Door County's Art History

by Lorraine Mengert

Door County's Art History

by Lorraine Mengert ii This book is dedicated to Madeline Tourtelot, whose desire it was to see Art Education flourish in Door County. Through her efforts ·art classes were made available to everyone and to this day, opportunities continue to expand.

iii ACKNOWL EDGM ENTS Thank yous are extended to Baylake Bank's Cliff & Clara Herlache Foundation, the Door County Historical Society and the Raibrook Foundation for Grants. I want to thank all the directors of each gallery, organization and school who willingly read and corrected or added to the book text submitted to them.

Also, thanks to others whose knowledge helped me to fi nd details often hidden over periods of time: Door County Advocate Dorothy Cole, daughter of F. DeForrest Schook Mary Ann J ohnson, a Baileys Harbor historian Peninsula Music Festival 35th Anniversary publication Betsy Guenzel, one of Vladimir Rousseff's students Ginka Cohn & Elvera Gilbert for the dance class memories Erik Eriksson for some of the Birch Creek material J ames & Carole Maronek for their knowledge of The Poplars Maggie Magerstadt Rosner for her memories of the Buchbinders Charles Wiley, "Did the Eagle Get You Or. Moss?"

Many more thanks to Chan Harris for reading the text and proofing it historically as well as for the usual grammatical flaws. And finally, thanks lo Jeanne Desotelle, the director of the Door County Libraries for her cooperation in allowing me to duplicate the texts so they could be shared with t.he many people necessary to come to the conclusion, the printing.

Copyrjght 1996 by Lorraine Mengert

iv Table of Contents DEDICATION ...... m ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... iv PREFACE ...... 1 VISUAL ARTS Door County Artists ...... 5 Schook's School ...... 19 The 30's, The 40's ...... 25 Peninsula Art School ...... 31 The Clearing ...... 39 Peninsula Arts Assn ...... 43 Francis Hardy Gallery...... 49 Peninsula Arts & Humanities Alliance ...... 53 Bjorklunden, Boynton Chapel...... 57 Roadstead Foundation ...... 63 DC Summer Cultural Center ...... 69 Miller Art Center ...... 71 Sievers School of Fiber Arts ...... 77 Door County Art League ...... 81 MUSIC Arens Art Colony ...... 85 Peninsula Music Festival...... 87 Birch Creek Music Center ...... 93 Midsummer's Music ...... 97 THEATER Peninsula Players ...... 101 American Folklore Theatre ...... 103 Peninsula Arts Theater ...... 111 Blue Circle Theater ...... 113 Island Players ...... 115 DA CE Peninsula Dance ...... 119 MISCELLANEOUS Silver Poplars ...... 125 Ridges Sanctuary ...... 129 Door Community Auditorium ...... 131

v

DOOR COUNTY'S ART HISTORY Preface Door County has been here for centuries and along with its presence has been its beauty. As long as this peninsula has been inhabited, its beauty has been enjoyed and recorded in many forms ..... the written word, song and visual images. When did we finally find the opportunity and need to put things down to share with others? The early 1920's were magic years. What was going on in the world at that time? The art of the Impressionists was joined by that of the Cubists, Expressionists, Surrealists and generally an abstract expression of the times. Names in the art world included Kandinsky, Klee, Leger, Munch, Picasso, Feininger, Matisse, Monet. The public was enjoying the literary works of Agatha Christie, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, A.A. Milne and Carl Sandberg, and the music of Jerome Kern, Franz Lehar, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky and Paul Whiteman. In their social lives?????? prohibition went into effect and women gained the right to vote. Harding was president and Gandhi emerged as the leader of India's drive toward independence. And what about Door County? The 1920's were the recorded beginning with the history of Schook's art school. County visitors of the 30's brought their interests and appreciation of the arts, and at that point the organization of arts activities was born. So, I followed its growth. I felt the need to put together the bits and pieces about the arts in Door County that I found in old newspapers, magazines and in the Laurie History Room of the Sturgeon Bay library.

1 To allow you, the reader, to enjoy this history as a nar­ rative, I have written the story of the artists as one chap­ ter, and then each organization, school, or arts group is dealt with in depth on an individual basis. Though the visual arts are the primary concern of this documentat ion, music, drama and dance cannot be sepa­ rated and forgotten. Visual arts is merely a portion of the whole circle of Door County's cult ural beauty. The most difficult part of this task has been the attempt to record the arts scene as it exists today. I have become increasingly aware, as 1 have procrastinated about putting these pages together, that we are living in 'history'. The growth and development is so rapid that as I reread, I am constantly forced to make changes. May you find yourself eager to share in this history, and obviously, in the future of the Arts in Door County.

2 VISUAL ARTS

3 4 DOOR COUNTY ARTISTS:

There was a time in Door County before art galleries, but, there was never a time that people couldn't appreciate the beauty of the peninsula. When the snow melted from the fields and the pink and white blossoms popped on the trees, the temptation was there to record it on paper or canvas. Door County boasts a number of resident-artists whose work and lives have been a great influence on their many followers during this past century. One very early Door County artist, Vida Weborg, was born in 1864 on a farm that is now part of the Peninsula State Park. She had received her art training in Chicago, taught school in Chicago.IL., California and other states, and is noted in the county for illustrating her sister's book "In Viking Land", published in 1901, and Holand's popular "Old Peninsula Days." A beautiful oil painting, "Victorian Still Life," is in the Miller Art Center's permanent collec­ tion. She died in 1951 at 87 years of age. Jessie Kalmbach Chase, born in Baileys Harbor in 1879, received her art education at the Art Institute of Chicago. Best known for her oil paintings, plus occasional murals in oil or fresco, she also worked in watercolor and serigraphy, using many familiar Door County scenes for her subject m.atter. She was married to Wilfred Chase of Madison, who died in 1949.

5 Jessie had been included in exhibitions in Door County as early as 1949, and becoming very respected, was invit­ ed to have a one-woman show during the Music Festival. She had her own studio-home in Sturgeon Bay during the 60's, but died at the age of 90 as a resident of a Green Bay nursing home in 1969. She is well remembered in Door County through her artworks in the collection of the Miller Art Center plus those privately owned. Gerhard Miller, born in 1903, is a master in egg tempera and watercolor, with his home and gallery on Bay Shore Drive in Sturgeon Bay. The son of a Sturgeon Bay clothier, he was prepared to run the fa mily business. His real inter­ est was painting, and eventually he directed all his efforts and talent to his artwork, opening a gallery in his home in 1958, expanding it later to a separate building. Gerhard had become an acclaimed artist well ahead of opening the gallery. In 1943 he was a sought after teacher in the county. He held classes one afternoon a week from October to l\llay at The Clearing in Ellison Bay. His wife would join him on the trek and if the weather was bad they would simply stay overnight. He was also actively involved in the Peninsula Arts Association, teaching classes and sharing in exhibitions. He has afforded Door County artistic aspirants many opportunities to take classes through these many years. Today, in his 90's, he is one of the county's most outstand­ ing artists. His gift of the Miller Art Center in the 70's was an important addition to the county. During the 50's and 60's, while Gerhard Miller had a second gallery/clothing store at the Red Barns north of Ephraim, Charlie Lyons, another native son, added the Paint Box Gallery in the same complex. He continues in that same location with his hand-colored woodcuts plus the work of many more artists, and the painting supplies sought after by the county's art students.

6 Charlie grew up in Sturgeon Bay, served in the Marine Corp during the Vietnam War and attended the University of Wisconsin. Though he taught at Madison Area Technical College and the University, he enjoyed his opportunity to return to Door County. He not only operated the gallery, but from 1975 to 1988 he was the Curator at the Miller Ai·t Center in Sturgeon Bay. His talents are often garnered for hanging shows for special exhibitions throughout the county. Joan Champeau, Sister Bay artist and gallery owner, continues in the longest Door County art heritage of any of today's gallery owners. Her great-grandfather, Andre Roeser, came to Sister Bay in 1877. In 1946 her father, Otto Vieth, exhibited his landscapes in his Sister Bay Art Gallery, followed by Joan in 1954. Her work shares the gallery walls, though in a new Sister Bay location, with that of her daughter Roberta and many others. As summer travel to the county became common, fami­ lies began to build homes so they could return annually for the entire season. Alice Hotz Apfelbach Myers, who was born and raised in Chicago, was a summer resident of Fish Creek from 1905 until her death in 1983. While a student at the Art Institute of Chicago, she interested one of her professors, F. DeForrest Schook, into coming to Door County because of its artistic peauty. In 1920 he opened his summer school south of Baileys Harbor for disabled veterans who were students of his during the regular school year. Alice, with her own Seagull Gallery, was not only an ardent supporter of the art community, but the family pre­ served and made available the Door County tract of land known as Newport State park. By the 1930's the county had gained a reputation for its beauty, its weather and its room for growth. One visitor, Jens J ensen, a landscape artist, had purchased a wonder-

7 fully wooded piece of land in Ellison Bay. He had a build­ ing moved there, and in 1934 when his wife died, decided to live there year-round. In 1935 he founded The Clearing on this land, a school primarily for the purpose of teaching landscape architec­ ture. The school has grown through the years, spreading in its curriculum to include all fields of the arts. As well as the usual summer session, winter classes have been added for the Door County residents. At this same time, the summer visitors, who were very interested in the arts, organized the Peninsula Arts Association. Exhibits, lectures, contests and concerts were presented entirely on a volunteer basis. The Peninsula Music Festival was born in 1953 and continues to grow and expand its influence each year. Music scholarships are given to high school graduates, support is given for music programs in the schools and they are working toward school orchestras. The art exhibitions were hung in a variety of places in the 40's and 50's, the Pioneer School House and Ephraim Village Hall most popular, until the Hardy Gallery was opened in 1962. Familiar names are associated with this work, some­ times as the artist, sometimes as the organizer of a show; Francis Hardy, Adlai Hardin, Wayne Claxton, Gerhard Miller and Leon Statham to name a few. Some of the exhibitors worked in their homes, some had studios or shops for a few years, many were occasional visitors. The pleasure of 'doing artwork' and being talented enough to have it included in an exhibit was the common denomina­ tor. Abe Cohn, potter, was a forerunner of those venturesome artists who now have galleries and shops scattered throughout the county. Ginka Cohn, Abe's wife, writes, "June of 1956 we moved up to Fish Creek with our two

8 children and lived for the summer in two bedrooms and a kitchen while we made a gallery out of the living room. Abe could not have his wheel in the house, so he worked out­ side. That first summer he would drive his work down to the Milwaukee studio to fire, glaze and fire the second time, and then bring the finished work back to sell." Abe repeated this routine one more summer before buying property which now houses his home and gallery. A new venture for Door County in 1964 was the estab­ lishment of the Craft Mart between Sister Bay and Baileys Harbor. Lester Bentley used a portion of the building for his studio and taught art classes on Fridays along with Gerhard Miller. An art gallery and crafts salesroom occu­ pied the balance of the building. Though additional permanent galleries had not opened during those years, other artists were discovering the peninsula. Lionel Wathall came in 1937 while he was a student at the Art Institute of Chicago, then honeymooned here in November of 1946 with his artist-wife, Bettie Becker-Wathall, and finally purchased a farm on Juddville Road in 1963. It wasn't until 1976 that they were able to move here permanently and open Pangaea Gallery, which closed in 1994 with their move to Sturgeon Bay. They are still represented in the county through other galleries. Camping, weekend visits in motels, often encouraged by friends, the fascination brought artists from Milwaukee, the Chicago area, even as far away as New Mexico, Germany and Costa Rica. With the number of artists interested in coming to the county, Roadstead, an organization to help these people find housing and space to work, was being organized in 1960. Though its efforts were sincere, nothing ever hap­ pened. Also, members of the Wisconsin University system were interested in expanding their arts offerings through representation in the county. Again, it never developed.

9 Ernie and Grace Waidelich typically visited, bought a cottage for weekends, and soon moved here permanently. Grace was an art major in college, but never had the time for weaving, which she insisted she would learn in retire­ ment. 'I'rue to her word she took classes from Nedra Adams and was hooked. Ernie got interested also, and they soon opened a shop in their home. In 1984 they sold their cottage and moved to the Whitefish Bay Farm Gallery, Clark Lake Road, where t heir daughter and husband, Gretchen and Richard Regnery, opened a Bed & Breakfast. It required much work on the young couple's part because they continued to live and work in Milwaukee, while spending weekends fix­ ing the building to meet codes. Gretchen and Dick have been able to move here year­ round and open their bed & breakfast, run an orchard and gallery, care for an ever-growing flock of sheep, and partic­ ipate in creating the work for the gallery. Dick has become a weaver and Gretchen's spinning adds many beautiful wool yarns to the weaving materials. Jack Anderson and Charles L. Peterson have had paral­ lel introductions to the county. They each began regular visits in 1958, built homes in the 60's, exhibiting from the home as a start, and finally moving their work into a gallery in the mid-70's. Each has become a permanent res­ ident of the county. Charles Peterson says, "Everyone thinks artists come here because it is so beautiful. I believe we came here because we had had such happy times here... we simply felt wonderful when we got close to Ephraim on our eternal drives up from Ohio. Though I agree that the place is beau­ tiful, that is of little interest to the painter in me since landscape painting per se bores me. I am interested in human experience, and I simply find Door County a delightful place to live in while I paint what happens to

10 fascinate me at the moment...which I might be able to paint almost anywhere, except I like to feel 'at home' when I paint." Jack Anderson's introduction to Door County came as a teenager in the early 50's as a guest of his employer who had a summer home on Garrett Bay north of Ellison Bay. He purchased his own land in the late 50's, and built a small home in the 60's. He began by showing his work in his home, then on to the Shoreline Restaurant in Gills Rock.

In 1972 he rented space in a commercial fishing barn on the dock where the fenies departed for Washington Island. Lighting came from the open door. He finally built his gallery south of Sister Bay in 1976, enlarged in 1985, and since then has purchased the prop­ erty next door and has found the need to remodel and expand that building. Jack and his wife Sue, who runs the galleries, have given many artists a chance to exhibit their work in the galleries. Some of t hem have been with him from the beginning and others have been added over the years of expansion. What began with one watercolor artist has

11 developed into one of the county's largest galleries with a great variety of media. Other visitors of the 60's, turned residents, are Tom Seagard and Brigitte Kozma, a husband and wife team of the Mill Road Gallery, Sister Bay; Phil Austin, whose work is at the Jack Anderson Gallery; Richard Mue11er, Louis Smolak and Joe Cook, who eventually opened their own galleries. Doris White, who opened a gallery in the 60's, continued for a few years, coming as a visiting artist and teacher with her artwork represented in sev­ eral ga11eries. (Joe Cook died in 1994 and Doris White in 1995.) Richard Mueller expresses his feelings, so similar to the others. "Our principal reason for the move was a change in lifestyle. We didn't wish to look back twenty years later and say 'we could have'. Instead, we wanted to take advantage of what we felt was meant to be." In the 70's the number of galleries mushroomed; they were tucked on backroads as well as being fo und in the hearts of the towns. The same pattern of motives contin­ ued, the same pattern of visitor turned resident. There are always those who come with great intentions of stay­ ing, but other circumstances require a change in plans and they must move on. Sometimes it simply takes longer to reach t he goal. Those years saw the addition of the Ingwersen Gallery on Old Stage Road, Sister Bay; the Tria Gallery of Ellison Bay; Sylvercroft, Sister Bay; the Coventry Gallery, originally of Ephraim but now in Ellison Bay; Evergreen Farm Gallery, Sister Bay; The Topelmann's Hanseatic Gallery, Ephraim; Emmett Johns in Founder's Square, Fish Creek; and Larry Thoreson's Gills Rock Stoneware, now in the hear t of Ellison Bay. In 1975 the Miller Art Center opened its doors in a sep­ arate wing of the Door County Library in Sturgeon Bay.

12 This year-round facility, plus the Harmann Gallery of Sturgeon Bay, and Edgewood Orchard Galleries on Peninsula Players Road, Fish Creek, give the opportuni­ ty for an introduction of the artwork of many artists who have eventually made their homes here, or others, who simply enjoy the county enough to want to exhibit here. The Edgewood Orchard Galleries are not only exhibitors of art. but the galleries themselves are a piece of art. Owner, Minnow Emerson is an artist in glass and wood who improves the main building each year, adding new art-glass doors and refined wood structure, but has also added galleries and storage space.

