News
April 10, 2012
The 2012 Fall Art Tour brochures are now available. Our thanks to Nancy Zucker Design in Madison, WI for working with us to create this year's brochure, and to renowned photographer Dick Ainsworth for providing our cover image of potter Joe Cole.
Want one hot off the presses? Just click the "Request a Brochure" link to the left! If you requested a brochure earlier this year, it will be sent out to you later this week.
October 31, 2011
Thank you to all of the wonderful people who joined us for the 2011 Fall Art Tour. It was a great weekend of art, friends, and fall color in Southwestern Wisconsin.
We are pleased to announce that the dates for the 19th Annual Fall Art Tour will be October 19, 20, and 21, 2012.
2012 Brochures, maps, and participating artist and studio listings will be available in early spring, 2012.
October 5, 2011
Michael Alexander (#27) passed away in June from stomach cancer. His family has decided to continue his plan of participating in the Fall Art Tour, for this one last time, and welcomes all visitors. His daughter Hannah has stepped down from the role of Guest Artist, so there will no longer be a Guest Artist at this Tour stop. However, all of Michael’s children, along with some close friends of the family, will be present showing his furniture and workshop. Most of the remaining furniture inventory, which includes some of his original pieces and some of his most recent work, will be available for sale.
Here is what Michael had to say about his work while he was alive:
My past experience is in restoration, designing and building period additions to older homes. I have always had on ongoing interest in sustainable forestry management and value added products from landowner woodlots. My interest in making this type of furniture grew out of my experience of over 30 years of working with wood and other construction materials and from living on my 220-acre farm in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Much of the land is non-arable (hilly and forested) and is ideally suited to a sustainable forest stewardship plan.
Trees from timber stand improvement are gathered from my own woods or offered from neighbors and others and brought back to the farm where they are sorted and cut to appropriate slab thickness and lengths. Some trees I may leave in a decaying state for a few seasons to encourage natural processes such as worm tracks and spalting – when weathering releases sugars from the wood and decay occurs along the veins of release. The slabs are dried in a solar kiln, which helps in relaxing the wood as it dries.
I use minimalist modern design in creating my work to develop an authentic urban organic appeal.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2011
The Fall Art Tour is saddeded to announce the passing of artist Michael Alexander earlier this summer. Michael's family is going to be showing and selling his work in his memory at his studio (Number 27) during the Tour.
AUGUST 29, 2011
Look for The Fall Art Tour in the current issue of Midwest Living, then make plans to join us in October!
MAY 5, 2011
The Fall Art Tour is pleased to present our new website! We're still working on a few of the details, so contact us or check back soon if you can't find the information you're looking for.