2023 Experience Ox-Bow

2023 EXPERIENCE OX-BOW

OX-BOW SCHOOL OF ART & ARTISTS’ RESIDENCY

OX-BOW SCHOOL OF ART & ARTISTS’ RESIDENCY was established in 1910 and continues its mission of connecting artists to a network of creative resources, people, and ideas; an energizing natural environment; and a rich artistic history and vital future. Ox-Bow’s egalitarian and intimate environment encourages all artists, regardless of experience, to find, amplify, rediscover, and share their impulse to create. Faculty, Visiting Artists, Residents, staff, and students live together in a temporary intentional community on our campus in Saugatuck, Michigan, where they share meals, social time, and the exchange of ideas. We actively encourage our participants to engage across differences in age, regional location, race, and gender identity, learning what it means to be a community by participating in one.

MISSION & OVERVIEW

Ox-Bow connects artists to:

• A network of creative resources, people, and ideas

• An energizing natural environment

• A rich artistic history and vital future

OX-BOW TEAM

Shannon R. Stratton Executive Director

DEVELOPMENT

Kathryn Armstrong Director of Development

FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES

Tim Grunwald

Chief Financial Officer, External

Connie Graham Accounting Administrator

Rana Siegel Director of Administration & Human Resources

COMMUNICATIONS

Ashley Freeby Communications Director

Kate Nguyen Community Manager

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Maddie Reyna Academic Program Director

Bobby Gonzales Programs Manager

CULINARY

Nicholas Jirasek

Culinary Director

Kellie Hahn

Hospitality Manager

CAMPUS OPERATIONS

Claire Arctander Campus Director

Rowan Leek Campus Manager

John Rossi

Facilities Manager

Aaron Cook Operations Manager

Aaron Whitfield Housekeeping Manager

SAUGATUCK CAMPUS 3435 Rupprecht Way PO BOX 216

Saugatuck, MI 49453

WHERE TO FIND US E-MAIL oxbow@ox-bow.org

OX-BOW HOUSE 137 Center Street PO BOX 758 Douglas, MI 49406

HOW TO CONTACT & STAY CONNECTED

WEBSITE www.ox-bow.org

Shanley Poole Engagement Liaison & Storyteller

RETAIL

Maggie Bandstra Manager of Retail Programs

Lin Foust Gallery & Retail Assistant

Please visit our website in May for a complete staff list.

PHONE 269-857-5811

SOCIAL MEDIA @oxbowschoolofart @oxbow_hospitality

NOTE: All images are courtesy of faculty unless otherwise noted. CATALOG DESIGN BY: ASHLEY M. FREEBY

OUR SUPPORTERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ox-Bow’s Board of Directors contribute their time, expertise, and resources to ensure that future generations of artists will benefit from Ox-Bow’s rich tradition and outstanding programming. We are grateful for their dedication and support.

Steven C. Meier President

Janet R. Cunningham Secretary & Treasurer

Scott Alfree

Evan Boris

Rhonda Brown

Delinda Collier

Ox-Bow is happy to announce that the EFROYMSON FAMILY FUND has awarded Ox-Bow School of Art & Artist’s Residency a three-year grant. The funds will support Ox-Bow House and assist in funding our three-year pilot adaptive reuse project as we transform the space into a site for community engagement. For more information about the Efroymson Family Fund, visit: efroymsonfamilyfund.org

Lucy Minturn Governance Chair

Chris Craft

Dawn Gavin

William Padnos

Keith P. Walker

A Note from Our Director . . .

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

As I write this letter, the tulips are peeking up in my yard. I can’t believe spring is already around the corner! But I can’t say we were hibernating at Ox-Bow; the winter season is when we start putting the pieces in place for our busy summer of classes and community events, and I think I speak for all of us at Ox when I say, we are truly excited for Summer 2023!

Like everyone, we’ve been slowly gaining our footing over the past couple years, getting our regular programs back up to speed, making adjustments to ideas we launched in 2020 and 2021, and easing into our new public space at Ox-Bow House. This summer feels like the moment it all falls into sync, and we’re so excited to share with you what we have in store.

As you plan your summer experience at Ox-Bow, we know you’re hungry for our food! Look for the return of our Best in West Michigan dining series and the new Taste of Ox-Bow dinners happening in conjunction with our famed Friday Night Open Studios. If you are ready to roll up your sleeves and make some art, we’ve expanded our family Art on the Meadow offerings, kept some long-time favorites, and launched some great new workshops like Broom Making Basics with Cate O’Connell-Richards and Build Your Own Fountain with Libbi Ponce. At Ox-Bow House we are planning a suite of events to whet your appetite for history, education, and collecting. Our exhibition She Started It opens June 30th and compliments the Saugatuck-Douglas Historic Center’s Herstory: Women’s History in Saugatuck Douglas. This exhibition will feature women’s history at Ox-Bow over our 113 years in the community and will include a series of artist talks by some of the women who regularly teach on our campus, including Andrea Peterson (papermaking) and Jessee Rose Crane (blacksmithing). In the shop we’ll feature local artists, faculty, and alumni throughout the summer, along with specialty art supplies and books. Look for news about our bi-weekly featured artist in our newsletter and social media channels!

Lastly—save that date! The benefit is back with our annual dinner on July 7th and summer concert, July 8th. Come to one, or come to both, and have that magical experience of our campus and meadow including great food, drink, music, and more!

Fingers crossed for great weather and stunning sunsets: we are excited to see you!

On behalf of all of us at Ox-Bow,

Yours,

Shannon R. Stratton Executive Director

1 PHOTO BY JESSICA LABATTE

SEE OX-BOW IN ACTION!

FRID AY NIGHT OPEN STUDIOS

Friday Night Open Studios are back! Get ready to see Ox-Bow in a way you’ve never before as our Summer 2023 artists bring it to life. Witness glass blowing in action, ceramic throwings, and Resident Artists at work in personal studios. Come hungry! Our Hospitality Department will be back with another great lineup of summer sips and snacks. And art aficionados can look forward to the infamous live auction. See you there!

Join

June 23, July 21, and August 11!

Enhance your Friday N ight Open Studio evening with a Taste of Ox-Bow dinner, see page 34 for more details

PHOTOS BY HAI-WEN LIN

ART ON THE MEADOW

ART ON THE MEADOW offers creative workshops that are affordable, multi-level, and intergenerational for our West Michigan neighbors and visitors. Our Summer 2023 workshops will encourage you to revel in Ox-Bow’s stunning natural setting, and apply the inspiration you find to your own creative practice. Learn a bit of art history and apply it to artmaking today. Paint and draw like artists have on this peninsula for over a century; learn a craft tradition like broom making or felting; or try your hand at a playful process like fashion design, fountain making or pewter casting! Our workshop experiences are designed to bring participants into a collaborative, creative community together. Workshops are open to students age 13 and up; all experience levels welcome.

PHOTO BY BRADLEY MARSHALL

MAY 28-

JUNE 3

SCULPTURE & OBJECT-MAKING

Build Your Own Fountain with Libbi Ponce

Tuesday–Friday, May 30–June 2, 2–5 p.m.

COST: $225

FAMILY

EARTH: Family Pottery with Kim Meyers Baas

Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

COST: $120 per family

SCULPTURE & OBJECT-MAKING / FOOD-FOCUS

Setting the Table: An Introduction to Pewter

Casting with Alden Burke & Maggie Wong

Saturday– Sunday, June 3–4, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

COST: $225

JUNE 4-10

WORKS ON/WITH PAPER

Reincarnation Through Collage with Jeannie Hua

Tuesday–Friday, June 6–9, 2–5 p.m.

COST: $200

WRITING

Poetry Is Where You Find It with Jane Desmond

Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. COST: $120

JUNE 11-17

WORKS ON/WITH PAPER

Print in Protest: The Basics of Screenprinting with Cayla Lockwood

Tuesday–Friday, June 13–16, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

COST: $215

FAMILY

SUN: Summer Solstice with Kim Meyers Baa s

Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

COST: $120 per family

WRITING

Here’s What Matters with Jack Ridl

Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. COST: $120

JUNE 18-24

PAINTING & DRAWING

Painting with Oil Pastel with David R. Baker

Tuesday–Friday, June 20–23, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

COST: $200

PAINTING & DRAWING

Ox-Bow in Black & White with David R. Baker

Tuesday–Friday, June 20–23, 2–5 p.m.

COST: $200

COOKING

Chili Clinic with Eric May

Saturday, June 24, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

COST: $90

SPECIAL TOPICS

Flowering: History & Arrangement with Maddie Reyna

Saturday, June 24, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

COST: $130

WRITING

JUNE 25-

JULY 1

Letters to the Land with Sheri Doyel, Tria Smith,and Jessica Thebus

Tuesday–Friday, June 27–30, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $200

SCULPTURE & OBJECT-MAKING

Earthly Impressions in Clay with Maggie Bandstra

Tuesday–Friday, June 27–30, 2–5 p.m. COST: $225

FAMILY WATER: Views of Ox-Bow with Kim Meyers Baas

Saturday, July 1, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $120 per family

SPECIAL TOPICS

Bodywork and Art: An Immersion Within with Alethea Crandell

Saturday, July 1, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. COST: $130

JULY 9-15

PAINTING & DRAWING

The Color Wheel with Dawn Stafford

Tuesday–Friday, July 11-14, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $200

SCULPTURE & OBJECT-MAKING

Broom Making Basics with Cate O’Connell-Richards

Tuesday–Friday, July 11–14, 2–5 p.m. COST: $225

FAMILY

SEEK: Treasure Hunt with Kim Meyers Baas

Saturday, July 15, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $120 per family

JULY 16-22

WORKS ON/WITH PAPER

Monotype Printing with a Gelli Plate with Janet Trierweiler

Tuesday–Friday, July 18–21, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $215

PAINTING & DRAWING

Landscape Painting with James Brandess

Saturday, July 22, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $75 per session

PAINTING & DRAWING

Drawing as Meditation with Janet Trierweiler

Saturday–Sunday, July 22–23, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

COST: $200

JULY 23-29

FAMILY WATER: Views of Ox-Bow with Kim Meyers Baas

Saturday, July 29, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $120 per family

WORKS ON/WITH PAPER

Japanese Papermaking with JoAnne Laudolff

Saturday, July 29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. COST: $130

JULY 30- AUGUST 5

SPECIAL TOPICS

100% Pure Wool with Christina Sweeney

Tuesday–Friday, August 1–4, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $225

PAINTING & DRAWING

Landscape Painting with James Brandess

Saturday, August 5, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $75 per session

COOKING

Filipinx Food Fun! with Jirasek

Saturday, August 5, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. COST: $150

AUGUST 6-12

FAMILY / FOOD-FOCUS

Family Recipe Books with Grace Gittelman

Tuesday–Friday, August 8–11, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $225 per family

PAINTING & DRAWING

Landscape Painting with James Brandess

Saturday, August 12, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $75 per session

WORKS ON/WITH PAPER

Papermaking To-Go with Yeji Kim & Rowan Leek

Saturday–Sunday, August 12–13, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. COST: $215

AUGUST 13-19

COOKING

Supper Salon with Daniel Pravit Fethke

Tuesday–Friday, August 15–18, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $210

WORKS ON/WITH PAPER

Sincerely Yours: The Creative Process in Correspondence with Anders Zanichkowsky

Tuesday–Friday, August 15–18, 2–5 p.m. COST: $210

COOKING

Principles of Pad Thai with Daniel Pravit Fethke

Saturday, August 19, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. COST: $90

WORKS ON/WITH PAPER

Printmaking To-Go with Yeji Kim & Rowan Leek

Saturday–Sunday, August 19–20, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. COST: $215

AUGUST 20-26

SPECIAL TOPICS

Renewed Ready-to-Wear with Gurtie Hansell

Tuesday–Friday, August 22–25, 2–5 p.m. COST: $210

COOKING WORKSHOPS

Chili Clinic

DATE: Saturday, June 24, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Eric May

TUITION COST: $90

Chilies are magic! How could such a small (and inexpensive!) fruit contain so much power to delight (and yes, burn) our taste buds?

Native to the Americas, chillies have traveled the globe, infusing cuisines with their potent pleasures. We will harness the magical properties of the chili and learn how to use both fresh and dry chillies in spicy condiments like salsas, giardiniera, chili crisp, and harissa, culminating in an invigorating lunch. All ingredients provided in cost of tuition.**

Filipinx Food Fun!

DATES: Saturday, August 5, 11 a.m–7 p.m.

FACULTY: Jirasek

TUITION COST: $150

Filipinx Food is sweeping the nation with its bright, punchy flavors and complex balance of savory, sweet, and sour. Learn from Ox-Bow’s Culinary Director, Jirasek, how to make a Filipinx Feast or “Kamayan” that is meant to be eaten with your hands! Great for parties and entertaining, Kamayans are stunningly arranged displays of food spanning from the traditional to the contemporary. Participants will learn the rich history of Filipinx Food’s journey to the Americas and how this cultural exchange created a beautiful cuisine that is constantly evolving. In making this collaborative feast, participants will learn to make delicacies like lumpia egg rolls, Filipinx adobo chicken, BBQ-pork skewers, local vegetable pancit noodles, a bevy

of condiments and much more! Participants are encouraged to invite a guest for the culminating dinner at the end of the class to share the celebration! Lunch, light refreshments and beverages are included throughout the day. All ingredients provided in cost of tuition. Comradery and laughs are gratis.**

Supper Salon

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, August 15–18, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Daniel Pravit Fethke

TUITION COST: $210

Supper Salons are a series of gatherings for extended artist, activist, and foodbased communities, each centered around the

cooking of a dish drawn from a particular text. These salons are inspired by Fritz Haeg’s Sundown Salons, where an emphasis on spontaneity, creativity, and joy is paramount. The first section of the workshop is devoted to engaging with “The Three Sisters” from Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, during which students will read, discuss, and devise performances in response. The second half of the workshop involves group grocery shopping, cooking, and dining, all while continuing our conversations. The final day of the salon culminates in a celebratory group meal (all ingredients provided in cost of tuition!)