Minnows wife, Anne Haberland, opened the gallery with her mother in 1973 and has built a business with exhibition opportunities for a few artists into one which now includes the work of hundreds. The presence of many artists and galleries in the coun­ ty attracted not only the customers for this art, but oth­ ers who were interested in improving their art ability plus those fl edglings who simply wanted to be able to paint themselves. Madeline Tourtelot, who for many years had been offering opportunities for art classes, donated her art school buildings a t the north end of Fish Creek to the Peninsula Arts Association. In the summer of 1980 class-

13 es, taught primarily by county artists, started under PAA supervision and continue to this day. There have been many changes, all forms of expansion and growth, with the school no longer under the PAA umbrella. It attracts many artists who have continued to work in the county, some who have even settled here to open their own galleries. Other galleries have expanded so they are able to include the work of many artists: the Blue Dolphin, on Highway 42 in north Ephraim, gr own from one property with two buildings, to now include a gallery across the road which exhibits a broad variety of work from dozens of artists. Other children of the county have joined the ranks of the art community. Samara Christian, a jeweler who opened her shop in the Cupola House, moved to Sturgeon Bay with her husband Greg and have their own Jewelry Shop, Gold & Silver Creations on Jefferson Street. In their success they have been able to hire several more jewelry artists, Robert Soukup of southern Door includ­ ed. Keith Bridenhagen, who cai·ved decoys for his own pleasure, has a home-gallery on Beach Road in Sister Bay, while Fred Briclenhagen , painter and shop owner, can be found in Egg Harbor and Ephraim. Wildlife sculp­ tor, Bill Dehos, has moved to Green Bay, but continues to show his work in the county. In more recent years many more artists have joined the community, some with shops, others simply dis­ played in galleries which have expanded. David & Jeanne Aurelius have Clay Bay Pottery just south of Ellison Bay and John Dietrich's work in his shop in Ellison bay; Carol Gresko's award-winning screen print· ed fabrics are designed and sold in Ephraim; fine jewel­ ry by Mary Witteborg, Amanda DeWitt and the Lings can be found, plus the wood carvings of Bob McCurdy, paintings by Evelyn McNamara, Rosemary Utzinger and

14 Robert Pence. The number continues to grow. Rosemary Utzinger sums up the feelings expressed by so many of the artists when she says, "Looking back over thirty­ nine years of moving from one community to another because of my husband's job, I realized the places I enjoyed living in the most have four seasons, great scenic beauty and space around me." In 1986 the Door County Art League was organized to give the artists the opportunity to come together to share ideas, needs and friendship. There were originally 83 members and has grown, with changes in membership, to about 150. Monthly meetings, with guest demonstra­ tions, lectures and art movies continue an established pattern. The artists participate in an annual fall exhibi­ tion and, those who desire gallery space, share a summer gallery. To allow more cooperation between all the arts organi­ zations in the county, the Peninsula Arts and Humanities Alliance was organized as a committee of the Peninsula Arts Association in 1991. As the county grew, so did the arts opportunities. Where in 1937 the PAA satisfied the visitors' needs, there was now Birch Creek, the Peninsula Players (who were already here), American Folklore Theater and others. The Hardy Gallery, Peninsula Music Festival and Peninsula Art School have left the PAA for their own independence. But, it was feasible for all these groups to have a com­ mon bond so they have come together through PAHA. In this short time they have taken the best of each of their experiences, shared them with the group and found ways to work together. A county Arts Map, which had been part of the PAA, is now inclusive of all the mem­ bers. A calendar of county arts events is published from May through October, and now a telephone HOTLINE has been established, allowing more convenient calls to the arts organizations for tickets and information.

15 Growth continues at a pace too fast to record. Theater is becoming a bigger part of the arts community. The American Folklore Theatre, which originally performed in Peninsula Park during July and August, added some fall weekends indoors in 1993, and at even more loca­ tions for a longer season in 1994, developing occasional programs for the county during less active months. Their 1995 expansion included some Shakespeare which was performed at Bjorklunden, plus other matinee locations. After Gerald Pelrine left the American Folklore Theatre he established the Peninsula Arts Theater, active in the county year-round from 1991-1995. Also, the Blue Circle Theater, headed by Diane Paulus comes each summer from New Yo rk, often working with the players from American Folklore Theatre. These expanding theaters along with the well-estab­ lished Peninsula Players, who have been h ere since 1935, speak well for theater interest on t he peninsula. The Door Community Auditorium has included in its scheduling, time for th e Peninsula Music Festival to per­ form in a large, comfortable setting, and for other orga­ nization s to be better s howcased when they present the need. Penins ula Dance, which offers a series of dance class­ es for all ages, has been active for a long time. Through the sponsorship of th e University of Wisconsin, Madison, t hey hold classes and present one evening program at t he Fish Creek Town Hall. Our musical artists have grown from one organized concert group, the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra, through the introduction of the Birch Creek Music Center, and most r ecently, Midsummer's Music. So they continue to come, continue to expand the arts co mmunity. Galleries pop up with each new season, each introducing the work of artists not yet familiar to the

16 county. Theater and music add organizations and perfor­ mance time in spring and fa ll, working often with the schools. The Door Community Auditorium represents a fine year-round facility for artistic presentations. We cel­ ebrate the arts.

17 18 SCHOO K'S ART SCHOOL

The world of art was awakening in Door County, and a new venture in 1922 was one of the early forces to intro­ duce the county to the artist, and the new artists to the people of the county. World War I had ended and the gov­ ernment was aiding in the education of returned veterans. When Uncle Sam wants to give his Federal Board art stu­ dents good training, he sends his men to places of outdoor beauty and a healthful environment such as Door County. Sheltered in the comfortable confines of Lakeshore Lodge on the woody shore of Lake Michigan at Baileys Harbor, about fifty artists lived for a summer, working under the direction of professors from the Art Institute of Chicago. F. DeForrest Schook, one of the faculty, whose family still has his cottage, taught the work with the aid of Harry Anthony D'Young and Frederick Poole, both men of repute in artistic circles of Chicago. Though the veterans' studies were supported by the government education pro­ gram, the Art Institute's closure for three months during the summer left the students without anything special to do, therefore the exodus to Door County. Professor Schook had known about Baileys Harbor and its wonderful cool summers and in 1921 had built one of the first summer homes in that area. on Muckian Road (now Chapel Lane). Frank Oldenburg had supervised the job of dismantling several abandoned big barns on the Charles Honold farm, and the log cabin and studio (which was also used as a supply store for the students) were built according to Professor Schoo k's plans. After the first summer of the Art School, Mr. Poole decid­ ed to build across from the Schooks' cabin. This site was selected because Mrs. Poole did not enjoy being too near the shoreline.

19 At first Poole used part of the cabin as a studio, but this proved impractical, so he built an addition to use for his painting. He refused to cut any of t he trees which sur­ rounded the cabin, but the green light reflected by the trees bothered him, so he built another studio in a clearing to the north, next to the cabin. At the time, a road which is now called Lake Shore Road, ran straight through along the shore but when a Racine man, Cornelius Tecktonius, built his home, he refused to allow anyone to drive across the front of his property, so the jog was put in the road so it could run in back of the cottages. At t hat time the area was known to everyone as "Frogtown," in honor of the French couple who had lived along the road prev ious to World War I. The French were nicknamed "Froggies" clue to their green uniforms and hats. The 'olcltimers,' keeping an old tradition alive, resist the new road names and often refer to "Frogtown Road." The veterans lived at Lakeshore Lodge (later called Sunrise Hotel) which was owned by Bill and Annabelle Muckian. The hotel burned down May 15, 1930 and was never rebuilt. A home was eventually built on the founda­ tion. The men had their meals at the hotel and some slept there while others slept in tents rented from Frank Blakefielcl, who owned a general store. The students built a studio on the waterfront across from the hotel with an entire north wall of glass and an outside deck. Classes were held t here, but one evening a week easels were pushed aside and a dance was held. These dances were very popular wit h the young people of the village. With so many young men around, there was no shortage of dates for the Baileys Harbor girls. Many of t he young women worked at the hotel. Various items in the Advocate that summer tell about the dances at the studio, a boat drill given in front of

20 Lakeshore Lodge by the Baileys Harbor Coast Guard for the artists and other summer residents and outings to Fish Creek and Ephraim where a "Mr. Dan Folda" took them to a home on Horseshoe Island on his yacht. At the end of the summer the veterans presented a play "Down East" at Schram's Hall. "The troupe also played at Egg Harbor and Sturgeon Bay." When the paper reported that the art stu­ dents left on September 15 it stated "they were a respectable lot of young men and made many friends dur­ ing their stay here." The 1923 summer school session included an expedition to Washington Island, where the whole crew was marooned overnight when a storm kept the ferry from returning to the mainland. This was a real disaster as cash was scarce among these young men and they carried no extra money for overnight lodging and food so many slept in barns or wherever they could find shelter. One memorable day Mrs. Otto Peil treated them all to a chicken dinner at her home after she became acquainted with the artists when they sketched around the Peil farm. They presented her with a lace tablecloth which she prized highly. Dorothy Cole, daughter of Professor Schook, tells of the part played by the artist students in the traditional Fourth of July celebration that fi rst summer. ''lvlost of the stu­ dents were World War I veterans, full of ambition, deviltry, and a little talent, and given a holiday with no plans in sight, they decided to have a parade and give the town a little excitement. "Posters were painted and put up in neighboring towns and when the day came quite a crowd assembled along the village sidewalks. There were fe w cars then to use for floats and very little material for decoration, but the artists were as ingenious then as they are now and it was

21 surprising how costumes and props were improvised and borrowed. There were flower girls strewing flowers for the marchers. I remember a snake charmer and his viper, a wild man from Borneo, a hayrack with hula girls, and even a giraffe (handmade of course). "It seemed to be fun for all, and the fun culminated with a dance that evening at the studio at Lakeshore Lodge." The residents of the Baileys Harbor area looked forward to the return of the classes the following summers. One summer a special art exhibition was organized for the Fair under the direction of Joseph D. Dowakin. It included work done by the students while in Door County plus many pieces which had been prize winners in other exhibits in the middle west. As a further example of the ways in which these men were welcomed into the community, a 1923 advertisement in the newspaper stated: "Artists Colony at Baileys Harbor will stage unusual rivalry contests including Pajama Baseball Game, Buck and Wing Dancing, also many other interesting stunts. This alone will be worth the price of admission." The social time was not really the emphasis of the sum­ mers. Many hours of hard work and concentration centered around the art classes. Seated all day on picturesque wharves and hillsides, the former soldiers worked enthusi­ astically with the pencil and brush hoping some day to become artists as well known as their instructors. Some merely used crayon, because they had not become expert enough to use the brush with much of a degree of dexterity. It was interesting to watch them as they sat hour after hour, never saying a word except to ask their instructors a question or two as to the merits of their sketches. Little exercises in trees, little outlines of boats tied up at the docks, and rough sketches of distant shores covered sheet after sheet of drawing paper.

22 Some of the men had classes in watercolor and others had classes in oil, but those were the ones who previous to the war, had studied and practiced art. They daubed a lit­ tle color here and there on their canvas, making their work look to the ordinary onlooker, as if anyone could paint a picture. Out of a myriad of daubs a seemingly helpless work of art became a picture surprisingly like the beauties of the landscape after which it was copied. When the men completed the new studio built near the lodge, they spent most of their time in the morning work­ ing on models. "The village is full of the most interesting people," remarked one of the men, "and it will be a great study to try to paint them. But it is hard work. A painter has never yet made a perfect sketch of a model." "During the twelve weeks that we are here," Mr. D'Young said, "we expect to take advantage of the beauties of Door County. It is an artist's paradise." 'When asked whether or not they intended to make sketches of the many other pretty spots in the county before they left, Mr. D'Young spoke up with surprise at the question, saying that the place where they are now located is so full of types that one couldn't attempt to try them all even in a summer. "We are going to take some sightseeing trips, however, to other parts of the county as soon as we get a good start here, " he said. "We like the country about here, and the men are anxious to see more of it." A large number of the vets who received vacations at the end of the school session, were so thoroughly pleased with the place that they planned to stay into September. The young men, many of whom were disabled in the war, progressed rapidly in their line of study, planning to become commercial artists because there was a big demand for that talent.

23 The next few summers there were fewer of the veterans and more private students attending the classes and in the summers of '25 and '26 both Poole and Schook taught at an art league in Green Bay. Then for several years Professor Schook had private classes in Ephraim which were to become the beginning of the Peninsula Arts Association. Among the first students were Alice Apfelbach and Ferdinand Hotz, Jr.

Material for this chapter was located in past issues of the Door County Advocate, directly related by Dorothy Cole, daughter of DeForrest Schook, and a few details about the area from an article by Mary Ann Johnson, Baileys Harbor.

24 THE 30'8 IN FISH CREEK, THE 40'8 IN EPHRAIM

In the mid 1930's the lives of many Door County vis­ itors centered around Fish Creek. Having rented rooms at the hotels of the Welckers and the Thorps, they were interested in finding amusement for their children. The Fish Creek Art Colony was fou nded in 1934 by Mrs. Carleton Vail, and Mrs. Arthur Byfield of Highland Park, IL, Mrs. J.R. Buchbinder, Chicago, and Dr. Gustav Lippman of St. Louis. Mrs. Vail ha d a sum­ mer home at Baileys Harbor (Bjorklunden) and the oth­ ers were regular summer guests at Welcker's resort. The Buchbinders later built Roadstead at Fish Creek and Mrs. Buchbinder established Roadstead Foundation to encourage the arts and humanities. In 1965 Mrs. Buchbinder wrote, "Dr. Lippman was a distinguished art expert from St. Louis where he prac­ ticed as a pediatrician. He and ourselves stayed at Welcker's many summers. "Helen Byfi eld and her son came to Fish Creek with us in 1934 and later they stayed and built at Ephraim. We always lived in the 'Helena', the little cottage before getting to the 'Henrietta', now the White Gull Inn. "Dr. Lippman and I induced Miss Fahr (Welcker pro­ prietor) to let us hold classes in the sitting room and on the grounds between our little cottage and the big barn of a Henrietta. Helen Byfield interested Winifred Vail (Now Mrs. Boynton)." Among the first pupils was Madeline Tripp, a very talented child, who was enrolled by her mother, Mrs. Chester Tripp. Later Madeline, who married Ned Tourtelot, became very important to the Door County

25 art community with her development of the Peninsula Ar t School. Classes in landscape, still life and figure composition were conducted by Vladimir Rousseff, known to his friends as Walt. Rousseff was a prize winning painter from the Art Institute of Chicago. The school term ran from June 30 to August 30 with students receiving a critique of their work each Saturday. Mrs. Vail and Dr. Carl David, latter from Evanston, IL, offered $25 purchase prizes awarded at the end of the season. Encouragements to gain students were offered with weekly tuition at $8, $45 for the season. A single room with board was $14 a week. A school brochure advised that transportation was available by Chicago Northwestern to Sturgeon Bay, thence by bus to Welcker 's. 'Concrete high­ ways all the way to Fish Creek.' "The graduation exercises, the showing of the work of the students, and the awarding of prizes, were held in Welcker 's Casino." indicated Mrs. Buchbinder. Betsy Guenzel's memories of those classes are probably typical of others enrolled by mothers. She states, "When I was fourteen I took an oil painting class on the front porch of the White Gull Inn. Madeline Tourtelot (whose talents you know), and Blanche Claggett (later the professional painter who did the mural at the Door County Memorial Hospital) were the other two members of the class. We were taught by a Russian artist named Vladimir Rousseff. He was, by the way, a founding father of the Peninsula Arts Association and a man of mercurial temperament. He was enchanted to be working with Madeline and Blannie. He hovered over their shoulders realizing he was fostering two stars. "Occasionally," she continued, "he'd come over to me and hiss fiercely 'That's not the way!' He would then grab my brush and paint over my offending efforts in his own style.

26 This left my canvas a mish-mash with progress rather impossible. One day it became just too much for me-I quit and fled." These classes were the impetus for Madeline Tourtelot's dreams of bringing art teachers and students together in Door County. In the summer of 1940 Madeline and her mother gave scholarships to three students at the Art Institute of Chicago: Paul Steger, William Seymour and Dan Burne Jones, so they could spend the summer stimulating greater interest in art in Ephraim. The scholarships gave each young man round-trip transportation between Chicago and Ephraim, and money to rent a cottage for the summer. F. Deforrest Schook was retained by the art school with the understanding that the young men would take over the teaching when he wasn't available. The idea of an art school took hold, and a group of amateur artists from around the village soon were busy painting mornings and afternoons under professional tutelage. To help carry them through the summer, the Chicagoans earned additional money by displaying and selling their pictures at Wilson's Ice Cream Parlor and in the boathouse art school studio near Anderson's dock. For them the sum­ mer opportunity was a wonderful experience, with paint­ ing excursions all around t he county by automobile and boat. The summer art school classes were such a success that in 1941, the next year, scholarships for Art Institute stu­ dents were continued. This time Rudolph Penn , Paul Tedeschi, Michael Waskowsky and Dan Burne Jones came north. Before long t hey found an old Model-T Ford sedan that they could afford, and named it Esmeralda. She soon became a well-known sight all over t he peninsula as the boys drove around on their painting expeditions. Mr. Rousseff, Madeline's former s ummer teacher, a teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, was staying in a

27 cottage on the south shore of Baileys Harbor. He was employed to give lessons for the art school in the boathouse at Ephraim. When Rousseff left Baileys Harbor, Dan Bu1·ne J ones took over the instruction. That year, as the year before, the paintings that the boys made were displayed for sale at Wil son's and at the art stu­ dio. Several of the hotels joined in by displaying the pic­ tures in their lobbies and dining rooms with discreet little tags telling the selling price and artist's name. The hotels in the village also helped by sending along new pupils to the art school. Things went so well that summer, that an art show was planned and held at Anderson's dock to demonstrate the vitality of the school. The art school guaranteed novice painters that they would be able to produce their first pictures in one easy lesson. The cost of a lesson was one dollar, and classes were held daily all summer. Besides Madeline Tourtelot and her mother, the art school was helped and encouraged by many other friends, among whom were the Wilsons, Jeppie, Louie at "The Rock", the Bachs and the Valentines. It was good hearted Kitty Valentine who supplemented the boys uncertain eat­ ing habits by keeping them supplied with pies and cakes from her hotel kitchen and J eppie took them in his boat when not engaged by fishing parties. The school was held in a boathouse surrounded by bal­ sams and pines across t he street from Anderson's store. Big swinging doors opening west to the water let the after­ noon sun flood the room with bright light. It was one big room with a pine board floor and lots of wall space to use in hanging pictures for display. Too soon the summer was over, no one guessing that fall would bring a war that would cut short and drastically change lives. A bit of information about three of these young artists

28 has been saved. Rudy Penn was classified as 4-F due to a lame leg. Mike Waskowsky spent the war in the tank corp and came back to head the art department at Kalamazoo State College in Michigan. After the war Dan Burne Jones went to Lee Academy of Art in Memphis, Tennessee to teach art. The war may have stopped the art school in the boathouse, but it did not stop Madeline Tourtelot from con­ ti nuing toward her goal of greater art education on the peninsula. In 1943 she founded the Ephraim Art School on County Trunk Q behind the Anderson Hotel in the Earl Wilson cottage. The classes were held on the cool veranda. Materials necessary for the courses in etching, engraving, serigra­ phy, monoprinting, oil, watercolor and casein painting, crayon and ink drawing were available. Madeline was assisted by Claude Bently, a Chicago artist. The classes were held Monday through Friday throughout August until 1949.

