakes, whose mission is to inspire and support exploration of the science, history, literature, arts, and cultures of the Great Lakes region.

Over 2022-2024, Chicago-based architect Charlie Vinz (Adaptive Operations) will be in-residence at Ox-Bow House. Vinz is well known for his work with artists and cultural organizations on adaptive-reuse design, applying a sustainability lens to architecture. A suite of programs, including workshops, lectures, and a publication, will be programmed throughout 2022-2024 as Ox-Bow House takes shape. “Charlie is the perfect fit for Ox-Bow House,” Shannon Stratton, Executive Director stated, “he brings an impressive background working with and designing artistled community and project spaces like Theaster Gates’ Stony Island Arts Bank, Buddy at the Chicago Cultural Center and The Storehouse in Galien, Michigan. We are excited to fold him, his work, and his network into Ox-Bow’s education mission over the next two years as Ox-Bow House and its design evolves: look for design lectures, workshops and other programs that connect with West Michigan’s long history in American design.” Read more about Charlie on our website: www.ox-bow.org/oxbow-house

Ox-Bow House is located at 137 Center Street in Douglas, MI. Visit our website to learn more about events happening at Ox-Bow House!

COME TAKE A CLASS WITH US!

Hard Lines: Drawing with Steel

with Devin Balara & Abigail Lucien August 7 - 13, 2022

In the Ox-Bow metals studio with sculptors Devin Balara and Abigail Lucien, students will focus on steel fabrication and the translation of line on paper to line in space.

Learn more about our Academic Courses online at, www.ox-bow.org/ summer-courses

2022 OX-BOW HOUSE EVENTS

Ox-Bow House opening + Summer School of Painting Reception Friday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. EST

In the House with Laurel Sparks Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. EST

Allison Swan in conversation with Keith Taylor in collaboration with the Library of the Great Lakes Tuesday, June 21, 7:00-9:00 p.m. EST

In the House with Ken Vandermark & John Yau Sunday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. EST

In the House with Richard Hull Wednesday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m. EST

Rebecca Sive: Make Herstory Your Story Thursday, July 14, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Art on Center Saturday, July 16, 2022

In the House with Claire Ashley Wednesday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m. EST

In the House with Gina Beavers Monday, August 8 at 7:30 p.m. EST

Collecting Contemporary Art: A conversation between Evan Boris and Shannon Stratton Sunday, Sunday, August 14, 2:00-5:00p.m. EST

Lynne Heasley in conversation with Keith Taylor in collaboration with the Library of the Great Lakes Thursday, August 18, 7:00-9:00 p.m. EST

In the House with James English Leary Tuesday, August 23 at 7:30 p.m. EST

FRIDAY NIGHT OPEN STUDIOS June 17th | July 29th August 26th | September 30th Stop by Ox-Bow House to catch the bus to campus!