Principles of Pad Thai

DATES Saturday, August 19, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Daniel Pravit Fethke

TUITION COST: $90

An alternative cooking class, Principles of Pad Thai is a handson workshop where participants will learn the ins and outs of how to make this famous Thai dish. We will make Pad Thai from scratch in an outdoor cooking environment alongside the Ox-Bow lagoon, accompanied by a food-historical lecture and discussion of the political and cultural roots that bring this storied recipe to our plates. All ingredients provided in cost of tuition. **

**Workshops will conclude with a group meal of your own making.

FILIPINX FOOD FUN! PARTICIPANTS ENJOYING THEIR AFTER WORKSHOP KAMAYAN DINNER. 2022. PHOTO BY ROWAN LEEK

Papermaking To-Go

DATES : Saturday–Sunday, August 12–13, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.**

FACULTY: Yeji Kim & Rowan Leek

TUITION COST: $215

WORKS on/with PAPER

Reincarnation Through Collage

DATES : FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, June 6–9, 2–5 p.m.

FACULTY: Jeannie Hua

TUITION COST: $200

Grounded in a brief history of concepts, compositions, and techniques of collage, students will learn to deconstruct ready-mades and cut, shred, glue, sew, paint, draw, photograph, and even digitize found, 2-dimensional materials on paper. Come prepared with your own meaningful source materials to re-make! Bring found text, images, and ephemera with the intent to transform.

Print in Protest: The Basics of Screenprinting

DATES : FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, June 13–16, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Cayla Lockwood

TUITION COST: $215

Receive a brief overview of print in protest, create

your own edition of screenprinted protest posters, and then hang posters in public spaces. This workshop engages political history through a brief introduction to the Atelier Populaire (Popular Workshop), a student collective formed in Paris during the revolution of May 1968. Along the way, learn the basics of screen printing, garner tips to set up your own home screen-printing studio, and engage in collective community building.

Monotype Printing

with a Gelli Plate

DATES : FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, July 18–21, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Janet Trierweiler

TUITION COST: $215

Experimenting with Gelli Plate monotypes can add a playful and exciting new dimension to any painting practice. Gelli Plates are durable, reusable and store at room temperature, allowing for easy monoprinting without a press! Working in layers, students will experiment with mark-making, stencils, masking, and making creative tools out of common household items. Learn how to use the right

paper to get the effects you desire. Water-based ink, Golden Open Acrylics or fluid acrylics can be used with Gelli Plates. Gelli Plates will be provided for in-class use.

Japanese Papermaking

DATES : Saturday, July 29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.**

This workshop includes lunch at 1 p.m.

FACULTY: JoAnne Laudolff

TUITION COST: $130

Dive into the process of traditional Japanese Papermaking. We will use the three main fibers of Japan: Kozo, Gampi, and Mitsumata. These plants possess long fibers that produce delicate and unique papers. We will start from the beginning, beating the fibers by hand. After learning the nuances of each plant, we will make paper using a sugeta or mold and deckle. We will add color to the pulp as well as natural dried flowers, silk thread, and other organic materials. All of these components encourage students to create one-ofa-kind papers. The paper we produce can be used for mixed media work, bookmaking, sculpting, or appreciated as a work of art in and of itself.

This workshop will cover the process of making recycled handmade paper using DIY techniques that can be easily brought into a home studio. The workshop will focus on sheet forming and the instructors will pre-process pulp, but the instructors will provide indepth instruction on how each vat can be recreated. We will discuss intentional use of materials as it relates to subject matter and the power of DIY processes.

By taking our sister workshop, Printmaking To-Go , you can use your handmade paper to create beautiful DIY lino-cut prints and simple books.

Sincerely

Yours: The Creative Process in Correspondence

DATES : FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, August 15–18, 2–5 p.m.

FACULTY: Anders Zanichkowsky

TUITION COST: $210

When was the last time you had a lovely conversation with a work of art?

Interviewed a stranger?

Surprised yourself when you answered a question?

Think about something you’ve enjoyed making these past few pandemic years: a birthday cake, a snowman, a watercolor painting... What might you reveal to yourself if you wrote about it in a

** Workshop include lunch at 1 p.m. each day.

FROM SCREENPRINTING WORKSHOP TAUGHT BY CAYLA LOCKWOOD. 2019.

letter? In this workshop, we will use the personal address to help us think through our own creative process through experiments in unusual writing formats, personal correspondence, and the art of unconventional dialogue. We will turn those reflections into works on paper through cyanotype, monotype, and other printmaking processes and then send our findings out into the world (via the US Postal Service) to nurture the connections that support our curiosity.

Printmaking To-Go

DATES : Saturday–Sunday, August 19–20, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.**

FACULTY: Yeji Kim & Rowan Leek

TUITION COST: $215

This workshop will revolve around the linoleum block printing process, which is a centuries-old printing technique that can be easily replicated at home, without a printing press. Students will be given instructions on various carving and printing techniques as well as editioning. Students are encouraged to experiment with different materials, tools, methods, and mark-making. Print matrix materials, tools, and inks will be provided. We will discuss intentional use of materials as it relates to subject matter and the power of DIY processes.

For the Love of Landscapes

An Interview with David Baker

There’s a magical place when painting the surface of the water,” David Baker says, “where [the surface] switches from mirror to window.” This magic trick was something he spent hours trying to capture during his early years at Ox-Bow. He’d venture out with a canoe on the lagoon, Baker donning a wide brimmed hat to shield himself from the sun and toting a set of paints. While the process might sound romantic, Baker emphasized it was pretty grueling work.

Baker first came to Ox-Bow in the 90’s and reminisced that in those days you could get a cold beer from the campus vending machine. At the time, he mostly rendered abstract oil paintings, the kinds of work that might draw Rothko to mind. All that began to change at Ox-Bow. As if inspired by the school’s founders, he suddenly found himself driven to landscapes, a style he’d previously written off as a “tired genre.”

In the years beyond his first summer at Ox-Bow, Baker continued to expand his practice. He ventured into watercolor, motivated by a class he was to teach at South West Michigan College. Baker eventually brought his professorial skills to campus. He taught his first core course Watercolor in 2000 and continued to do so through 2008. In 2010, he switched gears and crafted his first Art on the Meadow Workshop. Since then, he’s taught community members everything from watercolor to charcoal.

If you would like the opportunity to make the paper your prints will be printed on, consider taking our sister workshop, Papermaking To-Go.

David Baker, Rivulet, 2020, charcoal, 11 x 14”

SHOP THE MARKET

You can see David’s work (and maybe even take one home!) at Ox-Bow House this spring: June 13-24

PAINTING & DRAWING

Painting with Oil Pastel

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, June 20–23, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: David R. Baker

TUITION COST: $200

On the dunes and glacial moraines that surround our meadow stand a wonderful array of trees. These quiet sentinels have stood watch over Ox-Bow’s campus for many decades. Together we will record some of their unique character and variety using oil pastel. This unique medium combines some of the best features of both drawing and painting. We will explore color blending, diluted underpainting, impasto, scraffito, scumbling, and rich calligraphic line in our paintings.

Ox-Bow in Black & White

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, June 20–23, 2–5 p.m.

FACULTY: David R. Baker

TUITION COST: $200

This year, Baker looks forward to introducing students to some of his favorite subject material: the landscape of Ox-Bow, of course. Those taking Ox-Bow in Black and White can anticipate field studies of dunes and lagoons, while those in Painting with Oil Pastel can look forward to studying the arboreal ghosts and muses of Ox-Bow in the form of felled and still standing trees across campus. And all can count on spending time with an instructor who not only knows all the prime views, but will also teach you to capture them on canvas. —

Shanley Poole

DAVID BAKER (he/him) is a visual artist who specializes in poetic landscape painting, much of it done en plein air. Baker is a lifelong artist and teacher who has taught at Ox-Bow since 2000. He is represented by Rising Phoenix Gallery in Michigan City.

The infamous campus vending machine once dispensed beer for less than a dollar! It lived outside the mustard-yellow studio (lovingly dubbed the Hot Dog Stand) and quenched the thirst of many artists during its years of service.

Line and tone, black and white, pen and brush. Record OxBow’s unique environment with these classic combinations. We’ll sketch from observation around the campus, then return to the meadow. There we will use a variety of line and pen techniques. Finally, adding ink wash will give our drawings a more finished look. Opting to draw with a sepia ink could even suggest Ox-Bow’s long history.

The Color Wheel

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, July 11-14, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Dawn Stafford

TUITION COST: $200

This workshop is suitable for anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of color through the lens of an oil painter. In other words: take a trip to the rainbow. Working with pure oil pigment, students will focus on the relationship between

value and color, the seven different color contrasts, and a progression of palettes (color combinations). Be prepared to engage in intense handson color mixing, resulting in a broad series of small, playful abstractions of Ox-Bow’s natural and built landscape.

Drawing As Meditation

DATES: Saturday–Sunday, July 22–23, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.**

FACULTY: Janet Trierweiler

TUITION COST: $200

This workshop provides students with a chance to practice drawing techniques that slow down the art-making process, resulting in a peaceful and healing experience. Use intuition and inspiration from Ox-Bow’s landscape to connect to natural, creative forces. Through meditative practices, we will engage all of our senses to enjoy calming, observational, and imaginative drawing. Learn to use tone and color to create serene and joyful moods with water soluble materials on watercolor paper.

Landscape Painting

DATES: Saturday, July 22, August 5, & August 12, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.**

FACULTY: James Brandess

TUITION COST: $75/session

In these multi-level oil painting workshops, students will paint outdoors in the historic OxBow landscape. Instruction will focus on recognizing and then painting what we actually see. Through this process of learning to see, we will create paintings that have veracity and strength. The workshop will include discussion of the tools and materials needed to set-up and paint in any landscape you choose. Sign up for one, two, or all sessions of these three-hour morning painting workshops on the meadow alongside the lagoon. Please note that you must sign up for each session separately.

** Workshop includes lunch at 1 p.m. each day.

S PECIAL TOPICS

process of felting. We will explore the narratives of felting history, labor, and functionality while working in a more contemporary, concept-driven manner. Students will learn both needle and wet felting techniques and execute at least one finished work from each section. We will run through the basics, from acquiring the wool and proper tools to formulating a title and response to our finished pieces. We will work both collaboratively and independently while possibly drawing inspiration from the Ox-Bow campus. Wool and basic tools for in-class use will be provided.

Renewed Ready-to-Wear

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, August 22–25, 2–5 p.m.

FACULTY: Gurtie Hansell

TUITION COST: $210

Flowering: History & Arrangement

DATES: Saturday, June 24, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.**

FACULTY: Maddie Reyna

TUITION COST: $130

This one-day workshop will invite students to create a living sculpture with florals. We will consider foundational historical styles including Dutch Baroque, Ikebana, and contemporary movements, and experiment with vessel armature techniques such as wire mesh, pin frog, and tape grid. Local and exotic live flowers will be provided to each participant, and after demonstration, arranging, and group discussion, they

will take their ephemeral arrangement home.

Bodywork and Art: An Immersion Within

DATES: Saturday, July 1, 10 a.m.–5 p.m..**

FACULTY: Alethea Crandell

TUITION COST: $130

Join a licensed massage therapist and bodywork specialist for an inspiring artmaking immersion into your own body. Students will consider artworks from early 20th century modern art movements by pairing them with different bodywork techniques. Explore Fauvism through thermotherapy, Futurism through yoga and

** Workshop include lunch at 1 p.m. each day.

movement practice, Cubism through hydrotherapy, and Action Painting by letting loose and using your body as a brush! All bodies and abilities are welcome to participate. Bring your swimsuit and expect to be presented with the options to move, dance, stretch, wade in the lagoon, see, feel, paint, draw, and meditate.

100% Pure Wool

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, August 1–4, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Christina Sweeney

TUITION COST: $225

Ensconce yourself in an introduction to the

COURSE DESCRIPTION: What we wear shows the world so much of who we are. For many, fashion acts as ornamentation, or even armor. Unfortunately, the fashion industry – and fast fashion in particular – is destroying Mother Earth. The clothing and materials we need to adorn ourselves already exist in the world. With a little creativity we can reinvent and revitalize our looks (and a bit of ourselves).

We will explore ways of sourcing “upcycled” and “deadstock” materials. We will hold our own clothing swap to pool materials for creating and renewing eco-friendly wearables, then enhance those found garments with inks, dyes, stitches, and appliques – learning new painting, sewing, and printmaking techniques along the way. The experience will culminate in a fashion show collectively produced by the group on the final day. Let’s frolic!

Gurtie Hansell & Kate Fernandez, Nnamdi Red Tour Suit, 2023, Jumpsuit, Screen Printing Ink, Large

SCULPTURE & OBJECT-MAKING

Build Your Own Fountain

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, May 30–June 2, 2–5 p.m.

FACULTY: Libbi Ponce

TUITION COST: $225

Get your creative juices flowing with a fountain building workshop! Each student will construct their own working fountain using a basin, tubing, motor pump, and central sculpture. Have fun with materials – consider engaging mortar, tile, mosaic, epoxy clay, air dry clay, silicone, and grout. Each piece will be about 1 cubic square foot or smaller. Basic fountain kit elements will be provided; bring your own embellishing materials to personalize your piece.