29 30 PENINSULA ART SCHOOL Madeline Tourtelot was not involved in any art activities in Door County during the 1950's .... she spent those years at the Saugatuck Summer School of Painting in Saugatuck, Michigan. It was this experience at Saugatuck that rekindled her interest in starting an art school in Door County. She started the Door Harbor School of Art in the basement of Gibraltar High School in 1964 with Ted Kraynik, a sculptor from Milwaukee. In 1965 Madeline purchased the three and a half acres where t he present school now stands; reorganized and renamed the school, The Peninsula School of Arts. Being the sole financial benefactor of the school, Madeline looked for sources of financial aid to help ease the tremendous burden she was carrying and was ironically turned down by the PAA at the time. Consequently she turned to the UW system for the aid she sought. Dealing with UW Milwaukee and UWGB had its good points as far as obtaining quality instructors was con­ cerned, but a total disaster as far as aiding Madeline financially. She not only found herself paying most of the same former bills, but giving the university most of the income that the school generated. As the school expanded the increased financial debt forced Madeline to close the school in 1971. A year before closing the school, Madeline started an artist grant program called The Studios, which allowed selected artists an uninterrupted span of time, studio space and the financial support to concentrate on their chosen fie lds of art. She continued this program until 1976. The property sat empty for two years until she donated half of the property and buildings to the PAA in 1978 with no strings attached. The PAA could do what they wanted, run it as an art school or sell it.

31 Bud Douglass, who was president of PAA, appointed a committee of four artists: Phil Austin, Tom DeWitt, Charles Lyons and Gerhard Miller, who were challenged to start an art school and make it self-sufficient in three years. $3,000 that Madeline Tourtelot had donated as seed money, was turned over to them and the promise of $2,000 from PAA funds anytime needed over the t hree years. Betsy Guenzel. who offered to help on the committee. was appointed chairman. The committee met on October 15, 1979 and made many decisions relative to general organi­ zation. Thoughts about classes offered, faculty and length of the school were included in the considerations. Finally an outline was agreed upon for the organization of the school and the time period was set from July 1 to August 31, with the hope for a need to extend the time in future years. In looking back on their plans fifteen years later, their purposes and plans developed much as intended. They hoped to spread some of the responsibility between a coor­ dinator of educational programs and another for studio programs. Class size was to be limited with a minimum of 10 students and a maximum of fifteen. Class length was suggested as two weeks. meeting twice a week, for three hours a day, with the cost at $35 a class. Those that met t hree times a week would cost $50. 1\vo hour children's classes were planned for Saturday mornmgs. The committee worked well together, each bringing his knowledge and experience with him. Gerhard Miller encouraged his daughter, who was outstanding in rosema­ ling, to teach a class. He also persuaded Arvie! Anderson, teacher at Southern Door, to teach bronze casting. Charlie Lyons, with his experience in teaching, helped with the format of class scheduling. Tom DeWitt helped to obtain instructors and worked on curriculum with them.

32 Phil Austin, though he had to be gone for many meetings, gave demonstrations for the students in the summer. An addition to the group was Liz Pfeifer, who brought several exciting instructors into the fold. Betsy Guenzel's husband, Paul. was drafted as treasurer, and in 1996 still holds that position because of the tremendous job he does. Betsy did much organizing, and much thinking over the winter. In April, Katie Richards, who was now president of PAA, called a meeting of the PAS Committee to make as many of the concrete plans as possible. Stephen Wadzinski, a Green Bay artist, was hired as director of the school and agreed to teach one section of t he children's classes. The committee met again in May and blocked out the classes that were now determined and the instructor for each. There were only three teachers who were not from Door County-Bridget Austin, Green Bay, who taught water­ color (So successfully that she is still teaching classes which are filled well ahead of the school opening), and Margaret Miller Utzinger teaching rosemaling with the help of her friend, Mary Parker. It wasn't until June 15 that everything fell into place: 18 classes offered, 2 Saturday morning children's classes and weekly Saturday afternoon art demonstrations by local ar tists. The school officially opened on July 1 with a party to honor the new fac ulty. The three Merit Award winners from the Salon of School Art exhibition at the Miller Art Center were awarded scholarships to a class of their choice at the new Art School. That first year was very successful with an average of six students per class. Publicity was encouraged wherever pos­ sible, the newspapers, radio, general word of mouth. The goal had been to get the school started and on its way to being self sufficient. They were on their way!

33 When one of the classes needed a few more students, Betsy Guenzel and Liz Pfeifer joined the student body and enrolled in a design class taught by Fritzie Glass. The only other students were Betty Blair and Lorraine Mengert. The five ladies (students and teacher) had such a great time, that the next spring they met for lunch and at that time signed Lorraine, an elementary art teacher, to teach one of the children's classes. That second summer the school operated under Kate Pfeifer, Liz's daughter who was still in college. This was difficult because there was a need for organization that she wasn't available to handle. The school was obviously going to be a success and needed more attention. At the end of the season Lorraine Mengert was asked to take over the directorship for 1982. This worked out fine since she had taken several classes and had the chance to teach, affording her the opportunity to see what was need­ ed. Though she was in Janesville during t he regular school season, the organization and student registrations could be directed to her at home. Her residence in the county began in early June, enough time to see that the buildings were cleaned and flowers planted. A dedicated group of volunteers and loyal board mem­ bers were the backbone of the school's growth. The school was under the umbrella of the PAA, but had the privilege of running quite independently. It seemed that morning classes were most popular, 9 a.m. to noon, and extending for only one week. Other class­ es ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., but were held only three days. Very popular were master classes which were taught for three or four days, but with a different Door County mas­ ter artist each day. This variety offered both the county resident and visitor a choice of number of days and level of commit ment.

34 Saturday afternoon demonstrations were continued with children's classes and adult sketch sessions in the morning. The walls of the classrooms were hung with an exhibition of the faculty's a rt work. The curriculum was extended and more artists were required for facul· ty. A secretary was hired who worked three days a week a nd Lorraine was in the office the other three days. "Artists in Action'', an Open House for the school, was inaugurated at the suggestion of Madeline Tourtelot. Several artists were invited to demonstrate in the court yard and a small musical group performed. The event was so well attended that it continues to be an annual mid-July attraction. In 1986 Lorraine had retired from teaching and was working on a parttime basis for the Miller Art Center in Sturgeon Bay as well as operating the school. She wanted time to work at her own art discipline, weav­ ing, so retired from the Art School directorship. Once again the school was fortunate to find Bonnie Oehlert Smith, a Door County artist, who was willing to take over the directorship. She had been involved as a teacher, so again, the administrative change was smooth. Bonnie was interested in spending some of her

35 time at her easel (her area of painting was pastels), and some time working for the school. Bonnie's years and those of J an Forkert (who followed), have been a continued story of growth and development. A board, which continues to be interested and helpful, vol­ unteers who share some of the work, and the devotion of a dedicated faculty have all been forces that have deter­ mined the school's direction. Each year the starting date seems earlier, and the clos­ ing now comes in October. Some of the lectures and demon­ strations are held in the evening. The classrooms are active most often until 4 p.m., and the administrative staff requires longer hours. There is talk and study at times rel­ ative to building expansion, but it remains on the drawing table. At this time, in 1996, a feasibility study has been done to tear down the present buildings and build a new structure. Donna Lash, the present administrator, has been in contact with Madeline Tourtelot and Kash Yamada relative to their selling the adjoining property. If it could be purchased, a building could be more advantageously located, the home on the property could be saved and used by the staff and the original circle-drive could be reestab­ lished. The school and its staff and board continue to serve res­ idents and visitors, some who return each year since the school's inception. Many of these recent changes, or developments, have come about since 1993 when the Board adopted its Mission Statement and Goals. This seems late since the school had been established in 1980, but until this time the group of supporters was existing with 'goals in mind' and meeting the ever-growing student population and responsibilities they engendered. The school became a separate 501 C-3 nonprofit organi­ zation, no longer under the umbrella of the Peninsula Arts

36 Association. The PAA gave them the titles to the land and the buildings, a nd as of that transfer is not financially responsible for any maintenance or needs that the school might have. The PAA has continued to support the school in providing some grants for scholarships and the institu­ tion of several new programs. The new progrnms initiated during these last few years include "Meet the Artist", a Sunday night series in the summer. This program gives the public an opportunity to meet the featured artists as they demonstrate, give a slide presentation, or lecture on their particular artistic inter­ ests, a program similar to the original Saturday afternoon presentations. The construction of a bronze foundry is the only one of its kind at a small private school in the midwest. The bronze casting workshops have become possible through private contributions and the PAA's help. An annual fund raiser, a Silent Auction, has been added to the Artist in Action Open House. 1995 saw the initiation of a Friends of the Peninsula Art School, with committees being formed to help with the ever growing needs of the school. Included in these responsibil­ ities will be fund raising events, office relief, help with public relations and distribution of brochures as well as Board positions. As a member of PAHA (Peninsula Arts and Humanities Alliance) the PAS Board has expanded the original school supporters' goals of art education to include the pledge to work with the Door County art community to promote all the arts as well as the statewide arts network. In their development they have looked beyond the everyday needs of the school and its students to see the bigger picture of the school's place in the state.

37 38 THE CLEARING The Clearing was founded in 1935 by Jens Jensen, land­ scape artist. He established it as a retreat for contempla­ tion and creative expression. Since that time adult stu­ dents have roamed its wooded corridors over a campus of 128 acres. In a 1962 Key to the Door, it is described: "The main stu­ dio is built of stone and has floor to ceiling windows through which sky, trees and ground may be seen in true perspective. This is where the students meet on cool days, at the huge stone fireplace. On warm days they move out­ side to a stone-circled council ring." Jens Jensen was renowned as a landscape architect, having designed and built parks all over the country, including Chicago. He was 75 years old when he finally closed his studio and came to Door County. In an article in the Spring, 1994, publication, Siftings from the Clearing, Elizabeth Gimmler gives us an excellent picture of Jens Jensen, the naturalist. She first met him in 1928, during a University of Wisconsin fieldtrip to Chicago. "He was very tall, well over six feet, and had a command­ ing presence. A 'take charge' presence. And I remember walking with him through the gardens. He marched!" Jensen, born in Dybol, Denmark, Sept. 13, 1860, came from a wealthy farming family. He met and fell in love with Anne Hansen, who was not accepted by his family, but he married her anyhow! They eloped in 1882 and came to America. Upon his arrival he was hired out as a caretaker for an estate in Florida. Two years later he came to Chicago and worked as a day laborer in Union Park, and later in the greenhouse at Garfield Park. Jeni>en served as Superintendent and Landscape Architect of several Chicago parks from 1890 to 1909 when he started his own

39 office. He did landscaping plans for the estates of many prominent people, among them Henry and Edsel Ford, Vincent Astor and Hiram Walker. When J ensen's wife died in 1934, he moved permanent­ ly to his summer home in Door County. It had been a schoolhouse which was moved there from Rowleys Bay but burned down in 1937 because the fireplace was installed improperly. Remaining is the flagstone terrace where J ensen used to sit, overlooking t he bay and the sunsets he greatly enjoyed. The Lodge now stands on the site of the house. In the beginning, of course, the school curriculum was directed toward landscape architectme. Most of the students were men from Europe until World War II broke out. Jensen's teaching philosophy included a half clay of learning and a half day of 'working the soil'. He believed that to know the landscape business you first had to work with the soil. His students tended a large vegetable garden in the open, sunny area next to Garrett Bay Road; vegeta­ bles which fed the students all through winter. The Clearing took shape under J ensen's watchful eye; the buildings with help from area workmen and carpenters and the Lodge and Schoolhouse built by Jensen and his students from stone quarried at the site. For about eigh t years, before the death of J ensen, Gerhard Miller taught an art class for one afternoon a week, from October to May. He and his wife, Edna at that time, would drive up for the day. He would teach the class and they would then eat with J ensen and Mertha Fulkerson. If the weather turned bad, they would stay for the evening and return to Sturgeon Bay the next clay. One of the students in Miller's class was Marlene Ekman, who at that time was a student at Gibraltar High School. Her teacher realized her talent and for three years arranged for her enrollment in the class. Other students included Emma Toft, Sid Telfer, Sr. , Olivia '!'raven, John Brann, Bill Beckstrom and J oan Champeau.

40 Jensen died in 1951, but his school continued through the efforts and dedication of Mertha Fulkerson who was his secretary and aide for 26 years. After closing the school, Mertha's winters were spent in Madison working in the Farm Bureau office. During 1952 and 1953 The Clearing Board of Directors, including Mertha as Resident Manager, and an Advisory Council of over 20 distinguished men and women, worked to raise money and give the school another chance.

In 1953 many dedicated people, most of all the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, helped to get the Clearing back in business. Jensen had incorporated The Clearing in 1937 as a 501 (C) 3, not-for-profit organization. This classifica­ tion remained in effect when The Clearing affiliated with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, an affiliation which meant the sharing of the same board of directors. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau supplied many in-kind services, such as bookkeeping, banking and management, not necessarily money. By the end of Mertha Fulkerson's 16 years of managing The Clearing, from 1953 to 1969, she did everything: the bookkeeping, taking charge of the teachers and students, answering letters, even the kitchen work when needed.

41 Much of what was established in those early years con­ tinues in the same general pattern today. From May until October there are classes in art, writing, photography, music, philosophy, nature and many other areas of inter­ est. Each subject is covered in a week's time, and students are encouraged to live at The Clearing during that time in order to get the benefit of association with others of simi­ lar interest. In 1976 a winter program was established which is directed toward the residents of Door County. Area artists - visual arts, music, literature, others - make themselves available to teach classes during January & February. These are the months when a ll those who are busy in sum­ mer can relax and take advantage of the opportunities in the arts. Classes may be taught once a week and extend over the entire span of months, or for a month; they might be taught daily for a week, or maybe twice a week for a peri­ od of time. Each class is set up on its individual needs and student interest. These classes have become so popular that students vie for the opportunity to attend. A lottery system to deter­ mine attendants has been set up. By the request of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, their affiliation was terminated in April of 1988 after the Friends of The Clearing raised a $600,000 financial base. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Directors vacated their seats on the Clearing Board of Directors, and the vacancies were filled by members of the Friends. The Clearing is now independent from any organization.

42 PENINSULA ARTS ASSOCIATION, From-Peninsula Music Festival, 35th Anniversary Souvenir History by Gary Jones plus "The Story of the Peninsula Arts Association" by Tray ton H. Davis, and arti­ cles from the Advocate and Key to the Door. On August 24, 1937, thirteen people met at the home of Mr. & Mrs. John Matter at Ephraim, and out of this meet­ ing the Peninsula Arts Association was born. The unique peninsula seemed the ideal setting for an allied art colony. Many painters, musicians, architects, writers and craft workers had chosen this beautiful setting for carrying out their individual creativeness. Bringing these artists together and giving other residents of the county a chance to share their inspiration was the purpose of the P.A.A. when incorporation was granted in December of 1937. The first officers and trustees were a vigorous and vocal group with much experience in organization. Dr. Frederick Stock, Conductor of the Chicago Symphony, was Honorary President. President was John Matter, banker and syndicated columnist; First Vice-president, William Bernhard, former Chicago architect; Second Vice-presi­ dent, Helen (Mrs. Arthur) Byfield, distinguished Chicago vocalist and voice teacher; Third Vice-president, Walter Rousseff, Chicago artist; treasurer was Herman Hachmeister of Evanston, IL, an investment banker in Chicago, and secretary was Mrs. Harold Wilson of Ephraim. Directors included Mrs. Donald Boynton, a fine singer and pianist from Highland Park; Leo Podolsky, Chicago concert pianist; Colonel W.W. Yaschenko, who ran the 'Yar" restaurant in Chicago;. Edward Collins, a Chicago concert pianist and Mr. Thomas Sanderson, a Sturgeon Bay attorney. With these leaders the member­ ship and interest grew and an active summer program was developed.