Setting the Table: An Introduction to Pewter Casting

DATES: Saturday–Sunday, June 3–4, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.**

FACULTY: Alden Burke & Maggie Wong

TUITION COST: $225

How is a utensil an extension of your body? What is the relationship between sculpture and performance? How can a gesture become an object? In this two-day workshop, students will learn the basics of pewter casting to create small sculptures and simple utensils (such as shapes that scoop) to facilitate a shared experience as a group that connects object-making and performance. In addition, students will learn

about Fluxus practices of writing performance scores. Students will construct their own prompts that invite others to use their sculptures as utensils to eat during a shared meal that will take place at the conclusion of the weekend, thereby transforming the picnic blanket into a performance space (and vice versa). Materials included in tuition cost.

Earthly Impressions in Clay

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, June 27–30, 2–5 p.m.

FACULTY: Maggie Bandstra

TUITION COST: $225

Students will use textures found in the landscape at

Ox-Bow to create patterns and textures in clay slabs, build vessels from the slabs of clay, and use underglaze to add color to pieces. Students will create multiple functional and non-functional pieces using handbuilding methods. Students will also have the opportunity to wheel-throw vessels if they desire. Pieces will dry, be fired, then glazed with a clear coat and fired again by Ox-Bow staff. Students will be responsible for picking up their completed pieces from campus at a later, agreed-upon date. Clay will be provided.

Broom Making Basics

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, July 11–14, 2–5 p.m.

FACULTY: Cate

O’Connell-Richards

TUITION COST: $225

Become a broomsquire at Ox-Bow! Learn the foundations of handmaking brooms and whisks. This workshop will feature a presentation on the development of American broom making, including both traditional Appalachian and New England techniques, an introduction to broom making materials, and basic handmaking skills. Included will be demos on a turkey wing whisk, cobwebber, besom, and traditional flat sweeper. Students will be able to learn the basics, as well as have the time to experiment with different handles, weaves, materials, and forms.

** Workshop include lunch at 1 p.m. each day.

Cate O’Connell-Richards, Whisk Set , 2021, Broomcorn and twine, Dimensions vary

THEN & NOW: Intergenerational Art-Making Through the Years

Ox-Bow has played host to a variety of imaginations, the most receptive of them? Kids. Over the years, the children of professors, staff, guests, and neighbors of Ox-Bow have delighted in the wonders of the meadow, lagoon, studios, and trails. More than anyone else, these kids understand the magic of Ox. written by Shanley Poole

THEN:

Family Camp began as a place where artists and their families could gather together at Ox-Bow and make art.

Created by Patricia Pelletier and Phil Hanson (the Academic Director at the time), the tradition lasted for over 10 years from the late 80’s to the early 2000’s. The one week class usually

took place at the start or end of the summer season. In the morning, adults would attend class, while James Brandess led a session for the kiddos. Afternoons were reserved for family time: hiking, canoeing, or trips to the beach. Each day ended with an evening of intergenerational artmaking. Often hosted in the paint studio, group work usually focused on

the creation of masks and costumes. Culminating annually into a Friday performance and parade, everyone would don their work on the meadow at the week’s end.

Artists and families included Karl and Lori Wirsum, Bobbi and Steve Meier, Richard and Cathy Pearlman, Rodney and Renee Carswell, Paul Solomon, Nancy and Tom Melvin, E.W. Ross, Gretchen Brown and Peter Kuttner, Carol Neiger, Ginny Sykes, George Liebert, and Blair Thomas. A variety of disciplines were represented amongst the artists present including muralists, performance artists, photographers, ceramicists, painters, and filmmakers. President of Ox-Bow’s Board and former Family Camp attendee, Steve Meier reflected, “Many of our children ended up in creative fields, I would credit [this] somewhat to this experience – seeing artists work with their children among such a diverse group of creative people was a truly unique experience.”

NOW:

For many Michiganders, summertime means beach days or trips Up North, but for artist and educator Kim Meyers Baas it means the annual Ox-Bow

(LEFT) PHOTO BY KIM MEYERS BAAS; (RIGHT) PARTCIPANTS OF FAMILY CAMP, COURTESY OF BOARD PRESIDENT STEVE MEIER

getaway. Baas first came to Ox-Bow as a graduate student from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she received her Masters of Art in Art Education. After graduating, she returned to Ox-Bow several times to take more courses. In the mid 2000’s the student became the teacher with a proposal to bring youth workshops to Ox-Bow.

Baas didn’t view the idea as revolutionary; in fact, it seemed all too natural. Kim noted, “There’s always been kids [at Ox-Bow]... it’s a kid’s dream!” The concept for youth workshops took inspiration from her mentor, the late E.W. Ross, a loyal member of the legendary Family Camps.

Over the years, Baas has created spaces for young artists throughout West Michigan, most recently creating a canvas quilt portrait of Patrick Lyoya in collaboration with students of East Kentwood High School. Lyoya was a Congolese refugee who was killed by a police officer in 2022; his death deeply grieved the community, especially impacting a number of Baas’s students who, like Lyoya, are also Congolese. Baas, alongside a number of students and a few other teachers, painted “Through the Veil,” which was then featured at the 2022 Art Prize Festival. “I feel like I’m part artist, part community organizer,” Baas said when reflecting on her work. “Amplifying voices is my true practice.”

After taking a pandemic pause from Art on the Meadow workshops, Baas returned to OxBow with a new plan of action in 2022: family workshops. The intergenerational aspect of Family Camp had long enticed Baas. In this new format, Baas facilitates various “ah-ha” moments with kids, while simultaneously encouraging parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to work collaboratively with their young artists.

Over the course of the four workshops, participants explore ceramics, cyanotypes, and watercolor. Each workshop coincides with a natural theme: earth, sun, and water. The workshops’ environmental lens is very much intentional. Baas describes nature as a key part of “the Ox-Bow factor.”

In 2023, Baas looks forward to bringing back family workshops. She plans to continue exploring art and the elements and is eager to introduce more families to the meadow. Returners might also notice a new addition to this year’s family series, entitled Seek, which Baas hinted will include a campus-wide treasure hunt. By popular demand, the Water workshop will be held twice this summer.

KIM MEYERS BAAS (she/her) is an arts educator who has worked in public and private settings in Michigan, Chicago, and on the Mexican/Texas border. Her teaching and art making practice focuses on exploring family identity, inequality, migration, cultural recognition, art and technology literacy, and media representation in marginalized communities.

FAMILY SERIES

We invite families to participate in a unique creative experience and revel together in Ox-Bow’s natural environment through exciting art explorations. Families will collaborate in the creative process, using materials like clay, cyanotype, and watercolor as a team and side-by-side. Stoke curiosity and build self-confidence through creative thinking and artmaking in the great outdoors.

EARTH: Family Pottery

DATES: Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Kim Meyers Baas

TUITION COST: $120/family

Families will explore handbuilding techniques, underglazing, and other basic ceramics skills to create clay pieces based on our resident animal wildlife and Ox-Bow folklore. This workshop is the perfect fit for the family of artists who want to get messy and investigate the ceramic medium. Work will be kiln-fired at Ox-Bow, and participants will be responsible for picking up their work at a later, agreed upon date.

SUN: Summer Solstice

DATES: Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Kim Meyers Baas

TUITION COST: $120/family

Celebrate the longest day of the year – Summer Solstice. Capturing the light and shadows of the season, families will create artworks powered by the sun using cyanotype and other photographic and printmaking processes. Practice the creative process by observing, questioning, and basking in the sun.

Family workshops continue on next page...

PHOTO BY KIM MEYERS BAAS

WATER: Views of Ox-Bow

DATES: Saturday, July 1 & July 29, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Kim Meyers Baas

TUITION COST: $120/family

Ox-Bow’s campus provides hundreds of beautiful views for painting the landscape. Families will explore views of the lagoon, meadow, and woods while painting en plein air with watercolor. Experiment with techniques such as washes, color mixing, mark making, and creating textures inspired by the natural environment. Please note this workshop is offered on two separate dates. Registration only includes one session.

SEEK: Treasure Hunt

DATES: Saturday, July 15, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Kim Meyers Baas

TUITION COST: $120/family

Prepare for an active day exploring Ox-Bow’s campus. This interactive hunt will have families collecting artifacts and documenting treasures while visiting the art studios and unique

locations of Ox-Bow. Develop map-reading skills, use compasses, and discover how artists develop a deeper connection to the natural world around them.

Family Recipe Books

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, August 8–11, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Grace Gittelman

TUITION COST: $225/family

Come create a small family cookbook in a week. Grace Gittelman, a ceramicist who focuses on their familial relationship with food in their artwork, will lead a workshop encouraging children, parents and chosen loved ones alike to record their families’ recipes in a collage-based book. Each family will be provided with a bound journal in which they will record measurements of ingredients, snippets of family history, and instructions on how to cook food. Come with collage elements and a desire to connect deeply over the intergenerational documentation of cherished recipes!

NOTE : Family workshops are open to participants ages 5 and up with at least one adult enrollee per family; maximum of four family members per enrollment slot. This is a full participation experience that allows family members of different generations to bond, learn, and experience the magic of Ox-Bow. Kid-friendly boxed lunches are included in the cost of tuition, and will be served at 1 p.m. All materials are provided for Family workshops. If you are interested in coming to make art with your family of more than four people, contact Claire Arctander, Campus Director at carctander@ox-bow.org.

In the House of An Interview with Jack

Ridl

When I enter Jack’s home, he welcomes me as he always does: in the company of his dog Vivi and with a great big hug. Before we sit, he asks me if I’d like anything to drink. I accept a cup of green tea and he reheats his coffee in the microwave. Then we venture to the sun room. He points me to the chair with the best view of the woods and he and Vivi take to the couch. We chat, as us Michiganders are prone to do in February, about the weather. He tells me about yesterday’s walk with the dog after the ice storm and describes it as “living in a Chihuly glass sculpture.” I am in the presence of a poet, and an award winning one at that. But Jack doesn’t care about the awards. “I’m a poet because of the way I see things,” he says, “Not because I write things down.”

Jack is the ideal interviewee, not just because he talks like a poet. He takes time to reminisce and leads us down unexpected rabbit holes. In his words, “You go to tangents because they’re interesting right?”

His background as a writer is quite the odyssey, a wandering epic with a vibrant cast of characters, many of them prolific poets. Jack started his career with words as a songwriter for Li-Young Lee’s sister, Ming “Fifi” Lee Servos. When she married, she left behind the music industry, but not without offering Jack some defining words for his practice. “You’re the only person I know who writes western songs with eastern sensibility,” Lee told him. Through our conversation, I see Lee’s sentiment shining through. Our conversation repeatedly drifts towards taoist principles of being and eschews stoic self-assurance.

When I ask what inspires his writing, he shrugs off the question. “That’s a little too me centered,” Jack says. He goes on to tell me about his writing practice. Every single poem begins with writing down the title first. “Everything is connected,” he believes and so he trusts that the rest of the poem will follow.

While Ridl had found success writing music for Lee, he decided to leave the industry behind. “I’ll turn my lyrics into poems,” he thought, assuming the transition would follow with ease. A mutual connection introduced Jack to the poet Paul Zimmer, who swiftly took Jack under his wing. When the young writer brought in a collection of poems for Zimmer to review, his response was, “Sure, I’ll help… and we’re going to start all over.” It wouldn’t be as simple as turning lyrics into poems, it seemed. Zimmer told Jack to keep on writing and he’d tell the aspiring writer when a

The Sentimentalist

poem had been created. Three years later Zimmer told Jack he’d done it.

Since then Jack has gone on to publish ten collections of poetry with an eleventh to arrive in 2024. William Stafford once said, “If I write ten poems, one will be effective and all will be worth it.” Jack holds these words close; he believes in the power of the process over publications or press. What Jack captures on the page, he hopes others will find accessible, but he also assures that further reads will provide layers of depth. “There has to be mystery in it,” Jack says.

In 2016, Ridl tried his hand at a new writing practice: a blog. It all started with the election of Donald Trump, who I’ll refer to from here on out the same way Jack does: number 45. Each Thursday, Jack would publish a reflection. The posts were intended as a form of protest. “A protest of the alternative,” as Ridl phrased it. He wanted to distract from 45; he wanted something to say, “Look here! Look here!” The subjects of his posts ranged from baking bread to his grandmother’s porch to putting down the dog. Each entry ended with a poem written by Ridl. He vowed to keep at it until 45 left office, which he admitted he thought would surely only last a few weeks. With 45’s departure in 2020, Jack shifted gears. He now hosts The Sentimentalist every Thursday at 9:00am on Youtube. The atmosphere reads very Mr. Rogers. Ridl leads the audience down tangents about losing keys and insights about rain and kindness, all captured as he sits on his couch with the dog by his side, much like he does for our interview. As he did with his blog, he ends each episode by reading aloud a poem.

It’s this sense of hospitality and kinship that carries over into his workshops. As a participant last summer, I feel confident naming him not merely as a facilitator of the workshop, but as a guide and companion through the writing process. His hope is to leave writers with something they can take home with them. “You won’t get criticism from me,” Ridl says, “You’ll get suggestions and feedback and possibilities.” And by the time I’ve finished my cup of tea, that’s exactly what I leave the poet’s house with, a sense of possibility.

JACK RIDL (he/him) is the Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan, and author of several collections of poetry, including Saint Peter and the Goldfinch. He is a longtime instructor of Art on the Meadow courses of which he co-taught for several years with his daughter Meridith Ridl. Every Thursday, Ridl hosts and posts on his YouTube channel, The Sentimentalist.