43 Mr. John Matter, the president, was an energetic man who was helped by able associates, and the PAA got moving at a rapid pace in the summer of 1938. By the end of August there had been a successful art exhibit, hobby show, dog show, concert, a series of lec­ tures, a hand-craft class for children and nature hikes. The Hobby Show, which took place in the Village Hall was so popular that in following years it was moved to the Peninsula Players and later to the Gibraltar Auditorium. By 1957, under the direction of Leon & Jessica Statham, it included painting, photography, weaving, old books, a collection of beautiful stones, silver work plus more. The Hobby Show was popular because , as someone wrote, "It gave everyone a chance to show his stuff, whether 'arty' or not." Art has always been a major force in the PAA. The following paragraphs include items found in the Advocate over the years, articles which present a good picture of the enthusiasm shown by artists and viewers alike. At first the exhibits were held in the Ephraim Village Hall. Later they were moved to the Pioneer School House. By 1962 the Francis Hardy Memorial Gallery on the Anderson Dock, Ephraim, provided an ideal setting for the annual art exhibits of the summer season. Francis Hardy, Wayne Claxton and Leon Statham were involved in the art exhibits and kept them going for many years. Every artist who lived in the county or spent his summer here was invited to submit two of his best pictures. In 1945 the annual art exhibit sponsored by the PAA was held at the .Ephraim Village Hall from Saturday to Tuesday, August 25-28. The event was open to ama-

44 teurs and professionals, with subject matter restricted to Door County. Included in the show were a group of Door County artists: Gerhard Miller, Harry Purinton, Joseph Webb and Mrs. Albert Larson. There were also entries from the Milwaukee Sketch Club a nd the Ellison Bay Painters, as well as a number of individuals. By 1946, the Annual Art Show had grown to a very significant position in mid-west art circles. '!'hat year a number of pictures from the Chicago Art Institute were exhibited along with the paintings of Door County artists. In 1954 there were four exhibitions held in the Pioneer schoolhouse with the first featuring watercol­ ors for sale, the proceeds of which were used to improve the exhibition facilities of the building. The 17th Annual PAA Exhibit of drawings, paintings and sculpture followed, with entry open to all residents of the peninsula. The third week was an Arts & Crafts exhibit which included textiles, cera mics, metalcraft and enamels, woodworking and furniture. Three demonstr ations were given: weaving, ceramics by Elinor Vagtborg, and leathercraft by George Anderson. The final week was an exhibition of Gerhard Miller watercolors, accompa­ nied by two of his watercolor demonstrations. From the earliest years the association was fortunate in having outstanding photographers in the area; notably Miles Martin of Jacksonport and William West of Ephraim. In 1962, when Roy Hanson was Chairman of the Art Show at the Hardy Gallery, William West was asked to organize a photo show. It was so favorably received that there has been one every year except 1965. By 1970, there were 31 exhibitors who showed 120 prints.

45 The first purpose of the PAA, as set forth in the arti­ cles of incorporation, was "Educational". Consequently a great deal of work was done to establish an Art School for Adults and to provide Art Classes for children. An early art school was held in an old shed across from the Anderson Store (mentioned previously). Other art schools followed, from year to year. About 1957 Gerhard Miller did several demonstra­ tions in the Pioneer School House and after that held summer classes in the Ephraim School house on the hill. The Children's Art Classes got under way under the direction of Ruth Leatherman, who had studied at the Chicago Art Institute. In 1942 she reported that an average of 12 children attended each session of the classes, ranging in age from 5 to 12; by 1961 there were 63. Later Martha Hachmeister (Cherry) and after her Mayble Holland conducted the children's school. Mayble Holland had been art supervisor in the Wauwatosa schools and for twelve consecutive sum­ mers held classes in the Ephraim school on Hwy. Q. At the end of each summer she held a showing of her pupils' work. She carried on her classes until her eye­ sight failed. In 1954 the classes met in the Pioneer schoolhouse every Wednesday and Thursday morning beginning in July. The use of many media gave an opportunity for varied experiences and attention was given to individ­ ual interests. All this for a fee of $.50 per session. Eighteen children came to one of these Junior Art League lessons plus two fathers and a boxer dog. They were taken to a place back of the Anderson Hotel to sketch , and later, returned to the school to paint their sketches.

46 That year the Junior Art League held its first exhibi­ tion with artworks from Michael Lapp, Carrie Mayhew, Linda & Michael Brodd, Stephen Kastner, Peter and Barbara Schwei, Dorothy Zimmerman, and Alicia, Toby, Holly, Mary and J ane Wilson. Forty children had attended those classes with aver­ age attendance around 20. A number of children attend­ ed for their short vacations.

47 48 FRANCIS HARDY MEMORIAL GALLERY The Francis Hardy Memorial Gallery on the Anderson Dock, Ephraim, became a reality through the generosity of Mr. & Mrs. Francis C. Hardy. In 1954 a "Meet Your Neighbor Party" was held at the Anderson Dock on Friday evening, August 20, at 8 o'clock. Films of old Ephraim were shown and there was a short program for the dock dedication. The Anderson Dock was purchased by the Village of Ephraim a few years back after a referendum when the village voted a $6,000 bond issue for the restoration. By 1954 the work on the dock was done.

A project of the Ephraim Foundation had been to reno­ vate the Anderson Dock and its warehouse and Mr. Hardy had very substantially supported this project. After his death, Mrs. Hardy made a handsome gift to the Foundation which resulted in the finishing of the interior of the warehouse as a gallery. In 1961 a twenty year lease at a nominal rental made the Francis Hardy Gallery available to the PAA. Mr. Hardy was an artist of recognized ability and after he died a picture painted by him was purchased by the Association as the start of a permanent collection and as a memorial to him. In addition, the PAA was left $1,000

49 under the will of Mr s. Hardy to be used in the work of the Arts and Crafts Committee. The Hardy Gallery exhibits in 1963 were as follows: July · 7 through August, permanent show of arts and crafts and three temporary shows. Week of August 4, Door County photographers; Aug. 18, work of the children's classes; Aug. 25, the work of the adult classes. Through the years the Hardy Gallery has built a tradi­ tion of mounting painting, crafts and photography exhibi­ tions from late June through Labor Day. Built on a staff of volunteers, except for the daily paid attendants, the gallery has been the most popular place for visitors to browse. It has been a starting point where work of the county artists could be viewed, and then, directed further, the visitor created a route of continued gallery hopping. There have been a number of gallery directors over the 30 years, each imbued with the power to make improve­ ments, thus changes have taken place. Margaret Cowles started this line, followed by Marvis Pechman and then Shirley Stolley. When Alicia Mulliken took the reins there had been enough expansion, and plans for additions to the schedule, that she increased the administrative staff. The exhibition of paintings which hang for the season (or until sold) on the perimeter walls, is one of the most popu­ lar traditions. It is one of the most sought after opportuni­ ties by the area artists. When it was determined that the fine craft artists were being forgotten, they were regularly included in some way. The photography exhibition also continues and becomes more popular each year. Center shows of featured work are as diversified as pos­ sible and in recent years have engendered programs built around them. There have been poetry readings, artists' demonstrations and special music.

50 Music has become an integral part of the summer sched­ ule. Several small concerts are presented, offering the advantage of enjoying the two art forms together. With these concerts has also come an opportunity to include the children and their introduction to the arts. Children's Day, a special presentation of programs, has now become a well attended annual event. The Hardy Gallery, like the Music Festival and the Peninsula Art School, has changed its position under the umbrella of the PAA and has become independent in its operation and financial status. The PAA is still there to engender support when it is asked; this help given through a recently designed grant program. The present director is Lucy Rosky. Each of these changes and additions has added to the arts opportunities which were dreamed about in 1937. There will soon be sixty years of dedication represented in the history of the Peninsula Arts Association.

51 52 P.A.H.A. Peninsula Arts and Humanities Alliance In 1991 the Board of the Peninsula Arts Association felt a need to rededicate itself to it's original goals and decided to reorganize. It was also determined at that time that over the years many more organizations had been estab­ lished that were a vital part of the Door County Arts Community. Representatives from these organizations got together to discuss the values of forming a single committee to enable them to work together wherever beneficial; thus, the birth of the Peninsula Arts & Humanities Alliance. A mission statement and objectives were established for this new committee of the PAA, a group which has found many com­ mon interests in these five years.

Mission statement: The Peninsula Arts and Humanities Alliance, a committee of the Peninsula Arts Association, is a coalition of organizations whose purpose is to enhance, promote and advocate the arts and humanities for the Door County cultural community and to provide technical assistance and services for its members. Objectives: 1. Maintain a master calendar to include activities, programs and projects. 2. Publish an annual map and general information brochure. 3. Publish a public events calendar. 4. Facilitate joint promotional endeavors. 5. Provide for timely forums and workshops. 6. Facilitate joint fund raising activities. 7. Assure that an atmosphere conducive to the arts and humanities is promoted in Door County. 8. Help organize other activities as may be approved by the member organizations.

53 The Alliance set about fulfilling the objectives just as soon as possible. A county arts map had already been a part of the responsibilities of the PAA; the Alliance took over this task under the leadership of Susan Anderson. It is so respected throughout the county that it is difficult to hold down its member subscriptions to a workable map size. A master calendar is part of the Advocate's weekly pub­ licity, so Lorraine Mengert. who writes that column and does the PAHA public events calendar, simply makes sure all PAHA members' publicity is complete. There have been a variety of occasions when the mem­ bership has worked together to sponsor forums and work­ shops. With common goals these organizations gain financial benefit as well as com mon understandings of problems and needs. The most current project, which will benefit some of the membership, is an "Arts Hotline" phone line that can be used for inquiries and ticket requests, which was put into service in April 1995. This work has been done with the cooperation of the Chamber of Commerce. In the 60 years of the Peninsula Arts Association's life there has been such rapid development, with its respon­ sibility for the Peninsula Art Schuol, the Hardy Gallery and the Peninsula Music Festival, that it was like a mother stretching her arms over a too-large brood. As each of the children grew into its independence, the mother organization could take on an entirely new posi­ tion. Today the Peninsula Arts Association, through mem­ berships and donations, is able to give financial support to all the arts organizations and individuals in the coun­ ty. A new Grant Program has been established, extending financial help through quarterly applications. With this financial help, hundreds of volunteers who

54 offer physical support and the Peninsula Arts & Humanities Alliance, the county's arts programs are well tied together, supported and constantly growing.

55 56 BJORKLUND EN The estate known as Bjorklunden was a summer home and sanctuary of peace for Donald and Winifred Boynton of Highland Park, IL. The estate, whose complete name is Bjorklunden Vid Sjon (Birch Forest by the Water), includ­ ed the Boyntons' residence, the family Chapel, a workshop, a studio and a caretaker's home. The buildings are situat­ ed on 325 acres of wooded, undeveloped land fronting Lake Michigan. Sudden total deafness put an end to Winifred Boynton's career as a concert pianist. After the tragic death of her first husband, Winifred studied art and architecture. From this grew her dream to build a chapel dedicated to peace for a world tottering on the brink of World War II. The chapel, patterned after a 15th Century Norwegian Chapel, was started in 1939 and completed in 1947. In 1953, after its completion, Winifred wrote and illustrated Faith Builds a Chapel. Bjorklunden was willed to Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, in 1963. Mr. Boynton died in 1966. The uni­ versity assumed the responsibility and privilege of caring for the buildings and property after the death of Winifred Boynton in May, 1974. In 1964 Lawrence University awarded the Boyntons honorary Masters of Arts degrees for their mastering the arts necessary to build the chapel. About the same time Mrs. Boynton received a medal from King Olav V of Norway for her faithful effort in building the chapel. In 1980 Lawrence University began an annual series of Seminars. Lasting a week, students over the age of eigh­ teen, lived and studied in a relaxed atmosphere., centered in the residence now turned into a lodge. There have been such learning opportunities as "Door County's Natural Splendor'', "The Hidden History of African Kingdoms",

57 "The National Energy Dilemma" and "Art and Artists of Door County". When the lodge was destroyed by fire in the summer of 1993, it halted the university's program of summer semi ­ nars. Although the new lodge is more modern and will be better-suited to the educational program, the old one had a special ambience. Dragons resembling ships' prows, which were familiar fixtures of the old lodge, ar e repeated in the new design. This new building is a year-round facility which will have office space, kitchen, dining room and fourteen bed­ rooms with baths. Some of Winifred's things were lost in the fire, but murals which were saved have been incorporated into the new structure, as well as hand-painted furnishings that were salvaged. Winifred Boynton's piano as well as the paintings and drawings she made to build the chapel, have been part of the Miller Art Center's Permanent Collection since the early 1970's. The piano has afforded the opportunity for many fine programs.

The Boynton Chapel In 1975 the Miller Art Center had an exhibition of the works they have in thefr collection which document the Boynton Chapel, its design and its construction. The infor­ mation in this chapter is available because of the brochure which accompanied the sho\v. It is primarily quotations from Winifred Boynton's Faith Builds a Chapel. 1939 "Our inspiration for the design of the chapel came when, visiting t he Norwegian Folk Museum in Lillehammer, we saw a li ttle Stavkirke or woodchapel beside a small lake."

58 The digging began early one day but it was sundown before the rock foundation was reached. On the exposed limestone was revealed a clear and symmetrical cross made by crevices between the rocks. The wood carving and building began. 1940 "In the study of wooden churches I found that many interiors were completely covered with designs of symbolic significance, so it became my purpose to seek symbols pertaining to life and inspiration for living spiri­ tually and joyfully." While the woodcarving continued, Mrs. Boynton created the designs for the murals Holy Hunt and Peaceable Kingdom. 1941 "Woodcarving filled every spare moment that win­ ter and when the time came to return to Bjorklunden, the Cross, the key note of the chapel, was completed and ready to take its place on the altar." The twelve pew ends and the designs for the murals of the Archangel Gabriel and the Peaceable Kingdom were ready to be traced on the wall. There remained thirty-nine

59 panels to be designed. 1942 "In the chapel Don built the most spacious and commodious platform on casters which could be moved easily wherever one wished .... Here I did everything but sleep during the next four years." 1943 "At last the day came to begin painting on the chapel walls the designs completed during the last three years. Each line and variation in shade and color was questioned and tested. The panel of Prayer was finished the day before we left for the winter." 1944 "The architrave around the entrance door was our next winter project, the design to include every implement used in the building of the chapel in order that it might have historical significance. But soon plans for an even greater task were being made ... a baptismal font." "During the summer I started on the upper panels. The completion of these panels was truly a milestone for now the chapel seemed indeed a place of worship." 1945 "By April the greater part was completed. A few days later our carving teacher came to see it and he said in an awed voice, "There is not another like it in the world". By the end of May we were again at work on the chapel. The altar was now completed. In front of the railing was a long prayer cushion of red needlepoint, embroidered dur­ ing the winter. The upper panels were now finished." And then "The war was over! Peace had come at last. At this time the chapel had the first of many significant ser­ vices, an early morning 'Victory Service'." An entry on September 15 indicates a summer of much work and the finishing of Peter and the beginning of Paul. 1946 "And now it had become the custom in our family to foregather every Sunday afternoon to sing hymns. Gradually friends joined us in the chapel. Often Mrs. Peil coming from services at her Lutheran Church would

60 appear, her arms full of flowers. Looking around she would invariably say 'Oh Mrs. Boynton, you have for you a mon­ ument already builded!' And then, remembering her flow­ ers 'See you, from my kirche to yours bring I flowers."' 1947 The first panel to be painted was to the right of the door while the two hundred pound bell was hoisted into the belfry. "Don called me to pull the rope and soon the for­ est echoed its joyful peal " "And now the time had come to consecrate and dedicate our little chapel. Our guests arrived, ministers from Chicago and nearby suburbs and from this vicinity, all those who had taken part in the building, our own closest friends and members of the family, and after the simplest of services our little chapel was turned over to God and we walked out into the bright sunshine as in a dream."

61 62 ROADSTEAD FOUNDATION Several of the people who were involved in the organi­ zation and operation of the Peninsula Arts Association saw much virtue in the Roadstead Foundation, a non-profit organization formed in 1960, but one which simply did not succeed in getting off the ground. Its strongest proponent was Mrs. Hazel Buchbinder of Fish Creek and Chicago. Its stated purpose: "To create in Door County the physical and administra­ tive conditions conducive to creative work in the arts, humanities and social sciences." It took its name, Roadstead, from Mrs. Buchbinder's estate on Peninsula Players Road in Fish Creek. Her prop­ erty of four acres, and nine nearby acres owned by Edith Magerstadt Fisher, were available for use by the founda­ tion. It was planned that the large modern house on Mrs. Buchbinder's property would be used for meetings, discus­ sions and recitals, as well as serve as a headquarters. The executive committee included Ralph G. Newman, Chicago; Mrs. Buchbinder; Keith Campbell, St. Louis, MO; Thor Johnson, director of the Music Festival; Wayne Claxton, Sister Bay artist; Mrs. Geraldine Madison, American Field Service, Milwaukee; Leslie Fischel, Madison; Carl Haverlin, New York; Mrs. Arthur Byfield, Ephraim; J ane Buchbinder Wolf, Troy, N.Y.; Miss B.J . Ross, TV producer, Chicago. Board members were Newman, Mrs. Buchbinder, Campbell, J ohnson and Mrs. Madison, with two posts to be filled. Further purposes of the foundation were: "To provide fellowships to professionals of demonstrated ability, the granting of fellowships to be subject to the dis­ cretion of the board and fellowships committee. The com­ mittees will include leaders in their respective fields."

63 (At times, when there is exceptional talent, an applicant who has not yet received public recognition will be accept­ ed.) "To set up meetings and symposiums for discussions by experts in all related subjects and to include educators bent on acquiring tools for the monumental task of build­ ing whole and complete citizens." "To achieve, also, the ultimate utilization of the creative works of Roadstead Fellows so that educational institu­ tions and the public may benefit ... such as publication/or works of Fellows and of conclusions reached at sympo­ siums." Roadstead could have had great economic effect upon Door County as well as put the area on the cultural map even more than it already was. The description of the foun­ dation stated: "Since Roadstead Foundation, Inc., is a community pro­ ject of vital importance to the entire peninsula, from Sturgeon Bay up to Gills Rock, on the Green Bay side, and up and down the Lake Michigan side, Fellows will be housed in carefully selected domiciles over the entire area. Choices will be made to fit the requirements of each Fellow. He or she will then be able to become a part of the life of th.is very interesting and stimulating community, if so desired. Separat e houses will be available." "Roadstead Foundation, Inc., will thereby be able to accept married couples when one or both are active Fellows, a circums tance in many instances conducive to the best work of creative persons." "Roadstead itself as the headquarters will hold open house each Sunday evening. These Sunday evenings will be devoted to an exchange of views by the Fellows, their guests, and their hosts. Some Sunday evenings and other occasions will be given over to the performing arts."

64 "Mrs. Robert Clark and Mrs. Kenneth Nash, Fish Creek, are making a survey of housing facilities. The complete report on housing will follow. " Important to Door County was the plan to operate from fall through spring. Accommodations would have to be winterized. If Roadstead became as big as hoped, it would have been a long and welcome stretching out of the coun­ ty's "tourist" season. Mrs. Buchbinder had begun this work well ahead of 1960. As a widow, she gave it her full effort in the 50's. She found the members for her board a nd also received help attaining the non-profit status which would have allowed for greater fund raising and tax exemptions. She had considered and investigated deeding the prop­ erty to the state, expecting a tax abatement for herself dur­ ing the ensuing years. The state did not honor the request. Mrs. Buchbinder was totally sincere in her efforts to bring about the Foundation but didn't have the necessary knowledge or interest from others. She devoted much time to contacting possible supporters and to contacting the state in any possible efforts for cooperation. Mrs. Buchbinder's history is very important to t he efforts she extended to the artists that she had hoped would find their way to Door County. Dr. J acob Buchbinder (wife Hazel, daughter Jane and son Bobby) built Roadstead in 1940; architect Fred Keck. When it was for sale in 1993, people passed the rumor that it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Buchbinders originally came to Fish Creek and stayed at Welcker's Resort with many of t heir friends from Chicago. They liked being close to the Peninsula Players to be close to their friends Caroline and Richie Fisher. The Collins family on Juddville Road were also friends. Mrs. Buchbinder was a composer and composed the

65 music to "Boots, Boots, Boots" which was sung at concerts by John Charles Thomas. She also wrote music to poems of J ames Joyce. Hazel Feldman was her maiden name; she grew up in Peoria where the family owned a department store. She went to school in Chicago, was a composer, met and married Jacob Buchbinder. They were part of a cul­ tural crowd in Chicago; among them James McArthur, about whom the play "Front Page" was written. (Helen Hayes' h usband.) They had symphony, opera and Art Institute connections. Mrs. Buchbinder had aspirations to a larger cultural scene than her life permitted. Hazel stayed in Fish Creek all summer with the children. Jacob came up most week­ ends. She entertained her friends from Chicago; had musi­ cales, but her dream was more of a sharing the beauties of Roadstead with people who needed a place to create. She had what friends called "Bobby's beach house", a small structure down at the water's edge. It had small living space, a piano, lovely terrace. It's still there but in some disrepair. It is rented to the Players. With this desire to help the people of the arts, Hazel began to t hink in terms of a Foundation. She could use the small house, the artist could have his privacy, but would have one meal a day at the main house. She had a Swedish couple who helped with the gardening and cooked, and another woman who came in to clean. Sometimes these artistic guests were allowed to stay on the third floor of the main house. She did have a poet stay, Mr. James Shevelle, who wrote a book of poetry, including "Green Frog at Roadstcad." Dr. Buchbinder died in 1949. Mrs. Buchbinder died in the 80's. The property was left to the children, Bob and Jane. Jane and her husband, Henry Wolf, eventually bou ght Bob out. Henry died in late 80's, she died in 1993 but Bob is still living in Chicago.

66 Before Jane's death, she sold the property to Mr. Bogda and bought a three acre plot in Wildflower Patch, an area originally developed by Andy Redmann on which she had a small home built. She stayed in Cannes, France for three months in winter. Mr. Bogda now has the estate for sale.

The biographical information about the Buchbinder fam­ ily is from an interview with Maggie Magerstadt Rosner. The Roadstead history and organization is from informa­ tion in the Advocate.

67 68 DOOR COUNTY SUMMER CULTURAL CENTER It seems that there were several forces afoot in 1961 with the same general ideas. A citizen's group and a com­ mittee of University of Wisconsin faculty members believed Door County could become a nationally known summer center for drama, music, art, the humanities and the social sciences. "Door County," said J. Martin !Gotsche, provost of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and chairman of the university committee, "offers an ideal location for a sum­ mer cultural center. There are already many beginnings with Thor Johnson's orchestra group, the Peninsula Players, The Clearing." "The university is interested in operating the summer theater," Klotsche said, "but there may not be enough time for the 1961 season. By 1962 the university would be in a better position. That also is the opinion of Robert Gard, director of the Wisconsin Idea Theater at the university in Madison." Additional stimulation for the Door County development came from the growing interest of persons from other parts of the midwest who owned property in Door County for years and were interested in the cultural activities. Another factor of support was the growing interest among UW officials in Madison and Milwaukee that the institution should have been playing a bigger role in devel­ oping the arts and humanities in the state. Klotsche's committee, which included faculty members in drama, art, music and extension work, also investigated what the university could do with a 330 acre tract along the lake adjacent to the Maxwelton Braes golf course at Baileys Harbor.

69 Since no more seems to have followed. the feeling comes to mind that their main interest was the purchase of the Peninsula Players. That organization was for sale, but was purchased by Kenneth Carroad of New York, who entered into a long term lease with James McKenzie.

70 MILLER ART CENTER How is an Art Center born? How is its need determined? Who gains the pleasure from its existence? Who had the dream? The history of the Miller Art Center includes a dream and a need, and certainly a pleasure for a whole county and its visitors. In 1964 the Sturgeon Bay Library Board approved $500 in their 1965 budget to investigate possibilities for expan­ sion of the Sturgeon Bay Library which was located on the corner of Michigan and Fourth Avenues. In 1966 the Sturgeon Bay Women's Club organized a Friends of the Library group, headed by Rod Bohn, to gain community support and publicize the need for an addition to the build­ ing. Then, in 1967 a federal grant, requested by the Sturgeon Bay Library Board, was turned down when local matching funds were unavailable. Gerhard and Ruth Miller took one of t heir sketching and writing trips with Eunice and Murray Schlintz. During that visit to Europe, they discussed the possibility of build­ ing a library-art center, with the Millers financing the building costs of the art center. To have a year-round gallery in Sturgeon Bay was one of the Millers' dreams. In September of that year the Millers transferred, to the Sturgeon Bay Library Board, the ownership of the Third Ave nue building which housed Zoerb's Paint Store. Proceeds from the sale of this building ($54,822.58) would be used to fund an art gallery, with two conditions attached: (1) the art gallery was to be incorporated into a new library building and (2) a five year deadline was set fo r its construction. The Door County Library Board appointed a committee to work with a similar city committee to develop plans for the new library to include housing for the Door County Library System headquarters.

7'1 The Friends of the Library, which was reactivated, voted to sponsor a fu nd raising drive but it did not pick up momentum until the building plans were completed in 1972. In addition to the Miller donation, 800 individuals and 40 organizations contributed $208,448.61 by October 1973. Plus the Fund Drive, the city and county each con­ t ributed $200,000 to the project. In July of 1974 a Fine Arts Committee was established to set policies and supervise operation of the art gallery. Members appointed were Kenneth Gordon, Richard Conlon, Ruth Miller, James Ingwersen and Al Quinlan. Jn August three more members were added: James Brown, Clifford Delorit and Mary Brandriff. Gerhard Miller had asked R. Charles Lyons to act as curator of the gallery and his name was also presented for committee membership. 'l'he Fine Arts Committee set short term objectives: 1. To raise money for programs connected with the gallery. 2. To find personnel to act as guides for the gallery. ;j. To search for ideas to make this a worthwhile gallery. 4. To establish a permanent collection . 5. To sponsor from 4 to 6 cultural events each year.

Long term objectives were: 1. To act as an educational force in the community. 2. To further the understanding of art in our lives. 3. To enlighten the general public.

In November of 1974 the Library Board officially named the gallery the Miller Art Center and in January the library and ar t center were opened to the public. The goals which had been established were dealt with as soon as possible, and in all instances, have been continued and expanded through the years. The Volunteers, a group which always numbers over

72 200, act as gallery attendants for the 50+ hours the gallery is open to the public each week. They help the curator to hang shows, host all exhibition openings and offer tours whenever possible. They help to raise funds for programs, which are usually held on Sunday afternoons in winter and Wednesday mornings in su mmer.

A regular schedule of elementary school visits was estab­ lished, with Helen Walch as the guide. In 1994 the job had grown beyond the ability of only one docent, and is now handled by a team of members. The desire to establish a friendship with children also spawned a program in the schools: The Picture Program. School parents and MAC volunteers visit the classrooms once a month to introduce the children to the Art Masters through the years. Joanne Conklin has run this committee since its beginning in 1987 and has increased the service to include some parochial schools beyond the county. The permanent collection has grown to a point where it has outgrown its housing space several times. There are now about 250 pieces in the collection plus all the draw­ ings for artworks created by Winifred Boynton when she

73 built the Boynton Chapel. Gerhard Miller has given many of his watercolors and egg tempera paintings and Charlie Lyons has added one work a year to the collection of origi­ nal graphics. Other works have been purchased with funds from the volunteers or the Miller Foundation, or have been received as gifts from the public. In 1983 the Ruth Morton Miller Mezzanine was added to the gallery, paid for entirely by private contributions. 'fhis enabled part of the permanent collection to be displayed at all times, and the first Ooor to be used for changing exhi­ bitions. For ten years the Miller Art Center was operated entire­ ly by volunteers with Charlie Lyons as the paid part-time curator. But, the art center was growing and programs needed leadership. In October of 1985 Lorraine Mengert was hired for ten hours a week to pull ends together as much as possible. A year later she added time to her sched­ ule and worked more hours, sharing the curator's job with Charlie Lyons. This was still not sufficient and an attempt was made to determine where the load of work was the greatest and the best way to accomplish its management. About the same time, spring of 1988, Charlie Lyons resigned as curator and it was decided to employ Lorraine full time as Curator and Art Center Administrator. For four years she continued as Administrator/Curator. following programs as set down and attempting to develop them further. With limited funds and limited personnel the main thrust was making the com munity more aware of the art center and its advantages. Publicity was increased and often she would speak before community groups. It was time to attend area and state meetings to learn of other museums and their operation and find how these methods could work in a museum which was growing and changing rapidly. Regular attendance at the Library Board meetings

74 insured an understanding between the board and the art center. For the previous years the art center was rarely mentioned in any board meetings, only in matters related to the county's payment for curatorial services. She felt it necessary to acquaint them with the operation and the expenses not part of their budget; an awareness of the sup­ port of the volunteers through hours of work and cash con­ tributions. In spring of 1992 Lorraine resigned the post of Administrator and continued as Curator for another year. Once again Bonnie Oehlert Smith followed her as the Ad ministr a tor. One of Bonnie's earliest tasks was to apply for a grant from the Elizabeth Morse Trust, Chicago. She was award­ ed a grant of $95,000, renewable through further applica­ tion, and has since developed more of the goals set down by the original Fine Arts Committee. The small building across the street from the art center at Soukup Field was rented on June 1, 1993, and modified to suit the needs of the Administrative staff, which includ­ ed Deborah Rosenthal as Curator. The main room serves as a meeting room as well as a classroom for the Community Ai·treach Program, and two small rooms are used as offices. In 1994 a schedule of adult and children classes was begun which have proven to be very successful. Their sub­ ject and length are determined by interest. These are expected to increase as the program is better established. The Miller Foundation, which was established in 1984, continues to be support to the art center, helping fman­ cially where possible. Payment of the administrator's wages was made from this account until the Morse Trust was secured. Additions to the permanent collection have also been possible through these funds. At this point, with funds from private donations and a

75 matching grant from the Morse Trust, an addition has been constructed which increases the size of the mezza­ nine gallery, the first floor gallery, the Curator's workroom and storage space for the permanent collection. The addi­ tional space on the mezzanine has been established as a gallery for Gerhard Miller paintings.

76 SIEVERS SCHOOL OF FIBER ARTS 1979 is noted as the start of Sievers School of Fiber Arts, but there is a history before that date which is very impor­ tant to the establishment of the school. Walter Schutz retired to Washington Island in the early 1970's from his advertising career in Beloit, WI, to take on a new career. He began repairing his wife's loom and became interested in its workings. Eventually he came up with a set of plans for loom construction. He built six of them and sold them locally. Greater demand and a few well-placed ads in magazines brought enough requests to demand a business for plan sheets for a 15" table loom. In a short time the company was also making the plans for a floor loom and spinning wheel. Along with responses from his customers, came the question, "Where can we find someone to build these looms?" This prompted Mr. Schutz to start his manufac­ ture of looms. It was necessary for Schutz to have help with these demands; he had no desire to get into the manufactur­ ing business. Butch a nd Bob Young, Island carpenters were interested in starting a business, so took on this project while Ann Young, Butch's wife, was hired by Schutz to assist in t he office, and eventually she became his manager. As customer requests played a part in the birth of a loom manufacturing business, they once again were instrumen­ tal in the establishment of the Sievers School of Fiber Arts. Of course, the next step after buying a loom, brought the request for classes. The idea of a school devoted entirely to just the fib er arts was very enticing. How to organize a school, hire teachers, what to teach, were all puzzlers. To begin, the necessity to find an appropriate building

77 was solved when the old Jackson Harbor School was sug­ gested. The building was refurbished: some windows were added, a new roof was installed, some wiring replaced, plumbing replaced and the heating system rebuilt. The building of a faculty was now the important issue. A chance meeting with Mary Sue Fenner, a weaver from Green Bay, was the impetus that was needed. She was willing to teach at the school and help to recruit some other artists to fill the necessary positions. The Young Brothers rebuilt a cabin so the faculty could be housed and two neighboring lots were purchased with the idea of pos­ sible expansion. The first year, 1979, the school had 7 teachers, 15 class­ es and 33 students. This was a very satisfying start; with no one imagining the school's quick growth. With a need to house students, a dormitory was soon added. On adjacent property, a barn stood empty. It was purchased, renovated for student living-bedroom, kitchen and bathroom facil i­ ties-plus an additional studio. The school now advertised in area papers-Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis-and in weaving magazines and other appropriate magazines. Looms have been shipped to several foreign countries "vith requests for class listings increasing each year. The school's reputation has also grown and fiber artists with national recognition have applied to teach. They are only hired \vith the recommendation of one of the teachers already on the staff. The curriculum has expanded, \vith the addition of many fiber disciplines that weren't origi­ nally included. The students fit no particular pattern, but there are some generalities that could be made. The majority are women whose average age is about 47, most are married and have followed their art interest for many years and all have a great love for the island.

78 That enrollment of 33 students the first year has grown to nearly 600 now, and more than 65 classes are offered by over 30 teachers. On alternate years there is a 'Gathering" in October. Many students return to share experiences with others and to view demonstrations by faculty mem­ bers. There are also guest speakers and a style show fol ­ lowed by a delicious dinner. By 1987 there were three companies operating to handle the business that started with the design of one 15" table loom, the Sievers School of Fiber Arts, the Sievers Loom Company, and Sievers Benchwork which manufactures Table Frameworks for model railroading. Walter Schutz sold these companies to Ann Young who had been school manager during these developmental years. Schutz con­ tinued to be active in the operation as a consulta nt. In 1989 Ann Young opened a consignment shop to sell the fiber art created by her students and faculty, a logical step again in answering the public's requests. Sievers has a significant impact on the Island's summer economy. While half of the students stay in the school's dormitory, the others seek housing at various accommoda­ tions and purchase meals and groceries locally. The major­ ity of students are from the midwest, but the rest of the states and several foreign countries have also been repre­ sented.

79 80 DOOR COUNTY ART LEAGUE The Door County Art League was organized in 1986 for the purpose of developing active community interest in the field of creative arts. On August 28, a group of fourteen artists met and sometime during the ensuing year, 46 artists had come and gone, imparting their ideas. At the October 9, 1986 meeting the die was cast. Seed money, $52.00, was put into a kitty for expenses, and the organization was formed. Included in that number, and still active today, are Sue Anderson, Russ Coventry and Rosemary Utzinger. During the first fiscal year (starting May 31, 1987) there were 83 members. Since its first season, it has offered a variety of programs to members and guests wishing to enrich their lives through the knowledge, use and enjoyment of art. At the regular monthly meetings, members and guests have the opportunity to see prominent artists and craftsmen demonstrate their style and manner of working. The orga­ nization also offers informational programs on topics per­ tinent to the creation of artwork or other related subjects. Membership in the League is open to artists and other persons interested in and supportive of the arts in Door County. If younger than 18, a prospective member must have the support of someone already a member of the League. Through the past nine years the League has established several annual events and a summer gallery for its mem­ bers. The League presents its Annual Juried Exhibit at the Anderson Dock in Ephraim which is held in September & October and is open to all members. Establishing a sum­ mer gallery has necessitated moving the site, located now at the Walkway Mall in Sister Bay. Members must con­ tribute a fee and share time overseeing the gallery.