The Lost Similes by Jack Ridl

Like the way the nuthatch comes down a tree headfirst

Like two vanilla wafers left on the platter

Like winter leaving behind ice by the road

Like your sister’s hair when she was in seventh grade

Like a pair of shoes by the door

Like Spring coming and going

Like a bucket of mulch sitting beside the bicycle

Like a rusted tire iron

Like butter burr spreading under the white pines

Like my grandmother’s crooked smile

Like eleven days without going to the post office

Like that regret

Like when it rained all night and into the morning

Like nothing you know

—for Mary Ruefle

AOM STUDENTS WRITING, 2022. PHOTO BY ROWAN LEEK

WRITING

Poetry Is Where You Find It

DATES: Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.**

FACULTY: Jane Desmond

TUITION COST: $120

This half-day workshop invites participants to find the poetry in Saugatuck’s history by transforming observations of the local landscape and its social history into works of visual and textual art. Taking the rich cultural and ecological history of Saugatuck and Ox-Bow as our starting point, we’ll explore and then transform copies of historical documents, which will be provided, into “found poems” through simple techniques of selection, amplification, and visual enhancement. Participants will leave with a hand-made work of art

combining text, color, and line that reveals hidden expressive meaning in plain documents from the past, like storm reports, newspaper headlines, and ephemera regarding the history of Ox-Bow itself. No background in writing poetry or formal art training is required! Participants of all levels of experience can enjoy this process to create something new from the past.

Here’s What Matters

DATES: Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.**

FACULTY: Jack Ridl

TUITION COST: $120

Workshop participants will spend the day exploring, through their preferred form of writing, the things that have profoundly

impacted their own lives – whether they are funny, traumatic, serious, sorrowful, or joyous. Using Jack’s suggestions, writers will first talk with one another about what subject they have chosen. Then, they will have time to explore that choice in writing, after which the group will engage in a delightful debriefing about what showed up as they wrote, culminating in a deeply memorable day.

Letters to the Land

DATES: FOUR DAYS

Tuesday–Friday, June 27–30, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

FACULTY: Sheri Doyel, Tria Smith, Jessica Thebus

TUITION COST: $200

What is it about nature that inspires us, that causes us to pause and listen? What do we hear, and what do we want to say? If we were to share memories,

desires or thoughts with the land, and let it listen, what would that look like? Join us for a 4-day writing and artmaking workshop that is an exchange with the land. Ox-Bow is home to diverse micro-environments –meadow, forest, and lagoon. It is full of inspiring shapes, scents, sounds and views. Together, we will experience a process of exploring and connecting with natural elements. Individual and group exercises will support you writing a letter (or a poem, a story, a list, a song) that connects you to the land, and might even offer something back. One day will be devoted to exploratory visual artmaking (painting, cardboard/fabric construction, mask making) that will augment your writing. All levels of artistic experience are welcome!

PHOTO BY ROWAN LEEK

MEET THE FACULTY

and pottery are nature abstracted. Her work uses movement and patterns to deliver a healing message. She encourages us to take notice of the beauty in the world around us. The unifying undercurrent in Clifford-Bandstra’s work plays with ideas and concepts surrounding nature, healing, and the human connection. In 2014 she started curating pop-up art shows with the mission of helping artists connect with their community. These networking events grew into the Lakeshore Visual Arts Collective, a 501c3.

specialist, and corrective exercise specialist from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and a chronic disease specialist and Active Aging specialist from SCW. She is a member of the American Bodywork and Massage Professionals.

DAVID BAKER (he/him) is a visual artist who specializes in poetic landscape painting, much of it done en plein air. His studio pieces are often reinterpretations of paintings done outdoors. His principal media are watercolor, oil, and charcoal. Baker is a lifelong artist/teacher. He recently retired as art professor Emeritus from Southwestern Michigan College. He earned his MFA degree from Indiana State University. Over the years he has mounted more than four dozen solo exhibits. He has taught at Ox-Bow School of Art since 2000 and at the Krasl Art Center since 2016. He serves on board of the South Haven Center for the Arts. He is represented by Rising Phoenix Gallery in Michigan City.

JAMES BRANDESS (he/ him) is a painter, working primarily in oil. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Brandess’s relationship with Ox-Bow started in 1987 when, as a student at the School of the Art Institute, he answered an ad for a summer job. While at OxBow, he began his practice of painting landscapes and people. He currently works in Saugatuck, Michigan. His studio and gallery has been in operation in downtown Saugatuck since 1994.

ute paragraphs. Generally, her work centers around supporting collaborative making, process-based work, care in administrative practices, and creative sustainability; what are we going to learn from one another? Burke is the Director of People & Culture at Design for America, the Co-Founder of Annas, and a Lead Organizer for the Chicago Arts Census.

ALDEN BURKE (she/they) is a Chicago-based educator, facilitator, and writer. Currently, she is thinking about modes of introduction, radicalizing HR practices, and free-writing in five-min -

MAGGIE CLIFFORDBANDSTRA (she/her) completed her MFA in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design. Bandstra has a Masters in Educational Leadership from Michigan State University and a BS in Education from Loyola University of Chicago. She teaches art part-time at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and works at Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency as the Manager of Retail Programming. Her paintings

ALETHEA CRANDELL (she/ her), LMT is a licensed massage therapist and certified personal trainer. She is impassioned by art, taking art classes at Ox Bow, The Corcoran School of Art, and Montgomery College. She has been a sports massage therapist for the University of Maryland football team, Georgetown Basketball; a chair massage therapist for DC law firms, Orioles baseball office staff, the National Institute of Health Children’s Inn, for nurses at hospice, teachers and college students; a stretch therapist; has done physical therapy assisting externships at outpatient hospital, nursing home, and home health settings; and worked for a brief period as a personal trainer at a Capitol Hill DC gym. She has 640 hours of professional massage training in modalities from Swedish, Deep, Myofascial, Stretch, Chair, and spa & hydrotherapy. She also is a certified nutritionist, certified behavior change specialist, certified personal trainer, women’ s fitness specialist, senior fitness specialist, performance enhancement

JANE DESMOND (she/her) is a poet, anthropologist, and former choreographer who works broadly across the arts and humanities. Her work has appeared in books, national print journals, on television, in film, and even on a billboard. As a teacher, she brings several decades of experience to teaching interdisciplinary classes both in the U.S. and abroad, including at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where has been featured multiple times on the list of “Teachers ranked as Excellent by their Students.” Her creative and scholarly work has been funded by the New York State Council on the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Fulbright Commission, and through residencies at Write On Door County!, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and the Cummington Community for the Arts.

SHERI DOYEL (she/her) curates, gathers, juxtaposes, and considers the audience. Doyel does this primarily in two spaces: farmer education via colleges and non-profits, and events on her own farm in southern Wisconsin. Yesterday, as in, for the past three decades,

she has curated visual art exhibitions, cabaret performances, vegetable, herb, and flower varieties, vendor mix at farmers markets, art classes for kids and adults, and seminars for farmers and landowners. I trained in dance at UCLA where I earned a BFA in World Arts and Cultures, and studied Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago earning her Master’s degree in 1998. She has performed with Redmoon Theater, Mickle Maher, Bread and Puppet Theater, and the Persephone Project. By day, she is the Director of the Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College and the owner/operator of Tiny Tempest Farm.

GURTIE HANSELL (they/she/ he) is an interdisciplinary artist and entrepreneur living and working out of their home studio in Chicago. Their work centers around fashion, printmaking, graphic design and wearables, exploring themes of pageantry, protest and pleasure. They operate a small genderqueer clothing line called Kangmankey as well as co-running a costume and production design company called MotherTwin.

GRACE ESTHER GITTELMAN

(they/them) graduated from School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA in 2020. They are a Chicago based Korean and white Jewish American originally from Raleigh, North Carolina who explores the intersections of their identity through the creation of hybridized traditional Korean ceramics. Gittelman grapples with the weight of their conflicting and coexisting cultures by applying traditional Korean ceramic techniques to non-traditional forms and vice versa. They are a 2021 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Multicultural Fellow and their recent exhibitions include The Clay Art Center’s State of Emergence; a solo show at Jude Gallery in Chicago, Say “Kimchi”!; and Nubes at Heaven Gallery. They attended ACRE Residency, Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, and were an Ox-Bow Longform Resident in 2022.

JEANNIE HUA (she/her) is a collage/mixed media artist. She collects images and colors from magazines, newspapers, photos, paper mementos and reconstitutes them into different contexts, giving new light to old visages. She does this by cutting, tearing, and shredding ephemera and re-piecing images for new meanings and/or reclaiming old ones. For her, collaging is solving jigsaw puzzles. She’s fascinated with how ephemera interplays with memory, rituals, and moments of emotional significance. Jeannie recently graduated with an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She’s the recipient of the merit scholarship for OxBow, the Denis Diderot Grant for the artist residency at Chauteau Orquevaux, as well as grants from the National Endowment of the Arts. Her work has been shown in galleries and museums in New York, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Nevada.

NICHOLAS JIRASEK (he/ him) Jirasek’s career began with a job as a short order cook in a local diner. Tireless learning led to a quick ascent as Director of Food & Beverage for the 94th Floor at the John Hancock. Association to the arts guided him to develop Guerrilla Smiles Food Art: a catering company, which collaborated with artists and arts organizations for over a decade to create offerings from intimate salon dinners to fundraisers for a thousand people. He also acted as personal chef and caterer to artist Tony Fitzpatrick. Jirasek traveled to Panama City where he consulted on and managed Los Del Patio, a bar and restaurant within an art gallery and cultural center. In Chicago, he served as opening chef for Currency Exchange Cafe, Theaster Gates’ first foray into the restaurant industry. Jirasek oversaw the kitchen and managed operations at Gaslight Coffee Roasters. In 2018 he opened Old Habits at Ludlow Liquors where he brought a realness in the foodways of Chicago’s working history. Jirasek also opened Young American to instant viral success of his creation, Goth Bread, garnering attention from the Chicago Reader and Chicago Magazine. Jirasek is now the Culinary Director at Ox-Bow School of Art.

sounds, conversations, histories, nuances, objects, images, trash, and more to build disjointed narratives. Such narratives, which revolve around navigating phenomenologies of language, displacement, and charged banalities, are realized as paintings, drawings, prints, animations, sculptures, books, and more. Kim received her BFA at The Cooper Union in New York. Past residencies and awards include The LeRoy Neiman Fellowship from Ox-Bow School of Art, The Sarah Cooper Hewitt Fund Prize for Excellence in Art from The Cooper Union, and the Center for Book Arts Scholarship.”

dolff’s mission is to nurture each student’s creativity and honor and support however the individual wishes to express themselves.

YEJI KIM (she/her) is an artist and graphic designer based in New York, NY. She examines and hoards fragments, stories and tales,

JOANNE LAUDOLFF (she/ her) is a Saugatuck based artist and art instructor. She is a mixed media artist who focuses on Japanese papermaking, book arts and painting with oil and cold wax. Laudolff holds a BA from Columbia College in Chicago and an MA in Studio Arts from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. While attending Columbia College, she took many classes at The Chicago Book and Paper Center. While there, she studied with Marilyn Sward who is one of the founders of the Center. Laudolff has taught workshops for the past 24 years at various art galleries, art leagues, and schools. These venues include: The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois; The Dupage Art League in Wheaton, Illinois; Four Corner’s Artist and Gallery Trio in Lisle, Illinois; The Fine Line in St. Charles, Illinois; The Clearing in Door County, Wisconsin; The College of Dupage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois; and Ox-Bow School of Art, among others. Lau -

ROWAN LEEK (he/they) is a multimedia artist who works in textiles, printmaking, and papermaking. His work is inspired by queer ecology and finding divinity in the mundane. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2020 with a BFA in Sculpture and Expanded Media. He has interned at the Morgan Paper Conservatory as well as Penland School of Crafts Paper and Book studios. His work has been exhibited at the Artists Archive of CWRU, Cain Park, Bostwick Design Art initiative, and as part of the Queer Ecology Handkerchief Exhibition at Zygote, Women’s Studio Workshop, and The Future.

CAYLA LOCKWOOD (she/her) is an artist, printmaker, curator and graphic designer based in Philadelphia. She creates fake companies as an art practice to investigate how capitalism is embedded in our lives and creates absurd expectations and behaviors. These experiential works incorporate installation, graphic design, printmaking, video, and performance. From 2017–2021 she was an artist in residence at Flux Factory in New York City, where she worked on a number of collaborative projects in New York, Denmark, Finland and Ukraine. From 2017–2019

she was a curatorial member of Little Berlin in Philadelphia—a collective of artists who curated exhibitions. Lockwood has a BFA in graphic design from Central Michigan University and an MFA in printmaking from Syracuse University. She has participated in book fairs such as the Philly Zine Fest, Yale University Art Book Fair, Boston Art Book Fair, Miami Zine Fair and Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair. Currently she is a graphic designer for the University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Soapbox Community Printshop, and teaches workshops in printmaking and bookbinding.

ers since 1992. Her teaching and art making practice focuses on exploring family identity, inequality, migration, cultural recognition, art and technology literacy, and media representation in marginalized communities. She has worked as an artist educator with Kentwood Public Schools, Ox-Bow School of Art, Calvin University, Kendall College of Art & Design, Chicago Public Schools, Valley AIDS Council, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Meyers Baas holds a BA from Loyola University Chicago & MAAE from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

in New England. Currently, they are a lecturer for both UW-Madison and UW-Green Bay in art foundations and metals/jewelry.

ERIC MAY (he/they) is a Chicagoland-based parent, chef, and artist. May cooked for Ox-Bow from 2000 to 2014, serving as head chef for 11 of those years. May is the founder and director of Roots & Culture, a nonprofit contemporary art center in Chicago’s Noble Square neighborhood, which is now home to the original Ox-Bow stove. May also cooks for cool clients in the Chicago art world (and beyond) with the Easy Eats catering crew. They have written about food for Time Out Chicago, the Chicago Reader, and Bon Appetit.

KIM MEYERS BAAS (she/her) is an arts educator who has worked in public and private settings in Michigan, Chicago, and on the Mexican/Texas border cultivating youth artists and community work-

CATE O’CONNELL-RICHARDS (they/them) is a queer artist, jeweler, broomsquire, and educator currently living in Madison, Wisconsin. O’Connell-Richards has exhibited internationally and has shown work at Abel Contemporary in Stoughton, Wisconsin; Hesse Flatow in New York; EatMetal Inc. in Hoboken, New Jersey; the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington; Lillstreet Arts Center in Chicago, and the Gallerie im Körnerpark, Berlin. Their last solo show “SWEPT: This Work I Will Do”, was on view at Hancock Shaker Village and concerned the history of American broom production. They have been awarded several travel grants for craft research, including funding for fieldwork in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to study the copper mining culture of the area, a trip to the Foxfire Museum and Appalachian Heritage Center in Georgia to study broommaking, and a residency at MassMOCA to study and make work about the history of broommaking

LIBBI PONCE (they/she) is an Ecuadorian artist, making sculptures, 360-degree videos, installations, and performances. Ponce explores themes of Latinx-Futurism through a sculptural practice of world-building, incorporating an ambitious range of materials including steel, bronze, resin, polyurethane, mortar, grout, terracotta, and glass. Inspired by the erotic and anthropomorphic motifs from ancient Andean ceramics, Ponce constructs tactile sculptural objects which probe discourse on grief, intimacy, and historic folklore. They have attended the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, OxBow School of Art & Artists’ Residency, Yale Norfolk Undergraduate Residency, and ACRE. Exhibitions include terciopelo at Selenas Mountain, BASE REMOVED at the Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo, and Skyway 20/21 at the Tampa Museum of Art. They hold a BFA in Studio Art and BA in Philosophy from the University of South Florida. In 2021, Ponce completed a Fulbright Creative Research Fellowship in Ecuador. Ponce is the founder/director of galeria juniin in Guayaquil, Ecuador and Co-Director of Coco Hunday Gallery in Tampa, Florida.

him) is a socially-engaged artist interested in gathering, performing, cooking, eating, conversing, spectating, recording, and viewing. Fethke draw inspiration from the food we eat, the stories we tell, and the places that embody our most personal memories. Over the past few years of pandemic precarity, his work has taken on new forms that place himself at the center: as a facilitator of dialogue, as a provocateur asking critical questions, as a host creating space for people to cook and eat together. It is his goal to sustain an artistic practice that centers humor, respect, and joy as a web of positive practices in order to make work outside the white walls of the gallery—from ephemeral happenings to site-specific interventions on the street level. Fethke received his BA from Brown University in Media Studies in 2015, and will be receiving his MFA in Integrated Practices from Pratt Institute in 2023. He has exhibited works at the Yale School of Art, Recess Art Space in Brooklyn, and Helena Anrather Gallery in New York. Fethke attended Ox-Bow as a Pratt Fellow in August 2022.

throwers in Chicago, and is the Academic Program Director for Ox-Bow School of Art.

MADDIE REYNA (she/her) is an American painter who began arranging flowers as a way to have live subjects for her work. That practice has come to stand alone as she applies considerations of color, form, and composition to three-dimensional organic matter. She has a Masters in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, studied at The Flower School of New York, designs flower arrangements for brides and other party

JACK RIDL (he/him), Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan (population 1100), is the author of Saint Peter and the Goldfinch (Wayne State University Press). His Practicing to Walk Like a Heron (WSUPress, 2013) was co-recipient of the National Gold Medal for Best Collection of Poetry by ForeWord Reviews. His collection Broken Symmetry (WSU Press) was co-recipient of The Society of Midland Authors best book of poetry award for 2006. His Losing Season (CavanKerry Press) was named the best sports book of the year for 2009 by The Institute for International Sport. Then Poet Laureate Billy Collins selected his Against Elegies for The Center for Book Arts Chapbook Award. Individual poems have been published in The Georgia Review, Poetry, Colorado Review, Rattle, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Field, and Poetry East. Students at Hope College named him their Outstanding Professor and their Favorite Professor, and in 1996 the Carnegie Foundation named him Michigan Professor of the Year. More than 100 of Ridl’s students are published, several of whom have received national honors. Every Thursday, Ridl hosts and posts on his YouTube, The Sentimentalist.

DANIEL PRAVIT FETHKE (he/

TRIA SMITH (she/her) is

an artist creating work that brings together performance, writing, and design to facilitate deep engagement and promote community. She trained as an actress at the Piven Theater Workshop, Interlochen, Oberlin, Northwestern University, and was a principal collaborator at Redmoon Theater since its inception. For 25 years they pursued Spectacle + Wonder through adaptations of great novels, pageantry and circus. They built shadow shows, blew fire, learned to stilt, took over streets, paraded in January and July. A strong desire to reach young people accompanied her work at Redmoon and she founded Dramagirls, a longterm creative mentorship for middle school girls on the West Side. Smith has an MFA in Writing from the School of the Art Institute. She creates programming and produces events at Guild Row Chicago, a social club for people who Give a Damn. She is the co-creator of The Persephone Project which uses the Myth of Persephone to create pageants on the land to address climate change.

The Peachbelt Studio - formerly the Peachbelt Schoolhouse, ca 1867. Open weekends seasonally, May - October. Since 1996 she has participated as both student and staff member at Ox-Bow as kitchen staff, a teaching assistant, course instructor, and Art on the Meadow facilitator. Originally from New York, she received her BFA from Swain School of Design in Massachusetts before moving to Michigan in 1992. Her work is widely collected.

and works at Ox-Bow School of Art as a Housekeeper in West Michigan.

DAWN STAFFORD (she/her) is a full-time artist working in the Saugatuck/Fennville area. Her oil paintings of West Michigan’s landscape, rural fauna & flora, and everyday human objects explore subtle color palettes, rhythms, and harmonies that seek to reduce the noise of the outer world. Often using color and scale to effect a sense of intimacy, atmosphere, or presence.

Painter, artist, teacher, mother, and gardener she creates and exhibits her work in a repurposed historic one-room schoolhouse,

CHRISTINA SWEENEY (she/ her) is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and collaborator. Sweeney grew up moving around South Florida and carries ideas around wetlands, invasive species, harsh weather conditions, borders, and protection with her. She is interested in the artist’s material processes as a way to critically examine movement, repetition, structure and the lack thereof. She works to support the ways in which objects and our environment relate through installation and video. Although she is a processed based artist, a large part of her practice reflects traditional craft and its history. Sweeney has shown work internationally and received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an emphasis in Sculpture and Visual/Critical Studies. She recently worked for Red Bull Arts NYC, Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, and The Phoenix Community Garden in Brooklyn. Outside of her studio practice she enjoys walking the lakefront headphones in, exploring new places, watching movies with loved ones and cooking dinner for hours. She currently lives

JESSICA THEBUS (she/her) is a theater artist, director, and educator. She holds a PhD in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, and is currently Director of the Northwestern MFA Program in Directing for the Stage. She has directed and adapted plays in Chicago and nationally for twenty years, and has long associations with many Chicago theaters. At the Goodman Theatre she has directed A Christmas Carol, Buzzer by Tracey Scott Wilson, and both The Clean House and the world premiere of Stage Kiss by Sarah Ruhl. At Steppenwolf Theater Company she has directed four large spectacle evenings at Millenium Park, as well as 7 productions. Thebus is also involved in outdoor spectacle projects in Chicago that celebrate community, joy and environmental justice—these include The Persephone Pageant Project and The Art Of Spontaneous Spectacle.

interest in the full spectrum of human experience, from primal instincts to highest consciousness led to her studies of Eastern art and healing, becoming a Reiki Master through the Usui Shiki Ryoho System of Natural Healing and Certified Feng Shui Designer at the New York Institute of Art and Design. Trierweiler says, the acceptance of paradox has been one of the most healing lessons of her life. Her process reflects this attitude. It is both fluid and structural, organic and geometric, improv and laborious design. Trierweiler is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she received her BFA in Studio Art, she teaches drawing and painting, currently online, and leads workshops on Drawing as Meditation as well as other topics.

writing has been published by Yale University Press, Viral Ecologies, and the Journal of Art Practice.

JANET TRIERWEILER (she/ her) enjoys creating gestural abstract paintings. Her focus is on the sensual nature of art and the healing aspect of beauty. Like the meeting point of mind and body, experienced through yoga and the Chakra system, artistic composition can be felt both physically and through conscious response. This

MAGGIE WONG (she/her, b.1988, Oakland, California) is a visual artist attuned to materiality and sculpture’s disciplinary capacity to shape social space. She creates multidisciplinary works that focus on care labor, sentimentality, and collectivity. As a teacher is interested in the interplay between informal and experiential education amidst formal art ecologies. She holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She is currently the Educator-in-Residence at the Luminary, and lecturer at SAIC. Her work has been shown at Mana Contemporary Chicago, Comfort Station, Annas Projects, take care (Los Angeles), Temple Contemporary, YBCA, and 99cent Plus, and has been written about in ArtForum and Sixty Inches from Center. Her

ANDERS ZANICHKOWSKY (they/he/she) is a queer and transgender artist and writer making art about grief, desire, and our longing for another world. Equally at home in traditional craft and new media, their studio practice includes weaving, printmaking, papermaking, video, and poetry.

Zanichkowsky has been an artist with The Arctic Circle sailing expedition in Svalbard, Røst AiR in Sápmi/ Norway, and the Chicago Park District’s Cultural Asset Mapping Project. Their work has been exhibited across the United States, Europe, and Australia including the Wisconsin Film Festival and the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art and they’ve received numerous awards for printmaking, public art, and international research.

Zanichkowsky has an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2019) and a BA from Hampshire College (2008). They currently work for artists Mel Chin and Latham Zearfoss and are the owner and weaver of Burial Blankets, handwoven shrouds for green burial meant for reflection and enjoyment during life.

PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAM

“If I hear anyone talking about Ox-Bow, I just say ‘Go!’” Grace Rowland said. A young veteran of Ox-Bow, Rowland has attended sessions five times in the past four years. What first brought them to campus was the Pre-College Program, an experience that Rowland emphasized was a remarkably influential time.

The Pre-College Program invites rising and graduated seniors in high school to Ox-Bow for a week-long course. The cohort based setting gives students a solid foundation in collegiate arts, while also exposing them to the culture and community of an Artist Residency setting. “It’s really hard for me to leave every time,” Rowland said, reflecting on the community that gets formed each session.

While the program took a hiatus from 2020 to 2022 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will officially launch again this summer. “Every moment of the Pre-College experience is filled with experimenting, playing, and connecting within the special context of Ox-Bow,” said Claire Arctander, Campus Director and instructor of the Pre-College Program. She emphasized that the cohort of students directly impacts the structure of the course. “Students will collectively choose the direction they want their classwork to move in,” resulting in an experience curated to their interests and abilities.

Students of all ages bring a vibrancy to campus, and the bright-eyed enthusiasm of our Pre-College students is no exception. We look forward to welcoming the 2023 cohort to Ox-Bow and hope that they, like Rowland, will feel inclined to return for many seasons to come.

Ox-Bow School of Art’s Pre-College program is a one-week skill-building class designed for advanced high school juniors, seniors and recent graduates who are considering pursuing a degree in the visual arts. The pre-college program was founded by the late E.W. Ross, who served Ox-Bow for over 35 years as Faculty, Program Director, and later Board Member. Enrolled students are given the opportunity to evaluate and strengthen their commitment to the study of art, receive college level instruction, and receive 1.5 college credits through the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ox-Bow’s core academic program runs concurrently with these courses, providing PreCollege students with a sense of community as they interact with other artists taking classes.

In 2023, the Pre-College program returns reimagined with a new curriculum. Under the guidance of Campus Director, Claire Arctander, students will be challenged and encouraged to understand art-making as a holistic, on-going practice for both career and life fulfillment.

Funding is available, including one full scholarship, through the E.W Ross and Tipping Scholarships.