81 Though the majority of meetings are held at the Bertschinger Center in Egg Harbor, summer meetings might be held elsewhere. A Gallery Walk has become an annual event. A quarterly magazine, Tabouret, is published, and a newsletter is distributed when it is necessary. At this time there are about 150 members, 120 of them artists. Though the membership changes, the number has grown. This organization finds itself in the center of sharing opportunities for the artist, whether it be programs or gen­ eral information helpful to the arts of the county.

82 MUSIC

83 84 ARENS ART COLONY From Advocate-March 22, 1962 The Arens Art Colony at Idlewild, Sturgeon Bay, a Summer School of Music and Drama, was established by Ludolph Arens and his wife, Mary Marguerite Arens in 1922. Beginning as a small venture the school grew into an ambitious and artistic undertaking, enrolling 20 pupils for two 4-week sessions daily study and supervised recreation. Students came from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. The faculty included, in addition to Professor and Mrs. Arens, Miss Irene Jenkins of Menominee, MI. Guest teach­ ers through various summers included Professor Rudolph Reiner of Chicago and Baileys Harbor, Gilbert Stansell of Scottsville, MI, and Esther Larsen Rasmussen of Kalamazoo, MI. After Prof. Arens' death in 1947, Mary Ar ens conducted the Colony successfully for four summer seasons with the assistance of Prof. Walther Pfitzner of Minneapolis, Mrs. Adolph Roegner of Milwaukee and Irene Jenkins. In 1952 the high water of Green Bay's Sawyer Harbor destroyed the main dormitory of the school and to the regret of many parents and students the school was closed. During the years Professor Arens was founder and direc­ tor of the Polyphonia Society of Green Bay, the orchestra gave summer concerts in Door County. Concerts were given in a private home in Fish Creek, The Pines Hotel of Idlewild and The Alpine in Egg Harbor. Mary Marguerite Arens, as Drama Teacher and Reader of Green Bay, appeared a number of times fo r the Sturgeon Bay Woman's Club.

85 86 PENINSULA MUSIC FESTIVAL In 1937 a small group of annual visitors to Door County organized the Peninsula Arts Association. Among the objectives laid down, its board included a musical project to be developed in the natural amphitheatre in the Peninsula State Park. Dr. Frederick Stock, conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, was hopeful of bringing his orchestra to Door County for summer concerts. A place for large concerts had been a principal desire of many present at this meeting. People had been thinking about the natural bowl in the park, a short distance from where the observation tower stands today. Dr. Stock and :Mrs. Arthur Byfield were old acquaintances who had known each other in musical circles in Chicago, and they and others had fostered the plan. One day Dr. Stock took his violin and, together with Mrs. Byfield, went to the natural amphitheatre to test out the acoustics. Mrs. Byfield had true pitch so went up the slope and listened while he played his violin. Then he went up while she sang. When he heard her soprano voice reach him clearly and in good volume, he became convinced that the bowl could become a natural amphitheatre where thousands of people might sit on a starlit night and hear the music of the Chicago Symphony. "Sunset Bowl" it was to be called, "a wonderful natural hollow with tested acoustics and a majestic view westward over Eagle Island and Chambers Island." It was planned to equip it with a shell for musicians and seats for an audience of several thousand. The dream of outside concerts in the park was very much alive at the moment, but did not come to a success­ ful conclusion. Expense and the risk of rainy weather held it back, and the plan was finally ended when Dr. Stock

87 passed away. But, the Peninsula Music Festival did even­ tually come into being and many of these early musical enthusiasts lived to see their idea of concerts on the penin­ sula fulfilled. In 1946 the Peninsula Arts Association sponsored a musi­ cale at the home of Mr. 8. & Mrs. John Matter for members of the Association. At this time there was no immediate plan for a festival orchestra, but rather a desire to revive an interest in classical music. June (Mrs. George) Norton per­ formed on piano and accompanied cellist Marian Horween, and mezzo-soprano Suzanne Hanson in a program that fea­ tured the compositions of Dr. Uno Nyman, a Milwaukee dentist who had a summer home at Ellison Bay. That mem­ orable concert helped to bring back the earlier dream of Dr. Stock, John Matter and Helen Byfield. Not until 1951 was actual progress made in the realiza­ tion of the music festival vision. Mr. & Mrs. Lorenz Heise, along with other Door County residents, attended the first Early Moravian Music Festival in Bethlehem, PA. , made up uf sacred music composed mainly by clergymen in colo­ nial times which had been stored in church attics, parson­ ages and barns. Thor Johnson, the eminent orchestral con­ ductor, who was a Moravian and the son of a Moravian clergyman, had great interest in this music. He also showed an interest in Wisconsin, having been born in Wisconsin Rapids, and his father born in Sturgeon Bay. Thor Johnson had recently accepted the post of conduc­ tor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, making him the first American-trained conductor of a major symphony orchestra. He had dreamed of some day organizing a festi­ val built around a chamber orchestra performing the rich repertory for small orchestra so seldom heard. He suggest­ ed to Mr. Heise that this was a project that he cou ld devel­ op in Door County. In September of 1951 the possibility of sponsoring a

88 music festival was presented to the trustees and member­ ship of the PAA. The outcome of the long meeting was a decision that the Music Committee of the Association be instructed to pursue the possibility of sponsoring a music festival under the guidelines drawn up by Thor Johnson and present them to the Board of Trustees in six weeks. Because many of the members were summer residents, and little time to "sell" this venture was left, it was decid­ ed that Thor Johnson, himself, be given the opportunity to come to meet members of the PAA and present his ideas. In August of 1952 he met with a group of residents at the Byfield home. A program featuring Chicago tenor Allan Keller accompanied by June Norton had been planned to attract people to the meeting. Johnson outlined proposed plans for a symphonic festi­ val. He suggested an August program built around a cham­ ber orchestra of 40 members chosen with virtuosity in mind, thus giving them the opportunity for solo roles. Each season would feature a rising young artist as soloist. Repertoire would include seldom heard compositions for chamber orchestra drawn from classical, baroque, roman­ tic and contemporary literature. The proposal was met with much enthusiasm and the next afternoon a group of twenty met at the Pioneer Schoolhouse in Ephraim to discuss plans for financing the Festival. Initial funds had to be raised by December of 1952 in order that orchestra members and soloists could be engaged. $10,000 had to be subscribed by January first, and it was, to give the Music Committee its goal. They called Thor Johnson and said, "We're in business!" The plans for the Music Festival, 1953, began in earnest. The site selected for the concerts was the gymnasium­ auditorium of Gibraltar High School in Fish Creek. Dr. Johnson inspected the hall and determined that the acoustics were remarkably fine.

89 There was worry that opening summer because the gym­ nasium was the only building allowed to stand when an expansion of the school facilities was taking place. The builder and the administration did everything possible to cooperate with the musicians. The first festival was a tremendous success. There were no doubts that it should continue and expand. The reper­ tory was hailed fresh and unusual and boasted the pre­ miere performance of a work w1·itten by Vittorio Giannini especially for the Peninsula Music Festival. By the 1955 series the pattern of nine concerts had evolved with one expressly planned for youth. The plan called for two concerts on each of three weekends and on the intervening Wednesdays. The Youth Concert was scheduled for the first 'I\1esday afternoon. Whenever it was possible, Johnson invited artists with Wisconsin roots to appear as soloists. Also, some of the finest violinists in the country have served as Concertmaster; and, the influence of the Festival has extended beyond the borders of Wisconsin as far as Iceland and Nigeria. The 1\ventieth anniversary, in 1972, brought an honor to the Festival when the Voice of Am erica radio crew taped a large portion of the series for worldwide broadcast. The death of Thor Johnson in 1975 came as a shock to Festival workers and orchestra alike. Many wondered if t he Festival could go on, but the momentum that he had created placed the Peninsula Music Festival on as solid a foundation as the rocky shores of the area in which it is held. During the first twenty-two years of the festival, Thor J ohnson was the conductor of record for each of the one hundred and ninety-seven concerts presented. Following Johnson's death a number of guest conductors led the orchestra: Michael Semanitzky, Kenneth Byler, Thomas

90 Dunn, Lewis Dalvit, Robert Marcellus, Guy Taylor, Michael Charry, Sandor Salgo, John Nelson and Byron Hanson. In 1985 after a week of universally hailed brilliant con­ certs, Victor Yampolsky was appointed Music Director by unanimous decision of the Festival Committee. After her many years of dedication as Chairman of the Festival Committee, Kay Wilson retired in 1985. To con­ tinue the Festival, the administration was reorganized in 1986 with an Executive Committee chaired by Virginia Terhune. The Sustaining Committee, which dates back to the ori­ gin of the Festival, historically had two functions, financial and social. Until 1986, when a Finance Committee was organized, the responsibility of soliciting funds was han­ dled during July & August, the months when the majority of committee members were in the county. As their social responsibility, the members monitored hallways during rehearsals, served coffee during practice breaks, orga nized receptions, as well as handling impromptu situations like last minute transportation and housing. The Sustaining Committee continues to be the backbone of service to the Festival. It is about one-hundred strong and now includes all the former jobs plus many more social events and fundraisers. Most all jobs associated with the Festival are done on a volunteer basis by Sustaining Committee members. In 1989 the Peninsula Music Festival became indepen­ dent from the Peninsula Arts Association, with a restruc­ turing of the Festival's governing body, the Executive Committee, to a Board of Directors. The Peninsula Music Festival Board of fifteen members is the core of Festival operations working hand-in-hand with Sharon Grutzmacher, the hired General Manager. Their responsi-

91 bilities include not only the hiring of the Musical Director, but the support for the events. The Board has broadened its efforts through an Endowment Committee and have extended themselves into the schools with an Educational Outreach progrnm. In the 1980's, with the growing success of the Music Festival, more people became aware of the poor acoustics in the school gym. Also, with seating limited by the author· ity of the fire department, the old gym couldn't accommo· date the increasing number of residents and summer visi­ tors wishing to attend the concerts. A few people began to dream of a combined school/com· munity auditorium at the Gibraltar School in Fish Creek. With much hard work, they saw their dreams fulfilled when the Door Community Auditorium opened in May of 1991. Changes continue and each year there is another reason for the Peninsula Music Festival to be regaled in the coun­ ty. Their conductor and musicians are well known and acclaimed in the United States, and for many, in the world. Their influence on the music in the area is apparent through the schools; their respect has grown each season. Door County looks forward to their continued growth. (There is a separate chapter devoted to the Door Community Auditorium.)

92 BIRCH CREEK MUSIC PERFORMANCE CENTER Birch Creek Music Performance Center had its begin­ nings in 1976 when Jim and Fran Dutton envisioned their A-frame home on County E east of Egg Harbor as a site for a summer music school - one in which students could immerse themseives in the elements that make up the life of a professional musician. From that first year, Birch Creek expanded quickly, growing from an initial 12 students to 140 by the early 1980s. A concert sched­ ule, introduced in 1977, now includes 30 regular events at the campus, with many others performed as outreach programs throughout the community. During the winter months J im Dutton headed the per­ cussion department of the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, and also guided its chamber music pro­ gram. His education included studies of conducting with Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Monteux and tutelage in com­ position from Dr. Albert Nolte. During his student days in Iowa he was part of a touring ensemble, an experience which taught him how much hunger for musical experi­ ences existed in places rarely touched by formal cultural organizations. The memory gave impetus to his desire to make available to talented youngsters an informal and relaxed musical training. The need for additional space was met handsomely when the Henry Tishler farm across from the Dutton home became available and was made into the current Birch Creek campus, with concerts taking place in the barn concert hall. The solidly built farmhouse was used as dining hall and partial sleeping accommodations and the dairy barn remodeled into five small practice rooms, two rehearsal areas plus a lounge. A former granary was converted to a bunkhouse until new buildings were added over the years as programs have been expanded

93 and gi·eater numbers of students have sought to come to the school. In 1993, the Duttons turned over the operation of the school to a new not-for-profit organization governed by a board of directors. A new office structure, dormitories for students and faculty, and a major expansion and improvement to t he barn concert hall are but some of the enhancements completed since that change . Birch Creek differs from other summer music institu­ tions in its offering four two-week sessions, each of which gives the student considering a career in music the opportunity to "live the life of a professional musi­ cian" for that entire period. To apply, each young person must provide two letters of recommendation, one of them from someone in the field of music education. Once on campus, each student is evaluated by faculty members for placement in the large and small groups best suited to challenge that person's ability. Each young person takes classes, receives one-on-one instruction, prepares a demanding series of concert programs, rehearses, and performs ma ny times both on campus and in outreach events. The schedule is exhausting · as it is for faculty - but student critiques bring rave reviews. Each young musician takes from Birch Creek a measure of self­ knowl edge that could be gained nowhere else. Scholarship aid is available to deserving students who otherwise would not be able to attend. Although students are kept very busy, each afternoon brings some time for recreation. Baseball, volleyball and hiking are available on campus and outings are often taken to the parks, beaches, tennis courts and golf cours­ es of Door County. The faculty at Birch Creek are all professionals, recog­ nized for their exceptional standing in the music busi­ ness. Audiences from throughout the country come to the

94 Music Center to hear the brilliant concerts they perform. Four series are offered: Symphony, World Music and two full sessions of Big Band Jazz. In the su mmer of 1995, the Pro Jazz Band was recorded over three concert nights and the results issued in the widely acclaimed CD "Barnburner", giving new audiences a clear idea of the superb level of performance heard regularly at the barn concer t hall. The Symphony series offers concert favorites ranging fro m works of the major classical com­ posers to Broadway hits. World Music opens new hori­ zons to concert-goers with Latin Jazz. steel drum music and themes from the Caribbean to Africa and beyond. Big Band Jazz spans all the great music of the jazz era - from pre-swing to contemporary. The Birch Creek Associates. a volunteer auxiliary group, has provided a broad base of support to the work of the Music Center with its members performing a great number of important tasks for the operation. Researched by Erik Eriksson plus additions from Door Co. Advocate, 7-13-78

95 96 MIDSUMMER'S MUSIC Midsummer's Music was organized in 1990 and gave its first concerts at the Midsummer's Music festival in 1991. The idea of a June chamber music festival came out of dis­ cussions between James T. Berk enstock, the Artistic Director of Midsummer's Music and Bob Hastings, Executive Director of the Door County Cha mber of Commerce. Shortly thereafter Charlotte and Robert Yeomans, Alicia and Hugh Mulliken, and James' wife Jean became involved. Their intent from the beginning was to provide Door County with a high quality chamber music festival in the June period prior to the many other festivals that occur during the height of the summer season. Because this fes­ tival would take place around the time of the summer sol­ stice or longest day, they chose the name Midsummer's Music. 'l'hey began with a season that included perfor­ mances at The Clearing, Miller Art Center, the Hardy Gallery and two private homes. By 1994, Midsummer's Music had expanded its season to nine concerts, including performances at the Miller Art Center, the Clearing, and two at the Hardy Gallery. Two children's concerts and three performances in private homes rounded out the intense season over a period of about a week and a half. Wisconsin Public Radio began to broadcast portions of each year's concerts. In the Fall of 1994, the group's recording Celebrating t he Solstice, previously issued on cassette tape, was released on compact disc on the Centaur label. resulting in nation· al and international distribution and broadcasts of the recording on radio stations across the country. The ensem­ ble which now numbered eleven members introduced their first guest soloist, Ephraim mezzo soprano Cindy Stiehl, at concerts at the Hardy Gallery.

97 The fifth anniversary season, 1995, important organiza­ tional changes occurred reflecting the maturing structure of the festival. After officially incorporating as a Wisconsin not-for-profit organization under the name Midsummer's Music, Ltd., a board of directors was elected and tax exempt status received from the IRS. Nationally known violinist William Preucil, appeared in 1996 as guest soloist in a concert with the musicians at Birch Creek. Preucil is concert master of the Cleveland Symphony and former first violinist with the Cleveland Quartet.