COST BREAKDOWN

$2678

$900

$50

$3628

Tuition For 1.5 Credits

Room & Board Shared Room

Lab Fee

Total Cost

For more information visit, www.ox-bow.org/pre-college-program

PHOTO BY CLAIRE ARCTANDER

WHATS HAPPENING AT OX

MAY

MAY 12

Taste of Ox-Bow Dinner

MAY 16

Featured Artist in Artist Market (thru May 27)

Artist to be announced

MAY 25, 26

Spring Release Party at Modales Wines

MAY 27

Closing reception of solo exhibition at Artist Market Artist to be announced

MAY 28

Art on the Meadow workshops begin (run thru August)

MAY 30

Featured Artist Jaclyn Silverman in Artist Market (thru June 10)

JUNE

JUNE 1

In the House with Annalise Flynne & Faythe Levine

JUNE 10

Art on Douglas Second Saturday Gallery Strolls

JUNE 10

Closing reception of Jaclyn Silverman’s solo exhibition at Artist Market

JUNE 10

Best in the West Dinner

JUNE 13

Featured Artist David Baker in Artist Market (thru June 24)

JUNE 15

In the House with Andrea Peterson

JUNE 23

Friday Night Open Studios

JUNE 23

Taste of Ox-Bow Dinner

JUNE 24

Closing reception of David Baker’s solo exhibition at Artist Market

JUNE 25

Sunday Sojourn campus tour + brunch

JUNE 27

Featured Artist Carrie Gundersorf in Artist Market (thru July 8)

JUNE 29

In the House with Carrie Gundersorf

JUNE 30

Exhibition Opening She Started It: Women Artists at Ox-Bow at Ox-Bow House

JULY

JULY 7

Field of Vision – Summer Benefit Dinner

JULY 8 Summer Concert Headliner: Helado Negro

JULY 11

Featured Artist Israel Davis in Artist Market (thru July 22)

JULY 13

In the House with Jessee Rose Crane

JULY 21

Friday Night Open Studios

JULY 21

Taste of Ox-Bow Dinner

JULY 22

Closing reception of Israel Davis’s solo exhibition at Artist Market

JULY 25

Featured Artist Kristina Paabus in Artist Market (thru August 5)

JULY 27

In the House with Ashley M. Freeby

JULY 30

Sunday Sojourn campus tour + brunch

AUGUST

AUGUST 5

Closing reception of Kristina Paabus’s solo exhibition at Artist Market

AUGUST 8

Featured Artist E. Saffronia Downing in Artist Market (thru August 19)

AUGUST 10

In the House with Kristina Paabus

AUGUST 11

Friday Night Open Studios

AUGUST 11

Taste of Ox-Bow Dinner

AUGUST 12

Art on Douglas Second Saturday Gallery Strolls

AUGUST 13

Sunday Sojourn campus tour + brunch

AUGUST 19

Closing reception of E. Saffronia Downing’s solo exhibition at Artist Market

AUGUST 22

Featured Artist Dawn Stafford in Artist Market (thru September 2)

AUGUST 24

In the House with E. Saffronia Downing

AUGUST 24

Best in the West Dinner

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER 2

Closing reception of Dawn Srafford’s solo exhibition at Artist Market

SEPTEMBER 9

Art on Douglas Second Saturday Gallery Strolls

SEPTEMBER 9

Best in the West Dinner

SEPTEMBER 23

Farm Dinner at Morraine Park / MI Craft Beef

OCTOBER

OCTOBER 14

Farm Dinner at Eighth Day Farms

OCTOBER 14

Saugatuck & Douglas Fall Gallery Stroll

OCTOBER 27

Best in the West Dinner

OCTOBER 27-28

Halloween Weekend Event

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER 3

Best in the West Dinner

NOVEMBER 4

Saugatuck Film Festival

NOVEMBER 25 Winter Market

SNEAK PREVIEW FALL MASTER CLASSES

Sure, Ox-Bow is beautiful during summer, but have you visited in fall? This autumn we’re looking forward to providing immersive, week-long master classes, open to the general public, in our Ceramics, Glass, and Printmaking Studios in fall 2023! More details will be released in the months to come. To stay upto-date on all future events, subscribe to our mailing list on our website and follow us on social media @oxbowschoolofart.

23

PHOTO BY JAMIE KELTER DAVIS

ARE YOU A TRUE BIRDER? PG. 26 // TRAIL MAP PG. 27

ARE YOU A TRUE BIRDER?

Ox-Bow is home to a plethora of birds. You can often see them out on the meadow, in the lagoon, and they’ll often be the first voices chattering around campus each morning. Local data suggests nearly 200 species pass through or make their home in our neighboring dunes, wetland, and forest. Use our guide to familiarize yourself with your avian neighbors! Who knows, by the end of your time here you might be able to call yourself a True Birder.

MALLARD DUCK

This species belongs to a subgroup of ducks called dabbling ducks. These dabblers can often be spotted on the lagoon as they dip their head to collect the abundance of algae that grows in its water. Males have an iridescent green head with a white ring at the base of the neck, while females sport mottledbrown plumage.

BARRED OWL

Barred owls are a common player in the forest’s ecosystem. Though their buffy feathers and white mottling are rarely seen, these birds are often heard. You can recognize them by their call, which sounds like they’re asking, “Who cooks for you all?”

BELTED KINGFISHER

Look for these blue-gray birds as you take a canoe out on the lagoon. They can be seen diving from the treeline to the water in an attempt to catch fish. Males and females can be distinguished by the female’s chestnut band that splits their white chests.

You can recognize these birds by their scarlet red bodies and black wings. They look similar to their southern relatives, the summer tanager.

The American Robin might seem commonplace to Midwesterners, but its markings are still quite striking. These red-breasted birds love hunting for worms with their orange beaks and they’re one of the first voices you’ll hear singing on campus each morning.

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE

These brave little birds hang around Michigan all winter to hunt for insects, berries, and seeds. You can recognize them by their white cheek that sticks out against their black cap and bib. Their oat colored chest (often described by birders as buffy) distinguishes them from the look-alike Carolina Chickadee.

NORTHERN FLICKER

If you see a flash of gray and yellow jet by, you may have just spotted your first Northern Flicker, a member of the woodpecker family. These birds boast a grayish brown body with black stripes on their back and freckles on the chest. Red and blue-gray markings can be seen on their peachtoned face.

PILEATED WOODPECKER

The Pileated Woodpecker is a crowd favorite. This bird has a loud cry that sounds truly prehistoric. Equally as striking is their red-tufted cap of feathers and yellow eye.

PUT OX-BOW ON THE MAP!

1/8 - THE HATCHLING

You must only have eyes for the robins!

3/8 - THE CLASSICIST

After your time at Ox-Bow, you can spot mallards, robins, and chickadees from a mile away.

5/8 - THE FLEDGLING

This birder is about to leave the nest. You really know your stuff and your skills are ready to take flight!

7/8 - A TRUE BIRDER

The elusive tanangers and pileated woodpecker are no match for your skills. You leave Ox-Bow no longer just an Artist… but a True Birder as well!

Download the eBird App and report the birds you find along the Crow’s Nest Trail. By reporting, you’re directly advancing scientific and conservation efforts on a global level.

SCARLET TANAGER

ROBIN

PHOTOS FROM UNSPLASH: GAURAVDEEP SINGH BANSAL, PATRICE BOUCHARD, JOSHUA J. COTTEN, DEREK OTWAY, AND KIERAN MANION

CROW’S NEST TRAIL EXPLORE THE

DID YOU KNOW?

The trailhead to the Crow’s Nest Trail is available to the public year round. This 1.7 mile loop starts to the right of the trail post signs at the top of Park Street. Though our campus is considered private for the privacy and safety of our students, we’d love to cross paths with you on the trail. Its namesake Crow’s Nest overlook boasts a bird’s eye view of the lagoon, dunes, and Lake Michigan.

If you’re curious about the Ox-Bow campus, join us at one of our public events such as Friday Night Open Studios, the Best in the West Dinner Series, or the Summer Concert.

Friday Night Open Studios (page 2 for more details)

A crowd favorite! These events allow you to see campus in full swing. Visit us June 23, July 21, and August 11 to join in on the tradition.

Sunday Sojourns (page 45 for more details)

Introducing Sunday Brunch and Campus Tours Sunday, June 25, July 30, & August 13, 11 a.m. –1 p.m. (pre-registration required)

PARKINGLOT FOROX-BOWGUESTS parking(withsomeforhikers)

PARK STREET

KALAMAZOO RIVER

OX-BOW SCHOOL OF ART & ARTISTS’ RESIDENCY

KALAMAZOO RIVER

OX-BOW LAGOON

CROW’S NEST OVERLOOK

The trail is located in the Tallmadge Woods

CROW’S NEST TRAILHEAD ENTERING OX-BOW’S CAMPUS

Wild

photo courtesy of Gun Lake Tribe CREDITS

WHAT IS MNOMEN?

Mnomen literally translates into good seed. But what is mnomen? In a temptation to oversimplify, one could define it merely as wild rice, but mnomen is much more than a food source, especially to the Citizens of Gun Lake Tribe.

A visit to the rice beds traditionally starts with an offering of sema, tobacco. Depending on the season, this is issued in combination with prayers, requests for permission to harvest, and statements of intention: This is for my family. This is for a ceremony. The relationship between Gun Lake Tribe Citizens and mnomen isn’t exclusive to the harvest; it’s year round. Citizens visit the rice beds to put the rice to sleep every winter and to wake it every spring. The process is not just about taking, far from it. “We’re trying to help the rice, not just feed ourselves. Revitalization is our main focus,” shared Mno Mijem Sovereignty Coordinator, Wyatt Szpliet.

AT OX-BOW

In 2020 the Environmental Administration of Gun Lake Tribe reached out to Ox-Bow and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. The portion of the lagoon leading into the channel held all the markers of an area that might foster mnomen growth. Seeding efforts began that year and have continued since. In future years, the hope is to create a sustainable rice bed that will not only be harvested for food, but will help ensure the preservation of mnomen itself.

HISTORY

“We consider the rice sacred,” Jeff Martin shared. The three Tribal nations across Michigan all share the same heritage story of moving from East to West. The Great Spirit had told them through prophecy to look for the place where food grew on water. When they reached the Great Lakes, when they found mnomen… they knew they were home. This is one of the many reasons why mnomen is much more than just rice, it’s a fulfillment of the Great Spirit’s promise.

HARVEST

The harvesting process takes place over about seven days. Many community members join, both because of the cultural celebration that it is and because many hands make light work. It begins with gathering the rice into canoes. This process involves careful maneuvering, which is done not by paddle but by gajwéb’egen, a push pole. These cedar poles, usually hand carved, keep the root systems of the wild rice intact, whereas a paddle might damage the mnomen and other companion plants.

Shorter cedar poles, bwe’gen, or knockers, are used to knock the rice seed into the canoe. From there the seeds are transported via grain bags to a location where they can be parched within the week; this process prevents molding so the grains can be stored long term. After parching, hulling begins. Hullers wear a pair of mkeznen, shoes, reserved exclusively for this practice as they dance upon the mnomen and separate seed from its outer shell. The seed and husk are then winnowed, a process in which the mix is lightly tossed. The wind carries the husk away while the seed falls back into the birch winnowing basket. At this stage, the rice is ready to be cooked up or stored for the months to come.

COMPANION PLANTS & INVASIVES

When finding locations to seed mnomen, Szpliet shared they “want to keep it comfortable and companion planted.” This means scouting for areas with arrowhead plants and native cattails. Szpliet noted that the invasive purple loosestrife also shares similar preference to mnomen, but is notorious for competing with the native species. Control of invasives such as purple loosestrife, non-native cattails, and phragmites are all vital to restoration efforts.

the change? Much of it has to do with water-based recreation such as speedboats, which harm the rice beds. Certain agricultural processes such as fertilizers also lead to increased algae blooms. What can be done to help? Szpliet and Martin emphasized the importance of spreading the word on how these practices harm mnomen. “We have to compete with nature already,” Szpliet said. Water Resource Specialist, Alex Wieten, also specified that increased regulations could help protect mnomen long term.

AT THE TABLE

Traditionally, every feast includes mnomen. When the youth council helped with the harvest preparations last year, they learned how to bundle the rice together to make an easier harvest later in the season. For each bundle they put prayers out and let the rice know who they were harvesting for, whether it be for their own family or for a larger celebration or ceremony such as the annual Powwow.

With the number of harvestable rice beds having diminished in prior years, many bands visit harvest sites on the land of other bands. When asking another band for permission to harvest, it’s common practice to offer sema. And when offers are accepted, the additional gift of a bundle of baskets, medicine, and the previous year’s harvest are often included.

THE GUN LAKE TRIBE

The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi is a sovereign nation with powers of self-government, dedicated to upholding the values and culture of their elders. A key aspect of this includes carrying on traditions and protecting land and natural resources, as is evident in the seeding and harvesting efforts of mnomen. We’re so thankful for the investment Gun Lake Tribe has shown in the land and for the time they gave to teach us about the restoration efforts happening on the Ox-Bow Lagoon and throughout Michigan.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE RICE?

Wild lake and river rice once grew in abundance throughout Michigan, but began shrinking over time. It was just in the last 20 years that rice in Gun Lake stopped going to seed. What marked

Ox-Bow sits on the unceded land of the Potawatomi, who called themselves Neshnabek, meaning “original people” or “true people.” We acknowledge the Potawatomi community, their Elders both past and present, and their future generations as the original inhabitants of this land.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GUN LAKE TRIBE

Much thanks to Gun Lake Tribe for taking the time to connect with Ox-Bow. We’re so grateful for their knowledge and their enthusiasm for teaching and sharing. Special thanks to Wyatt Szpliet, Jeff Martin, and Alex Wieten for sharing their insights and welcoming our questions with open arms.

Spooky Trails & Haunted Cabins

In 2022, Ox-Bow once again invited all the local ghosts and ghouls to campus. Nine artists, Creeps-in-Residence, put their wicked minds together to create a weekend-long celebration of everything frightful. Their spectacularly spooky installations haunted our cabins, hiking trails, and brought back the Dark Carnival from the dead. Guests that attended left with bellies full of garlic fries (to keep the vampires away) as well as fodder to fuel nightmares for weeks to come!

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN:

It probably comes as no surprise that us artists in the woods treasure Halloween; Ox-Bow has always relished ghost stories around the fire, and it’s no secret that we love a good excuse to wear a costume. In 2019, Ox-Bow decided to take its spooky celebrations even more seriously. Former Campus Manager, Mac Akin, proposed transforming a historic cabin into a haunted experience available to the public. After a spine-chilling success, the experience was brought back in 2020 as a Spooky Trail. Over the years, the tradition has grown and each year the festivities grow grander than the last! In 2023, we look forward to continuing the tradition with a new cohort of Creeps and local horror enthusiasts.

PHOTO BY DEECY SMITH

CREEPS-IN-RESIDENCE

MEET SHERELL CHILLIK

During her residency, Sherell Chillik chose to break from her traditional practice. Now based in Flint, Michigan, Chillik initially grew up in Detroit. She described how these urban environments usually shape her work, “Everything is very concrete, textured, noisy.” While at Ox-Bow, Chillik immersed herself in the natural environment of the Crow’s Nest Trail and dove into infamous folklore. This ultimately inspired her installation “Weeping Lady,” which haunted guests willing to brave the Spooky Trail.

MEET MADIGAN BURKE (AND HARVEY!)

Artist Madigan Burke invited guests to bring their own fears to life by letting their friend Harvey take the stage of a puppet booth. In exchange for some sweet treats, guests could attempt to give Harvey a fright with a scary story. Over the course of the weekend, Harvey heard a variety of stories from local legends to the realities of climate change, the latter of which Harvey deemed truly terrifying.

FRIGHTS FOR ALL AGES!

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR HALLOWEEN MATINEE?

During the afternoon, we turn down the fear factor and invite young ghouls and goblins to campus. Come hungry for tricks and treats!

SAVE THE DATES!

OCTOBER 27-28

CREDITS 33 PHOTOS BY DEECY SMITH, CLARE BRITT ( x 2); NICK FUNK ( x 2)

COMMUNITY EVENTS ON CAMPUS

Come Hungry!

Join us on campus this season for our two dinner series by our in-house culinary staff.

TASTE OF OX-BOW

Ready to encounter all the flavors of Ox-Bow? Let your tastebuds guide you through campus as you learn about the core values that carry Ox-Bow: Education, Historic Preservation, Environment, and Community. These themed events will invite you to encounter one or more of these values, while immersing your palette in small plates through punchy, complex flavors. Each meal will be rooted in a commitment to locality. Witness studios in action, explore historic cabins, roam the trails, and gather around the fire!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

May 12, June 23, July 21, and August 11. Dinners begin at 6:00 p.m.

BEST IN THE WEST

By popular demand, the Best in the West series is back. Gather around the table with us and enjoy a localized twist on a breadth of culinary delights: Ramen, Tacos y Mas, Mediterranean, a Spooky Supper, and the Gilded Era. These multi-course meals, will leave you with bellies full and a whole new perspective of Ox-Bow.

BEST IN THE WEST RETURNS

June 10, August 24, September 9, October 27, and November 3.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY FREEBY AND KATE NGUYEN

A Conversation with Director of Development, Kathryn Armstrong

What first brought you to Ox-Bow?

I first attended Ox-Bow in 2009 as a graduate student for an MFA Project Residency. It was my first residency experience and I have continued to participate in residency programs since. When I returned to Ox-Bow in 2022 for my final interview, I found my name written on the wall in the Convent Studio, a tradition that continues today. This moment brought me full circle and served as a joyful reminder of how a place informs our personal story. Ox-Bow is known for its magic and I believe part of that magic is connecting or reconnecting us to a shared purpose. It’s an honor to return to Ox-Bow in a new capacity and join an artist-led organization that values artistic inquiry, experimentation, and life-long learning.

And what inspired you to work in arts administration?

I think of myself as an arts organizer versus an arts administrator. My ability to work in the field of arts and culture is from the lens of working as a professional artist and being trained to find creative solutions to complex problems. I’ve been fortunate to do many things under that umbrella.

Working with communities to develop ways to increase access to the arts, while providing meaningful support to artists continues to be a driving force.

As the Director of Development, can you tell us what the word development means to you?

Development is first and foremost about relationship building and identifying partnerships. From there, it’s an opportunity to connect people to the mission and history of an organization, to inspire philanthropic giving by working together to prioritize organizational needs. It’s a combination of strategy and stewardship, while making decisions today that will successfully impact the future.

Ox-Bow is an old school with deep roots. How does this impact the work you do?

Bringing awareness to Ox-Bow’s mission and legacy as a 113-year arts organization is both rewarding and challenging. It’s a careful balance between preserving its history as an art school and artist haven and finding new ways to expand our work. I’m mindful of the importance of telling our story and including those who helped shape what Ox-Bow is today, while trying to reach new

audiences that will help carry out our mission into the future–impacting the next generation.

What Ox-Bow happenings are you most excited about these days?

I’m looking forward to the start of the 2023 season, welcoming new and long-time friends back to our campus. The bustling summer season at Ox-Bow and in West Michigan is always filled with energy and enthusiasm. Along with our core learning programs, we will have several opportunities for the public to experience Ox-Bow. This year, we are expanding our pop-up dinner series and will launch a new membership campaign that invites folks from near and far to be an active participant of Ox-Bow’s community. Beyond that, I love to experience a Michigan sunset on the meadow, near the lagoon or around the fire.

Stay tuned for the launch of our new membership program and our annual Summer Benefit dinner, Field of Vision, July 7 and the Summer Concert July 8.

KATHRYN ARMSTRONG (she/her) is an artist, educator, and arts organizer whose work is centered around support for artists and creating strategies that help communities thrive. Prior to Ox-Bow, Armstrong was the executive director of the Columbus Area Arts Council in Columbus, Indiana. Her first residency experience was at Ox-Bow in 2009 for an MFA Project Residency. She has since participated in residencies across the country and internationally. Armstrong earned an MFA in Visual Art & Public Life with an emphasis in Sculpture from Herron School of Art and Design, an MA in Studio Art from Eastern Illinois University and a BFA in Photography from Indiana University.

Private Classes & Studio Rentals

Looking to customize your Ox-Bow studio experience? We offer independent studio rentals and private instruction on a limited basis. Tailor-make your experience in our Ceramics, Glass, Metals, or Print Studio. Whether you are an experienced practitioner or a first-timer, we can meet your facility needs. Work with us to design a small private class for you and your crew or plan some solo work time in one of our specialized shops.

What does a private class look like?

Private classes can be groups of 2-6 adults learning introductory or advanced making techniques. Classes can be as short as 3 hours or as long as 3 days, depending on the scope of your schedule and what you wish to accomplish.

EXAMPLES OF A PRIVATE CLASS

Basic Ceramics

Immersion

Learn a variety of handbuilding techniques to create art objects and vessels.

Ceramics Studio Glaze Lab

Provide your own greenware and explore glazing methods.

First-time Glassblowing

Get acquainted with life in the hot shop! Learn to gather, roll, and blow molten glass. Create a paperweight and even a drinking glass.

Advanced Glassblowing Techniques

Our studio staff can help take your glass work to the next level! Learn to work larger, create footed vessels, or explore the use of color.

Weld in our Metals Studio:

Learn to use a MIG welder and walk away from class with a finished (and even functional!) steel sculpture.

Printmaking

Intensive

Pick a print process to delve into! Learn the ins and outs of lithography, monotype, screenprinting, or even textile dyeing.

STUDIO CURIOUS? Contact our Campus Director, Claire Arctander (carctander@ox-bow.org), who will work with you to plan your perfect private class experience.

CERAMICS

Our Krehbiel Ceramics Studio features ample space and equipment for handbuilding and wheelthrowing as well as a stocked glaze lab. Use of these facilities and our electric kilns is included in your daily studio rate, along with up to 50 pounds of clay. Additional clay and use of our gas-fired car kiln are available for an additional fee.

ABOUT OUR STUDIOS

STUDIO RENTAL BREAKDOWN

BASE DAY RATE:

$75 PER PERSON

This level includes an orientation to the shop by our Studio Manager, as well as limited access to the Studio Manager to ask shop-specific questions. It is appropriate for artists who are experienced in the medium and looking to work independently, not learn new processes.

MENTORSHIP-LEVEL DAY RATE:

$200 PER PERSON

This level includes the support of one technician, who can provide hands-on guidance to an artist with some basic previous experience. The technician can provide instruction on processes as predetermined in conversation prior to rental.

PRICING FOR PRIVATE STUDIO RENTAL IN GLASS:

$450/DAY FOR HOT SHOP ACCESS

This level includes an orientation to the shop by our Studio Manager, as well as the support of one glass studio assistant. It is appropriate for artists who are experienced in the medium and looking to work independently, not learn new processes.

To learn more about our Studio, Cancelation, Companion/Guest and Covid-19 Policies turn to page 48

PRINT

The print studio, located on the first floor of our Works on Paper building, houses lithography, collagraphy, etching, screenprinting, woodcut, and letterpress facilities. Your daily lab fee for print studio access includes ink, emulsions, and newsprint. Plan to bring your own paper or, alternatively, consult with us about your paper needs.

METALS

The Padnos Metals Studio is a spacious open-air facility, housing equipment for welding, jewelry making, and other metal fabrication. Woodworking, mold making, and additional 3D processes are also at home in this space. We can assist in ordering the materials you need ahead of time (not included in your daily lab fee) so you are ready to work upon arrival.

GLASS

Primarily an open-air glassblowing facility, the Burke Glass Studio also features a coldworking annex for glass bead making and cast glasswork. Daily access to our hot shop includes full studio access, use of a top-loading annealer, 50 pounds of clear glass, and use of our tools. Cold shop access includes the use of our sandblaster (220 grit), as well as tools for plaster/ silica mold making, casting, and flameworking.

Cabin Rentals

We are pleased to offer select, private rentals of our historic cabins once again in 2023. Our cabins provide space to rest and relax or dig into research and writing projects without distraction. To unwind, take a swim or canoe ride in the lagoon or hike the Crow’s Nest Trail. Experience the Ox-Bow life in a more intimate way than ever before!

All cabins are equipped with a bathroom (toilet and sink) and a mini-fridge. Three meals a day, prepared and served by our stellar culinary staff, will be included with your cabin rental. You are welcome to use our beloved shower house, The Wet, during your stay.

For full Ox-Bow immersion, enroll in an Art on the Meadow Workshop (see pg. 4) or book a Private Class or Studio Rental (see pg. 36)!

CABIN RENTALS DATES:

July 2-9 and September 6-24, 2023 Book early, cabin rentals are available on a very limited basis during 2023!

CABIN RENTAL RATES

Base price for standard cabins $250/night for first guest; $75/night for each additional guest.

Base price for the West $300/night for the first guest; $75/night for each additional guest.

For more information or to request a reservation visit www.ox-bow.org/rentals

Meet our Community Manager, Kate Nguyen

What do you put on your toast?

I like to let my bread cool slightly after toasting. Then I apply a generous amount of salted butter... very generous...and top with a light glaze of jam. Strawberry is the classic favorite but I am also a sucker for any homemade jam. But let’s be honest, the toast is really just a vessel to carry the butter.

How did you first encounter Ox-Bow?

I was first introduced to Ox-Bow by my friend and previous Executive Director, Jason Kalajainen. He had invited us to attend the annual summer fundraiser. We came with a group of friends to learn about the organization and ended up dancing the night away. That year each guest went home with a small token from the glass studio. It was a blue glass medallion, fixed with the Ox-Bow logo on it and it still hangs on my Christmas tree each year.

You have a pretty unique professional background. Can you tell us about the path that led to your current role?

I went to college and studied English because I loved reading, writing, learning, exploring, and creating. My first job after college was as an editorial assistant, which then turned into a business reporter and from there I went into freelance marketing and business writing, managing a small community theater, marketing for an arts organization, and an economic development company. In my last several months with the economic development company, I was helping entrepreneurs get their businesses started and that lit a fire in me that I could do the same thing. From there I started an event management and planning company and, over the course of almost 15 years, worked with numerous non-

profits, corporations, and small businesses to plan their conferences, trainings, events, and fundraisers. And as it happened, all roads lead back to Ox-Bow. In 2019 I started working on a contractual basis to assist in the planning and execution of the summer benefit and over the years that grew into several events each year. Last year when the Community Manager position opened up I decided to take all of that previous experience, put it together, and here I am!

What does a typical day look like as Community Manager at Ox-Bow?

That is what I love most...there is no typical day! Each day I do monitor our social media channels @oxbowschoolofart and @oxbow_hospitality and see what’s popping up. I can usually be found moving between all of our social media platforms, writing newsletters, e-blasts, and staying up to date with the constant changes in that world. When I am not behind my computer, I am out in the community making connections and seeing how Ox-Bow fits into the greater world around us. We love to partner with local organizations and businesses to bring our mission and art in general into the lives of the community. We also love to hear the community’s experiences at Ox-Bow, what they learned, shared, anecdotes of time spent on campus and more.

What community initiatives are you looking forward to this year?

I am looking forward to a fun spring campaign that we have coming up that will have us getting to know our Douglas neighbors and also a few exciting culinary series that will be happening soon. Mostly I am looking forward to the campus being full of the energy and spirit that makes OxBow what it is!

Do you have an artistic practice of your own?

I like to think I bring creativity to everything I do, in my work, in my personal life, and in my hobbies. I am not sure if it is an artistic practice, but I have been designing and creating jewelry for, well, let’s just say for a very long time now! I enjoy working with different beads, wiring techniques, clasps, etc. I have collected beads for years from travels, friends, family, and vintage jewelry and then take inspiration from many things around me that I am excited about and want to try. Sometimes it is fashion, a destination, a landscape, a person, place, certain material, or story that inspires me to create. I love creating something that can add some fun and funky flair to an outfit and make you feel just a little bit extra. I am currently focused on bracelets but have quite a collection of earrings and necklaces that continue to round out the collection.

KATE NGUYEN (she/her) is a connector of community, a lover of happy people and good food, and an adventurer and wanderer at heart. She is currently the Community Manager at Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency but before she was at Ox-Bow, she owned and operated an event management and planning firm in the West Michigan area. She has a diverse work background and has worked in journalism, marketing, theatre management, economic development, and non-profit development.

OX-BOW HOUSE

In spring 2022 Ox-Bow acquired use of 137 Center Street for the pilot project: Ox-Bow House. With a vibrant community of nationally and internationally respected artists on our 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. Currently the space is home to our head office, a small gallery, retail, public programming space, and our archives.