98 THEATER

99 100 PENINSULA PLAYERS The Peninsula Players came into being the night of July 25, 1935 when a small and friendly audience of Door County summer residents saw Noel Coward's play Hay Fever, with Caroline Fisher, Gertrude Needham and Kevin O'Shea. In 1935 the theatre was located in the back yard of the Bonnie Brook Cottage in Fish Creek proper. That summer four other plays were presented by the Peninsula Players­ Hedda Gabler, Criminal at Large, The Second Man and The Mad Hopes, with an original revue closing the sum­ mer in a wave of glory, success - and some unpaid bills. However, youthful, talented and energetic producers Richard and Caroline Fisher knew that their goal of a per­ manent summer theatre in Door County could work, and came back for a second summer which was more success­ ful. In 1937 the Fishers purchased the Wildwood Boys Camp (the present site of the theatre) and thus began a new home for the Peninsula Players. Each year since then the 15-acre property has been improved in some way, and now, expanded to more than a dozen buildings, is comfortable in its sylvan setting. The first few years the audience sat under the stars, watching plays on the proscenium stage. Often, a sudden Door County thunderstorm required running for shelter or 'sitting it out' under sodden coats and blankets. Only the good coffee and warm hospitality of "Mama" Fisher kept the theatre going on those nights. Finally, in 1946, a huge canvas top was slung over the audience with the help of local ship builders and riggers. This canvas top was used for nine years with the pounding of winds and rain generously accepted by both audience and cast. The cast would project their voices a bit more and

101 the apprentices and often customers held the flaps down. In 1957 Caroline Fisher Rathbone's dream of a permanent pavilion became a reality when the season opened under the new laminated oak "eggshell" structure designed by architect Frank Shattuck. February 11, 1961, due to financial hardships, the the­ atre was sold at a Sheriff's Sale for $38,000 to a friend of Caroline Fisher Rathbone's, Keru1eth Carroad, a New York City attorney. He asked James B. McKenzie to become the producer. Jim McKenzie and his wife, Jeanne Bolan, had been associated with the Peninsula Players since 1947. The Peninsula Players Theatre Foundation, a not-for· profit organization, was formed in 1961 to operate the the­ atre. Mr. Carroad's personal bankruptcy in 1978 encour­ aged Jim McKenzie, with the help of unsecured loans from a dozen Peninsula Players and a new mortgage from the Bank of Sturgeon Bay, to become the owner as well as pro­ ducer of the Players. In June of 1993 the financial situation again required a change. the Peninsula Players Theatre Foundation, Inc., acquired ownership of the Player's property, retaining Mr. McKenzie as producer. The forty year old pavilion, which saw more than 400 plays by 1992, was beginning to show its age, weakening at the base of its trusses. A cash reserve, which had been saved to build new housing for the acting company, was used instead for major structural repairs to the pavilion. Since then, major improvements in the physical plant have taken place. In 1994 a new wastewater disposal sys­ tem was installed and in 1995 new actor housing units were completed. The Peninsula Players is the oldest professional resident summer theatre in the United States.

102 AMERICAN FOLKLORE THEATRE formerly Heritage Ensemble There are two phases to t he history of the Heritage Ensemble and American Folklore Theatre. Heritage Ensemble was founded in 1970 by UW Professor David Peterson as part of a January Interim course at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay about the folk­ lore and folk music of the Great Lakes. With the help of his students, Peter son p u t together the first Ensemble show "Song of the Inland Seas", which wove together tales and songs of the Great Lakes sailors, voyageurs, miners, lumberjacks and farmers. Peterson was ideally suited for this task, as he had worked closely with UW historian Robert Gard in the 1960's to fulfill Gard's vision of creating a regionally based, fol k-inspired form of theatre. Gard's Wisconsin Idea Theatre had performed at co unty fairs, parks and co mmunities around the state . After Peterson had written "Song of the Inland Seas", he was therefore, thinking about a place to per­ fo rm it that would reach t he widest possible audience in an accessible manner. While camping in Peninsula State Park, he came across the amphitheatre near Nicolet Bay that had remained virtually unused for years. He put together a cast of eigh teen a nd per­ formed "Song" at the amphitheatre for two weeks in the summer of 1970. It was a hit, so beginning in 1971 a much smaller troupe (usually 5 or 6 people) performed for six nights a week throughout July and August at the amphithe­ atre, doing shows like ''Song" as well as "Hear That Whistle Blow!" (about the American railroads) and "Daylight in the Swamp" (about lumberjacks).

103 The cast was great {1Vlichael Raye and Craig Konowalski were among them), the melodies soaring. The songs and stories seemed to grow out of the very soil of the Wisconsin woodlands. It was truly a theater of the fol k, carrying forth themes that had found their way here in canoes of French voyageurs or the holds of iron ore ships. Peterson left UWGB in 1972 and Heritage Ensemble was taken over by one of his cast members, Laureen Gajewski, who worked under Tom Birmingham, Sr. at UWGB's office of Lectures & Performances. Laureen could write shows, but couldn't play guitar, so she hired Fred Heide and his sunburst-colored Gibson. In 1973 the cast lived at the Welcker mansion on the bluff above Fish Creek and performed two shows Laureen wrote on lumberjacks, "Come all Ye Bold Fellers" and "Toilers, Tinkers & Thieves" Laureen ran the group again in 1974 and by 1975 she had been replaced by Trish Sheridan, a nonperformer who wrote a great show about voyageurs, "Love of the Rivers and Rapids". Fred Heide had written a show as a seniors honor project at UWGB, "The Peoples' Song to Sing", a pop­ ulist history of Wisconsin that featured such memorable lines as "We all must remember the golden rule: Them that has the gold makes the rules!." Both shows were performed in 1975. Dave Peterson took the g1·oup over again in 1976, and in 1977 Heide rejoined it and has been involved every year since (except 1979 when he was on a clinical psychology internship in California.) Dave Peterson wrote both shows each year from 1976-1983, and during most of those years there was a four-person cast. Shows included repeats of the early "classics" as well as new ones like "Badger 49 ers" (Wisconsinites in t he Go ld Rush), "Trail of the Serpent" (Fox River Valley history) and ·'Old World Wisconsin" (our state's ethnic history.)

104 A 19-year-old Fred Alley joined the cast for the first time in 1982, and was fortunate to survive the summer, despite riding his bicycle full-speed into a park fence across the Highland Road entrance while coming to work at 4:30 a.m .. Fred joined the group four days before the show opened so he was stuck with all the character parts that no one else wanted to do. Then, as always, he had the voice of a Broadway lead. Gerald Pelrine joined the Peninsula cast in 1983 and was soon charming audiences with his ringing delivery. Fred and Gerald were both in the cast for virtually every year from then through the end of the l 980's. In 1984 Dave Peterson asked if Heide would like to write one of the coming summer's shows, and he eager­ ly agreed. His first effort was 1984's "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" (Wisconsin's role in the Civil War). Since that time he has written or collaborated on one of the shows each season. Throughout the 1980's the Heritage Ensemble matured, nurtured by the presence of this core trio (Fred Alley, Gerald Pelrine and Fred Heide) who creat­ ed continuity across the seasons and by Peterson's will­ ingness to allow them initiative in improving the group. At first cast members did everything, including setting up equipment every night and taking it down after the show. They had no technicians, so they simply set the sound levels at the top of the show (broadcast t hrough a sound system from the Pleistocene era) and controlled the lights by hitting a footswitch on stage to cause a blackout after each song. Almost all the shows during those years were what theatre people call "revues" (a collection of songs, stories and narration without any plot). No one directed the shows, in t he sense that most plays are directed; instead, they arranged the music a nd worked together

105 to develop a good pace and continuity. Gradually though, the shows gained greater depth and emotional power. A breakthrough came in 1986 when they did a show called "Out of the West". It included a climactic sequence tracing the destruction of the Sioux people as their leader, Sitting Bull, fought to preserve their traditional way of life. By Heritage Ensemble standards, the sequence was both long (perhaps 10 minutes) and highly evocative. After the opening performance, Alley, Heide and Pelrine were sure it had bombed-they felt they never should have risked presenting the audience (who expected jaunty folk­ songs and corny one-liners) with something so sombre. Depressed, they went out to Wilson's for ice cream after the show, only to discover that audience members they met there thought it was one of the finest things they'd ever done. This response encouraged them to go further in this direction. Every time they've made an effort to portray deeper themes (eg, 1989's "The Mountains Call My Name" or 1993's "Northern Lights"), the audience has not merely tolerated it, but come in record numbers. By the late 1980's they had added a director for at least one of the two summer shows (Jeffrey Herbst directed in 1988 and 1989, and would later join the cast from 1991 on and direct each of Fred Alley's shows). With 1989's "The Mountains Call My Name", Heritage Ensemble was reviewed for the first time (both by the Advocate and the Milwaukee Journal.) The show was also made into a PBS­ TV special on "Prime Time Wisconsin" by Wisconsin Public Television. Over Christmas of 1989, Dave Peterson announced to Pelrine and Heide that he would like to remove himself from involvement with Heritage Ensemble at Peninsula Park. This decision was prompted by his nearing retirement, having a host of other projects he

106 wanted to pursue, and his belief that he would leave the group in seasoned hands. Thus, in 1990 Pelrine, Alley and Heide took over the group, obtained nonprofit status, and renamed it "American Folklore Theatre." They needed a new name to differentiate the troupe from other Heritage ensemble touring groups that Dave would continue to r un, and want· ed something that broadened the scope ("American") and still depicted the rootedness in the traditions of the public culture ("Folklore"). They also wanted to make clear that they thought of the troupe as a dramatic entity ("Theatre"). Since becoming AFT. lots of changes have occurred. They have built a dressing room and rebuilt all the seating in the theatre. They have added state-of-the-art sound and now have a system that Michael Jackson would envy. They have collaborated on two shows with Paul Sills, founder of Chicago's Second City and mentor to Alan Arkin, Mike Nichols, Paul Mazursky and dozens of other leading fig· ures in the the performing arts. Paul has helped to broaden the scope to include impro· visational and "story theatre" elements. Auditions have been moved to New York , and now have primarily New York or California-based performers. A technical staff has been created that now includes a technical director, set designer, box office personnel, house manager and several support staff. Audiences have grown by approximately 15% a year, so that in 1993 over 20,000 people saw the productions (mak· ing American Folklore Theatre one of the major summer theatres in the Midwest). A new and very successful fall season has been added, located so far in the Fish Creek Town Hall. Fred Alley began writing shows in 1991, and now writes one of two shows each year. His productions (with Jeff Herbst direct·

107 ing) have been highly successful and have helped to explore new styles of presentation (eg, the innovatively staged "Northern Lights"). They are now in the process of developing positions for artistic director and company manager, which will free Alley and Heide to do more writ­ m g. With the passing of a fe w years. update material has been collected and again shows change and growth; there was continued development. Gerald Pelrine moved on to his own ''Peninsula Arts Theater", which is mentioned elsewhere, and the fall season also began to include pre­ sentations elsewhere in the county besides the Fish Creek Town Hall. "Goodnight Irene, The Music of the Weavers", created by James Kaplan & Fred Alley, was a celebration of t he folk music of America and the world. It included songs of workers, soldiers, lovers, farmers and fa milies, fi ll ed with love, humor and rich harmonies. In 1995 the productions in the park, two as usual, "Our Night in Frog Station", a folk musical comedy, and "Bone Dance", a carnival of ghost tales, had a Saturday night addition, "Belgians in Heaven'', an other-worldly comedy. The biggest 1995 addition was the organization of Door Shakespeare, wit h performances at the gardens of the Bjorklunden estate in Baileys Harbor. Chosen for presen­ tation were "A Midsummer Night's Dreame" and "The Comedie of Errors." Matinee performances of "The Comedie of Errors" were also presented in other locations. 'rhese plays were selected because they are among Shakespeare's most popular plays and among the most accessible. They both have good poetry, but also slapstick, goofy humor that kids enjoy. The co-artistic directors were Mark Ellinghaus and Amy Chaffee of New York and Jeff Mills of Minneapolis, all fo r­ mally trained in Shakespearean dra ma. Ellinghaus and

108 Chaffee concentrated on faithfully adapting the plays' near-original texts, while Mills lent his expertise in mod­ ern stage movement technique. The enthusiasm shown by the entire crew indicates con­ tinued growth. These new plans will again be history in a fe w years with another set of hopes and dreams for the future.

109 110 PENINSULA ARTS THEATER Once upon a time (from 1992 through 1994) the Peninsula Arts Theater was a fervent and enthusiastic part of Door County's fine arts picture. Coming to life shortly after the construction of the Door Community Auditorium, its fou nders wished to see local residents become involved in the performing arts for which the area was so well known. When formed, organizers set forth this plan: to go like crazy for three years in every which direction, then take a look around to see what they could see. By then the theatrical landscape had changed so profoundly (for reasons mostly unrelated to the PAT program) that folks no longer saw good enough reason to support this particular troupe. In fact, things HAD changed; where once locals and young people had no avenue to approach theatrical activities, now two or three new ensembles per year were giving it a try. Any number of new young artists with incomprehensible Scandinavian names had emerged from the woods and entered the hallowed halls of Door County's performing arts academy. Certain particularly talented members of these new companies began moving on to work in the "profession­ al" troupes. Diane Kirkland, Managing Director, and Gerald Pelrine, Artistic Director, were gratified by the many productions they were able to present, including "A Door County Christmas Carol" and a historic reunion of the early Second City players, renowned comedy improv team from Chicago. For two years the PAT hosted the Peninsula Theater Festival, a two-week smorgasbord of theater, by the PAT and other professional and non-professional troupes. PAT's contribution to the 1993 Theater Festival was the offbeat "Gorey Stories" based on the dTawings of art cartoonist Edward Gorey.

111 In 1994 a collaboration with the v1s1tmg Blue Circle Theater of New York City resulted in a production of Henrik Ibsen's "An Enemy of t,he People" which visited theaters throughout eastern Wisconsin. Both companies survived intact. Among other memorable accomplishments was bringing in Valerie Harper, Avery Schreiber and their fe llow charter members of the Second City. Receptions honoring these well known visitors were quite popular among the local perform­ ing groups. In winter they made a tradition of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." The first two years the setting was Door County, while in the thfrd year director Paul Sills returned it to Victorian England. Sills, a Second City founder and year 'round County resident, was instrumental in bringing his Second City proteges to Fish Creek for per· formance reunions no other par t of the country got to see. As PAT ran its course it provided hands-on experience in everything fro m acting to audition classes and touring with a play. The group also tried to involve its members more dreply than the average community theater by steeping the players in theater history, modern acting teclmiques and, hoped Pelrine, "a belief that art, like life, both deserves and demands to be approached with respect and invested with integrity''. Pelrine, it seems, was never happier than when being quoted, and used to repeat this one so often we know he'd enjoy seeing it included here: ''YOU are not the charac­ ter. The humanity YOU BRING to the role is essentially what the character will end up built of, but THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU." Company members have long since moved on to other pro­ jects, such as organizing cha1;table performances. serving on civic committees, raising young cherubs and building Habitat for Humanity. Something undoubtedly left behind in their wake is the likelihood that there will always soon be born a new theater group with a fresh charter to replace the PAT This chapter is the result of the worh of Mil

112 BLUE CIRCLE THEATER Blue Circle Theater was founded in 1992 by a group of graduates from the New Actors Workshop, a professional theater training program in New York City. The group was introduced to Door County by their teacher and mentor, Paul Sills. The Door County YMCA provided the group with its first home. Recognized for their innovative, ground-breaking productions, Blue Circle performs in dif­ ferent venues every year, appearing all over the county. Blue Circle is also known for its work with children, which has included theater classes, theater camps and an Artist-in-Education residency at the Gibraltar School. Blue Circle has collaborated with many local arts groups, including H & B band Big Mouth, Peninsula Arts Theater, and most recently, American Folklore Theatre. The group has also enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the Washington Island Players and Red Barn Coffee House, returning there every summer to perform and offer classes. The company has also appeared outside of Door County, having toured a co-production with the Peninsula Arts Theater to Milwaukee, Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Bay. Longstanding company members include Courtney Costello, Adam Gordon, Doug Mancheski, director Diane Paulus and producer Randy Weiner. Past productions by Blue Circle Theater include A MID­ SUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at the Sturgeon Bay High School; THE STORY THEATER SERIES, presented on the lawn of the Door County YMCA and in the Sister Bay Beach Park; PROSPERO'S REVENGE! and AL BANGO, FIRST RATE SLEUTH, both in collaboration with local R&B band, Big Mouth; AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, in collaboration with Peninsula Arts Theater; THE HAPPY COW, featuring the fifth grade at the Gibraltar School;

113 DOCTOR AMORPHOUS and FRANKENWEINER at the Door Community Auditorium; AN EVENING OF THE­ ATER GAMES, directed by Paul Sills; DOOR SHAKE­ SPEARE in collaboration with American Folklore Theatre; and ODE TO JOY. a theatrical spectacle inspired by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony performed on the beach in Baileys Harbor.

114 ISLAND PLAYERS The Island Players theatrical troupe on Washington Island was established in 1984 as an effort to join all dra· ma tic endeavors into one community group. The name was revived from a playreading group which was active on the island in the 1950's. A year-round company, Island Players produces up to four plays a year. Performances take place at various island locations, with the anticipation of a new theater being built in the near future. Island Players, besides pro· ducing their own plays, sponsors many theatrical events on Washington Island for the school and the community. With strong membership and talent, the Island Players have been fortunate to enter and place in two state com­ munity theater competitions. Island Players purpose is to provide the island commu­ nity and visitors with the highest quality theater experi­ ence possible. (Written by the troupe's first Artistic Director, Gayle Johnson Krauss, who has continued to direct plays for the Island Players.)