Over 2022-2024, Chicagobased architect Charlie Vinz (Adaptive Operations) is our architect-in-residence, researching the site and developing an adaptive-reuse plan for the building. Vinz is well known for his work with artists and cultural organizations on adaptive-reuse design, applying a sustainability lens to architecture. Vinz will have studio hours while in residence where the public can interface with his process. A suite of programs about sustainability in architecture and design, including workshops, lectures, a symposium, and a publication, will be programmed throughout Vinz’s residency.

House Renovations

An Interview with Charlie Vinz, Architect-in-Residence

OX-BOW HOUSE HOURS

153 YEARS!

OX-BOW HOUSE MOVED INTO DOWNTOWN

DOUGLAS IN 2022, BUT THE BUILDING ITSELF WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1870.

Exploded axon diagram of Ox-Bow House site by Charlie Vinz

DRAWING BY CHARLIE VINZ

As an Artist-in-Residence in 2016, Charlie focused on fiber arts. At the time he was already a well established architect, and joked he was “cosplaying as a fiber artist.” During his time on campus he challenged himself to use materials within a specific radius. This same philosophy Vinz has also applied in his architectural practices. He seeks out localized resources whenever possible to minimize the carbon footprint of his projects. The history of Ox-Bow House excited him in this regard. With Saugatuck’s roots as a logging town, it’s likely the wooden structural support of the building (originally constructed in 1870) came from the surrounding land. In the future, Vinz hopes to create a resources map that hypothesizes where materials were originally sourced from. These conjectures are one of Vinz’s favorite aspects of adaptive design projects. Most recently, by finding the geometric center of the building, Vinz was able to unveil center court of the old athletic club.

When asked how Ox-Bow House fared in comparison to other projects, Charlie laughed. The words “one of a kind” tumbled out of his mouth soon after. It’s not too often that an architect receives three years to conceptualize a project, he acknowledged. “Architects are deliberate and thoughtful in any kind of process,” he said, and the nature of the three-year residence has allowed him to relish in that process. In his approach, his top priority is public interfacing.

Charlie created a “viewing hole” to see the layers of the building

In early conceptualization, Vinz proposed transforming the building’s accessible entrance into the main welcome way. He didn’t want anyone to feel like they had to use the backdoor. This ended up dictating much of the rest of the layout. “Things fell into place from there,” he said.

A year into his residency, Vinz still has plenty of hopes for what he’ll accomplish and ample time to realize those dreams. He invites all those curious about the project to visit OxBow House. His studio is available for viewing and his collection of books serves as a “public bibliography” for his architectural approach. And if you see Vinz in the House, he assures that he always welcomes conversations with visitors, especially if you have a story or two to tell about the building’s history.

CHARLIE VINZ (he/him) is an architect, designer, and artist who searches for simple solutions to complicated problems. In his approach, cultural production is an extension of the built environment, which is part of an open-ended, collaborative process. Vinz studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and Bauhaus Universitat in Weimar, Germany, graduating with a BArch in 2004. He has worked at architecture firms in Chicago, with artist Theaster Gates and Rebuild Foundation, and was the Creative Director of the Rebuilding Exchange before starting his own practice, Adaptive Operations, which primarily adapts buildings and spaces for new and different uses and works with artists and cultural organizations. Vinz is currently an Architect-in-Residence at Ox-Bow.

Please check our website and stay abreast of our newsletter for summer office hours and other programs with Charlie. www.ox-bow.org/oxbow-house

SHOP THE HOUSE

year-round, mutable retail gallery that supports the work of local and regional artists and Ox-Bow alumni. In addition to original artworks, the Market also offers Ox-Bow merchandise, art books, and supplies. During low-season (November–April) the Market expands its footprint at Ox-Bow House. Throughout the year, the Artist Market hosts special events, featured artists and pop-ups.

Ox-Bow House and the Artist Market are part of the Art on Douglas Second Saturday Gallery Strolls from 11 a.m.–7 p.m.: June 10, August 12, September 9 and the Saugatuck & Douglas Fall Gallery Stroll on October 14.

From May to August the Artist Market will feature biweekly Featured Artists in small curated solo shows. Mark your calendars and join us for a closing reception on: May 27, June 10, June 24, July 22, August 5 and August 19. Check our website for more information.

Have stories or photos about the former library, athletic club, or Odd Fellows Hall? Email communications@ox-bow.org to give us the scoop.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY FREEBY; (RIGHT) Kristina Paabus, Slow Rush , 2021, Etching, Wood Lithography, Linocut, and Screenprint, 24 X 20”

PROGRAMMING AT OX-BOW HOUSE

She Started It: Women Artists at Ox-Bow

June 30 – September 24, 2023

Ox-Bow presents a group exhibition looking at the role women have played in the history of this storied institution. The show will include artwork and ephemera drawn from Ox-Bow’s 113 years, showcasing just a fragment of the contributions women have made to the leadership and education at our historic art school.

This exhibition is presented in partnership with “Herstory: Women’s History in Saugatuck Douglas” at the SaugatuckDouglas Historic Center.

As part of She Started It: Women Artists at Ox-Bow, Ox-Bow’s 2023 In the House lectures feature women faculty from the summer program.

June 1: Annalise Flynne & Faythe Levine

June 15: Andrea Peterson

June 29: Carrie Gundersorf

July 13: Jessee Rose Crane

July 27: Ashley M. Freeby

August 10: Kristina Paabus

August 24: E. Saffronia Downing

PULLED FROM THE ARCHIVE Foundational & Contemporary Figures

ONE. A beloved moment from the archive is this snapshot of Mary Kay with her German shepherd. Mary Kay, known to many as the Sheriff of Ox-Bow, was an essential character on campus. As both a queer person and dog lover, Mary Kay serves as a Patron Saint of sorts to many here at Ox-Bow. // TWO. 2022 LeRoy Neiman Historic Preservation Fellow, Abbey Muza’s Pick: “One of my favorite parts of working in the archives was learning about artists like Ellen Lanyon through their connection to Ox-Bow. I wasn’t familiar with Lanyon’s work before sorting through her archives, but I was excited to learn about her presence on campus and how important Ox-Bow had been to her practice. Lanyon was director of Ox-Bow during the 70s. While director, she created a list of all of the artworks around campus. Some of these artworks were her own, including a large painted map of Ox-Bow on the patio of the Old Inn. Additionally, some of my favorite Ox-Bow event posters were in her archives; they’re very of the era! My last favorite thing about looking through her archives was seeing her administrative notes as director—more than any other director, she was prone to doodling in the margins during meetings, a relatable quality!” Made by Ellen Lanyon for Jerry Catania. // THREE. As a student, teacher, and eventually director of Ox-Bow, Elsa Ulbricht had an immense impact on the school. Perhaps most significantly, she broadened Ox-Bow’s academic vision. Ulbricht valued crafts as a major art form and was influential in bringing these disciplines to campus. Her legacy still lives on today through the variety of craft-based courses offered. // FOUR. To this day, artists that visit Ox-Bow are drawn to capture the surrounding area, whether it be landscapes of the lagoon, sketches of wildlife, or portraits of the architecture. This painting of the Lutz studio was created by Dawn Stafford, a longtime instructor at Ox-Bow who will be teaching the Art on the Meadow Workshop Color Wheel this summer. Dawn Stafford, The Lutz, 2002 // FIVE. This book was crafted by Pamela Barrie in 1989, in memory of her friend who worked at Ox-Bow. An English Professor at the School of the Art Institute, Barrie is an example of the variety of creatives that have been attracted to Ox-Bow, as well as the hybrid nature of work that often gets created on campus. Looking for Peter McGee by Pamela Barrie // SIX. The former Print Studio Manager at Ox-Bow, Lauren Anderson also taught Printmaking courses on campus. A variety of her prints live in our archive as a part of the rich history of artist-made prints and posters that breathe into the day-to-day life of Ox. // SEVEN. The 2018 course Black in the Woods was taught by Ayanah Moor and Krista Franklin. Guided by the two artists’ socially engaged practices, students interacted with art and readings relating to the landscape, identity, race, cultural studies, and the Gothic. This print, a collaborative representation of the instructors and students, now hangs in Ox-Bow’s Old Inn.

POLICIES TO NOTE COMPANION/GUEST POLICY

No companions, children, guests, or visitors are permitted during your stay. All residential housing and studio facilities are limited to artists enrolled in courses. We may be able to assist participants in finding accommodations for individual family circumstances, but these arrangements will be made on a case-by-case basis and must be determined in advance of your course or residency. There is no guarantee that alternate accommodations can be established.

STUDIO POLICIES

Each studio has specific policies in place to ensure the safety of students and equipment. Additionally, these policies ensure that all participants receive a quality education with equal access to faculty and equipment. All studio-specific policies will be explained on the first day of classes. Any student found in violation of these policies will be asked to leave the course without refund. These same policies are applied to any work conducted in the Ox-Bow landscape or on the Ox-Bow grounds. Because Ox-Bow is a community, we ask that all students respect the rights of their classmates and fellow community members by following our policies.

COVID-19 MITIGATION COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

As we are all in community together, it is everyone’s responsibility to assist in ensuring our community remains free of COVID-19. Please refer to the latest CDC guidance.

In order to mitigate the risks and spread of COVID-19, we have implemented new safety measures on campus. We ask that all community members follow the guidelines and best practices below.

SAFETY MEASURES FOR RESIDENTIAL PARTICIPANTS (ANYONE STAYING OVERNIGHT)

• Effective September 15, 2021, Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency requires every participant who stays overnight on campus to submit proof of full vaccination, unless they cannot do so due to a religious or medical reason or other authorized exception. This requirement pertains to everyone staying overnight on campus, including staff, students, faculty, artists-in-residence and other guests. Vaccination must be current and upto-date (either the initial vaccination or booster administered within the past 12 months).

• We also maintain our mitigation standard that all of our fully-vaccinated overnight guests on campus get a

COVID test 72 hours prior to arrival, and submit proof of a negative result to the Campus Director before traveling to campus.

• You will receive a questionnaire, to be filled out 48 hours prior to arrival on campus, confirming that you have not been exposed to COVID-19 and are not currently experiencing any symptoms. You will be asked to upload your proof of vaccination and negative COVID-test results on this form.

GENERAL COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

• Practice proper hand washing.

• Socially distance, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, whenever possible.

• Properly cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

MASK POLICY

• Cloth, surgical or N95-style masks are required whenever you are retrieving food in the New Inn dining room, as well as when you deliver used dishes to the dish area

• We ask that if you have recently traveled via airplane, mask when indoors for 3-5 days while you monitor the development of any potential symptoms

• Otherwise, Ox-Bow is a mask-friendly, mask-optional campus

• Disposable masks are available free of charge in the Old Inn

• COVID at-home tests are available free of charge for participants upon request from Old Inn Office staff

SPACES

• We have implemented separate work spaces in studios, limited tool and equipment sharing, and heightened sanitation of high-traffic areas.

• Whenever possible, workshops and events will take place in sheltered outdoor/open-air spaces for maximum ventilation.

• We will ensure that windows and doors with screens remain open as much as possible, keep fans running, and maximize airflow and ventilation.

• In the warmer months, open-air tents on the Meadow facilitate outdoor gatherings.

DINING

• Masks are required whenever you are retrieving food in the New Inn dining room, as well as when you deliver used dishes to the dish pit

• Use provided hand sanitizer before retrieving food.

• Grab-and-go snacks will be available for residential participants between meals.

• Participants must bus their own used dishes back to the dish pit.

• Food service practices will evolve as necessary.

CLEANING

• Housekeeping staff use antiviral cleaning agents for all cleaning purposes.

• Housekeeping staff clean and disinfect public bathrooms and other high-traffic areas daily.

• DIY cleaning kits will be available upon request. Housekeeping staff will replenish these kits as necessary. All community members will be expected to pitch in to keep themselves and their spaces clean.

• All public bathrooms are equipped with paper towel dispensers.

• Hand sanitizer dispensers are available in high-traffic areas.

IN CASE OF ILLNESS

• All community members will be asked to familiarize themselves with COVID symptoms; we will make this information available through orientations, as well as postings on our website and on campus. We will also provide printouts with detailed information about local medical facilities.

• If you are experiencing symptoms, tell core staff immediately.

• Staff will take the temperature of any student demonstrating potential COVID symptoms.

• Any participants with COVID-like symptoms (cough and fever) will be asked to leave campus and seek medical care at the Campus Director’s discretion. Any participants testing positive for COVID-19 will be asked to isolate and to exit campus as soon as possible. Ox-Bow cannot provide quarantine space for participants who test positive for COVID-19.

• If a confirmed case of COVID or COVID-like symptoms are exhibited by anyone currently on campus, Ox-Bow reserves the right to actions, including immediate closure of our campus and/or providing COVID testing to staff and participants. In the case of any closures, we will assist in making arrangements to have participants leave campus.

• Ox-Bow will work with the required outside health departments for contact tracing.

• Ox-Bow’s staff cannot provide medical care or transportation to a care facility.

Please direct questions about campus life during COVID to Claire Arctander, Campus Director (carctander@ox-bow.org)

INTRODUCING: SUNDAY SOJOURNS!

Interested in an insiders’ peek into the history, land, and culture of Ox-Bow? Join Claire Arctander, Campus Director, for an intimate tour and brunch experience. We will offer three Sunday Sojourn sessions throughout this summer, at the following dates and times:

SUNDAY SOJOURNS!

June 25, July 30, & August 13 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Your sojourn will begin with an hourlong guided tour of Ox-Bow’s hallowed grounds, and conclude with brunch prepared by our renowned Hospitality Department team. Spots are limited. This very special experience is only $30 per person! Register online at www.ox-bow.org/sunday-sojourns

PHOTO BY CLARE BRITT; BACK COVER BY JAMIE KELTER DAVIS