115 116 DANCE

117 118 DANCE

117 118 PENINSULA DANCE Elvira Gilbert, a professiona l dancer who was married Dr. Frank Gilbert, started to teach dance in Door County in the 1950's, introducing an art sadly lacking in this area. During a speech by Dr. Gilbert at the Fish Creek Town Hall, someone inquired about his wife teaching dance. Shortly after that three or four very pleasant, very per­ suasive ladies from Fish Creek appeared at the Gi lbert home in Sturgeon Bay with a story all about the farm chil­ dren who wanted to dance, but never had the opportunity to take lessons. Mrs. Gilbert was not awru·e of the earlier conversation, and was completely confused about why they were telling her, since as far as she knew, no one in the Door County area had any idea of her background which included over thirty years she had spent in dance in New York City and New Jersey. The women were very persistent, even offer­ ing to provide the students and help in locating a studio, which turned out to be the Fish Creek Town Hall. "So began one of the most enjoyable, rewarding experi­ ences for me," says Elvira Gilbert, "and for the group of peo­ ple who participated together toward the same goal­ preparing a foundation in ballet and other forms of dance for a small group of children. It was an introduction to dance in which I would serve, on a temporary basis, as their teacher. Looking back, it was an experiment which worked fa r beyond our wildest dreams so we were committed." A promised ten students beca me twenty-eight, so regis­ tration closed on "day one." Requirements, leotards and regular attendance, were demanded before taking regis­ trations. Classes were established and scheduled with equal opportunity to advance. Because of the desire, the enthusiasm, and the willingness to work on the part of the students, the classes progressed more rapidly than the usual beginners groups.

11 9 In the middle of the second season the day finally came when the students themselves wanted to perform, wanted to try a real show. It was a challenge - just twenty-eight young folks who would have to do everything. "Well, they did and they did it beautifully!" enthusiasti­ cally states Mrs. Gilbert. "I was so proud of them. With very little pre-publicity they filled the Sturgeon Bay High School Auditorium. A few days later we received a request from the March Of Dimes Committee to do a benefit per­ formance of the entire show, which we did, but this time the press went all out with pages of pictures and articles." Among Mrs. Gilbert's students was Karen Lautenbach, now Cowan, who later taught classes in Sturgeon Bay and Fish Creek, and still works with the dance program out of the University of Wisconsin. In 1963-64, Mrs. Tom (Mary) Birmingham discovered that Ginka Cohn, who was here summers with her artist­ husband, Abe, taught dance in Milwaukee. She asked if Ginka would teach her five daughters and some of their friends. Her reply was that she would if she could have a space with a good wood floor. Mrs. Birmingham arranged for the Fish Creek Town Hall and Ginka taught creative dance for children during the summer. In 1965 Ginka formed the Peninsula Dance Council to serve as an umbrella group sponsoring dance activities, which grew to include classes for adults. Shortly afterwards Karen Cowan, representing the University of Wisconsin Arts Development, contacted Ginka to ask if the program could be run under their aus­ pices. The program gradually expanded to include more classes, more teachers and since 1984 classes have been held in Sister Bay as well as Fish Creek. Significant is the fact t hat Margaret H'Doubler (Mrs. Wayne Claxton) was a resident in Door County. She was the originator of the first Dance Major in the U.S. at the

120 University of Wisconsin, Madison. While living here she gave lectures and demonstrations at The Clearing. Karen Cowan and Ginka Cohn were among those she called upon to participate in the demonstrations during the late 50's and 60's, as they were both her students at the UW. H'Doubler also brought dance as a part of the Peninsula Music Festival. There was standing room only the night of that concert. Don Redlich, another talented dancer who went on to make a name for himself in the field, was the main choreographer and performed solo and with a group fro m Madison. The following year there was a ballet pas de deux as part of the Music Festival. There was an influence in the Gibraltar School. In 1966 Principal Tom Birmingham invited Ginka to teach a fall session of dance education to replace the physical educa· tion for grades 7 through 12. The second year the musical "lVIusic Man" was presented by the school members, direct­ ed by Tom Bir mingham and choreographed by Ginka Cohn. It is interesting to see how the community's summer classes gradually have expanded to include modern dance, ballet, jazz and additions like Tai Chi and movements for older adults. Peninsula Dance has also brought groups from Madison and Green Bay to perform in an informal concert once a summer at the old Fish Creek Town Hall.

Students in Mrs. Gilbert's classes: Sharon Anderson Na ncy Kinsey Kay Baraboo Patricia Kinsey David Chase J eanne Kramer Kay Chase Karen Lautenbach (Cowan) JoAnne Gilbert Marcia Lee Olsen Herb Graefe Victoria Olsen continued ...

121 Cheryl Hansen Joan Orsted Susan Hodgins Sharon Perry Betty Jarman Dounia Rathbone Joy Jarman Heloise Rathbone Mary Ann Jarman Patricia Susdorf Sue Jarman Pamela Vrooman Wayne Jarman Kay Wesa Andrea Kinsey Judy Weisgerber Barbara Jean Kinsey Christine Woldt

122 MISCELLANEOUS

123 124 The SILVER POPLARS A beautiful plot of land on the threshold of Death's Door Bluff, named for its stand of over forty trees, Silver Poplars was an artists' retreat. The forty acres, purchased in September of 1929 for $1,500 by Uno and Gyda Nyman, was added to their small property, "Camp Happy," where they spent much of summer with talented friends. Silver Poplars included a cherry orchard with its migrant pick­ ers' hut, a garden of perennials, a thicket of silver poplars and a nucleus of buildings remaining from the original farm homestead. Shingles were torn off the house to reveal the original log construction, a second story studio with a balcony was added and other repairs were made, all nec­ essary to make it habitable after some years of neglect. Gyda Nyman, a pianist from Denmark, was charges with the responsibility of moving the furniture and house­ hold goods into Camp Happy, while her husband, Dr. Uno Nyman, a violinist from Sweden, remained behind in Milwaukee with his dental practice. Because the large moving vans were unable to penetrate the overgrowth veg­ etation of Door Bluff Road, Gyda spent the night in a 'haunted house' and the furniture trucks in a barn. As the Nymans came to and from Camp Happy, they passed by the 'haunted house,' wondering if the old farm might be rescued from decay to serve as a retreat for their many painter, writer and musician friends. With inquiry and examination they found it for sale. Their purchase and refurbishing of this property opened the door to a wonder­ ful opportunity for an exciting life in Door County, where they moved permanently in 1938. Gyda, as her arthritis began to interfere with her musi­ cianship, turned increasingly to painting in oils, a number of which remain today on the walls of the Silver Poplars Studios.

125 Uno had established his dental practice in the Disgarden (Desjardin) Hotel, and later, in the Evanson Store in Ellison Bay. When he wasn't providing 'pro bono' dentistry for the ch erry pickers, he was at his piano in the dental office, or upstairs in his studio at home, composing music. The arts flourished at the Silver Poplars. Robert von Neumann, a well-known artist on the faculty of Milwaukee State Teachers College, was a steady visitor. He was a General in the German army during World War I, the arts editor of the Berliner Zeitung and subsequent­ ly on the arts staff of the Milwaukee Journal. Other visiting artists included George Raab, a Curator at the Layton Art Museum of Milwaukee; and William Schwartz, who lived and worked for a time in the studio, also had a studio in Chicago and provided artworks for the Wrigley restaurants in exchange for meals. His portrait of Jens Jensen proudly hangs over the fireplace in the main lodge at The Clearing. Other notewort hy guests included painter Gerhard Miller; Harriet Thayer, poet; Jane Archer, performing artist and playright; Caroline Fis her and Rodion Rathbone of the Peninsula Players; the Bogner brothers, one a Milwaukee architect and the other a Dean of the Harvard School of Architecture; and Dudley Craft Watson, of the Layton Museum and later to become head of the Art Institut e of Chicago. Carl Eppert, a noted composer, a conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony, and a Professor of Music at Marquette University, did much of his work at the Silver Poplars. In addition to seven symphonies, he wrote an opera and pieces named Speed, 1'raffic and City Shadows. Most intriguing would be his Ballet of the Vitamins. Once he was co mmissioned to write a passacaglia, a dance of Spanish origin. He locked himself in the refur·

126 bished barn until the composition was finished, upon which the event was celebrated with champagne and the barn was christened "The Passacaglia." To this day the name persists and the explanation must be tediously told and told again. Uno Nyman, himself, was no less a distinguished musi­ cian. He was born in Linkoping, Sweden, in1879, and trained with his uncle, the concertmaster of the Swedish Royal Orchestra. He arrived in America at age seventeen and settled in Milwaukee, where, playing both violin and viola, his Stratford Court quartet concerts became a regu­ lar Saturday night institution. He composed Symphony in B at Silver Poplars in 1941-42. Along with numerous chamber works, he wrote an Arctic Suite and a piece called Highlight and 1\vilight. A 1939 concert of his com­ positions was given at the Milwaukee Athenaeum. Gaylord Brown presented a tone poem of Uno Nyman's and Thor Johnson conducted his work in Door County at the Music Festival in 1955 and 1956. Dr. Fredrick Stock, conductor of the Chicago Symphony and Honorary President of the Peninsula Arts Association, and who was a friend of the Nymans at their Milwaukee home, attended a concert of Una's composi­ tions in 1946 which inspired the idea of bringing classical music to Door County. Dr. Stock commissioned a sympho­ ny from Uno, but died before he could present it. His two works performed at the Peninsula Music Festival in 1955, 1956 respectively, were Two Co mpanion Pieces: Harvest Star-Castor and Pollox and A Northern Rhapsody. Fittingly, the idea of the Peninsula Music Festival was hatched around Gyda's and Uno's dining room table. Mary Sauer Hannenberg, distinguished keyboard artist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and close friend of the Ny mans, remembers practicing on the piano in the Studio. She also remembers the discussions which plant­ ed the seeds of the Music Festival, the proposed schedules

127 spread out on the table, and the fact that Silver Poplars was willed to the Peninsula Arts Association. With the death of Gyda in 1956, Uno sought refuge in his compositions at the expense of maintaining the estate. Uno lived until January of 1959, and seven months later a memorial service took place in the living room of Silver Poplars. The Peninsula Music Festival Quartet played some Mozart and Uno Nyman's String Quartet No. VIII. Mary Sauer Hannenberg played three of his piano pieces: Nocturne, Morning Mist and Solitude. Within a few months the Silver Poplars was sold to William (Sr.) and Ida Massey, who restored the property to its former glory. Mea nwhile. at Camp Happy, Gycla's niece Sigrid and her husband Russell. have become the caretak­ ers.

128 THE RIDGES SANCTUARY Two thousand years ago water covered the area in Door County that we know as The Ridges. At that time Lake Michigan reached further inland. Slowly, from water then wind, the ridges were formed. Wave action brought sand to the beach. Later, wind picked up the dry sand and dropped it inland to create sand dunes. Through time, each successive sand dune became vege­ tated and developed into a ridge. Baileys Harbor bay continues to fill in and ridges continue to be formed. Although most of the land now managed as The Ridges was in t he hands of various individuals, the U .S. Lighthouse Service owned 40 acres. Here, two range­ lights, which still stand in their original locations, were built in 1869. Together these lights guided ships safely in the shallow waters of Baileys Harbor. By the late 1920's, the Range Lights operated by elec­ tricity. With the lighthouse keeper long gone, and the lights shining with need of little human help, the Lighthouse Service leased the buildings and land to Door County. Plans to build roads and develop the land into a trailer park prompted concern from the local citizens who had come to care about the unique flowers and plants. Development plans also alarmed Albert Fuller, then curator of the Milwaukee Public Museum. He was well aware of the rich diversity of orchids and other plants. Fuller, along with other concerned people, quickly formed The Ridges Sanctuary, Inc. The group was dedi­ cated to forever preserving the unique botanical area. In 1937 this group secured management of the "Lighthouse 40" acres. The group soon bega n to purchase and accept donations of adjacent land for protection. The names on the papers of incorporation include Jens Jensen, Frank Oldenburg, John Matter, Emma Toft, Mrs. James J.

129 McArdle, William E. Sieker, Mrs. WC. Sieker, Mertha Fulkerson, Olivia '!'raven and A.B. Gochenour. Since 1937, this nonprofit, privately funded organiza­ tion has grown to include over 3,000 members. It owns and manages over l, 100 acres. The Ridges has been rec­ ognized as an extremely precious resource. It became Wisconsin's first State Natural Area in 1967. It is also deemed a National Natural Landmark. At least thirteen endangered or threatened plant species find refuge with­ in this boreal forest. Information from The Ridges Sanctuary by Roy Lukes

130 DOOR COMMUNITY AUDITORIUM In 1983 a few people dreamed of a combined school/com­ munity auditorium at Gibraltar School, Fish Creek. They envisioned a year-round facility meeting diverse needs and serving to bring together young and old, residents and vis­ itors alike. Some teachers and local officials began to share their dream.

There had been problems using the old gym, with its many limitations and poor acoustics, for school musical and theatrical events. The gym had been the makeshift home of the Peninsula Music Festival and its August con­ cert series since Dr. Thor Johnson started the festival in 1953. With the growing success of the Music Festival, more people became aware of the poor acoustics in a gym never designed for such events. Also, the old gym couldn't accom­ modate the increasing number of residents and summer visitors wishing to attend the concerts. Although the school district felt they could not afford a new auditorium, the vision of the small group of local indi­ viduals continued to grow. Then two equally visionary sis­ ters, with four generations of Door County history, came forward with a gift of $1 million toward construction of the auditorium.

131 Steering committees were formed and agreements reached; a fund-raising drive was begun. Then other bene­ factors stepped forward with sizable gifts. Hundreds of individuals, even school children, made contributions to the building fund. Thanks to the generosity of over 2,000 people, almost $3 million was raised for a beautiful architect-designed audi­ torium to be attached to Gibraltar school. Construction was begun in June of 1990 with a well-attended ceremo­ ny, and many school children helping with the ground­ breaking. The auditorium was completed in May of 1991. All t his effort and courage helped to create an auditori­ um accommodating 750 persons. Outside, the building is a union of angular lines and expansive spaces. Inside, heavy timber trusses, 25 feet high and spanning a dis­ tance of 85 feet across, add volume to the auditorium and help shape the interior sound space. The acoustics are superb and a striking complement to the facility is an expansive, glass-enclosed lobby area with David Giffey's Door County mura ls and a masonry fireplace of native stone. The Auditorium belongs to the Gibraltar Area School District, and the facility must, first and foremost, enhance the educational experience of students. In all, the Auditorium is used by the School District about 140 days a year. For 225 days a year the facility is made available for presentations and programs not sponsored by the School District. This provides the opportunity for the Auditorium to function as a combined educational and performing arts center, and its efficient use is greatly increased. The responsibility for coordinating the use of the Auditorium is shared by t he Door County Auditorium Funding Corporation. or DCAFC, in association with rep­ resentatives of the School District.

132 DOOR COMMUNITY AUDITORIUM In 1983 a few people dreamed of a combined school/com­ munity auditorium at Gibraltar School, Fish Creek. They envisioned a year-round facility meeting diverse needs and serving to bring together young and old, residents and vis­ itors alike. Some teachers and local officials began to share their dream.

There had been problems using the old gym, with its many limitations and poor acoustics, for school musical and theatrical events. The gym had been the makeshift home of the Peninsula Music Festival and its August con­ cert series since Dr. Thor Johnson started the festival in 1953. With the growing success of the Music Festival, more people became aware of the poor acoustics in a gym never designed for such events. Also, the old gym couldn't accom­ modate the increasing number of residents and summer visitors wishing to attend the concerts. Although the school district felt they could not afford a new auditorium, the vision of the small group of local indi­ viduals continued to grow. Then two equally visionary sis­ ters, with four generations of Door County history, came forward with a gift of $1 million toward construction of the auditorium.

131 Steering committees were formed and agreements reached; a fund-raising drive was begun. Then other bene· factors stepped forward with sizable gifts. Hundreds of individuals, even school children, made contributions to the building fund. Thanks to the generosity of over 2,000 people, almost $3 million was raised for a beautiful architect-designed audi­ torium to be attached to Gibraltar school. Construction was begun in J une of 1990 with a well-attended ceremo­ ny, and many school children helping with the ground­ breaking. The auditorium was completed in May of 1991. All this effort and courage helped to create an auditori­ um accommodating 750 persons. Outside, the building is a union of angular lines and expansive spaces. Inside, heavy timber trusses, 25 feet high and spanning a dis­ tance of 85 feet across, add volume to the auditorium and help shape the interior sound space. The acoustics are superb and a striking complement to the facility is an expansive, glass-enclosed lobby area with David Giffey's Door County murals and a masonry fireplace of native stone. The Auditorium belongs to the Gibraltar Area School District, and the facility must, first and foremost, enhance the educational experience of students. In all, the Auditorium is used by the School District about 140 days a year. For 225 days a year the facility is made available for presentations and programs not sponsored by the School District. This provides the opportunity for the Auditorium to function as a combined educational and performing arts center, and its efficient use is greatly increased. The responsibility for coordinating the use of the Auditorium is shared by the Door County Auditorium Funding Corporation, or DCAFC. in association with rep­ resentatives of the School District.

132 The goal of the Auditorium is "to become a center to enrich, entertain and challenge people of all ages through a balanced combination of performing, visual and literary arts; and to provide opportunities for social, educational and cultural growth."

133 I r I

About th e book:

There has been no one place that information about the early years of the Arts in Door County could be found. Collected here is a history of growth, the pleasures of shar· ing and developing a common love and the constant change brought about by yet another generation.

From the a uthor:

"[ haue become increasingly aware that we are liuing in 'history'. The growth and deuelopment of art in Door County has been so rapid that as I edited the more current text, I wa"5 constantly forced to make changes. May you find yourself eager to share in this history."

Lorraine Mengert