Birthday Celebration

Gregg feels that I'm getting to the point where surprising me with a birthday gift is getting too tough -- am I really that picky, or is it just that he doesn't know where to find that perfect gift? So, this year he decided to take me on a roadtrip to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan (along with Uncle David) -- this WAS the perfect gift!! The scenery was gorgeous as the asters by the side of the road are a brilliant purple in color and the trees are beginning to turn; soon our countryside will be a quilt of red, orange, yellow, and brown.


The Kohler Arts Center is currently hosting a tramp art exhibit created by Adolph Vandertie. Vandertie was born in 1911 near Lena WI. As a boy, Vandertie learned the intricate carving and whittling skills associated with the hobos from his grandfather, who had learned many of the techniques while a prisoner of war during the Civil War.


I learned from Vandertie that there's a difference between a hobo and a tramp . . . 'Like the hobo, the tramp was a wanderer, but unlike the hobo he was not a worker. Most tramps lived by their wits, some by petty thievery and begging, some by robbery and murder. The hobo feared the tramp and was contemptuous of him as a loafer, while the tramp despised the hobo as a sucker for working.' The caste was not clearly drawn and many hobos met up with tramps in the same camp where they told stories around the campfire, sang, and carved or whittled in the distinct styles associated with their respective groups. See, one can learn something new at an Art Museum!


Hobo art was traded for food, shelter, or as an exchange between fellow hobos; tramp art was made by chip carving thin strips of wood from cigar boxes to form boxes, pictures frames, and furniture. Vandertie practiced both hobo and tramp styles of woodworking. One of his personal masterpieces is a 217-foot-long carved chain that looks to be made of a single piece of wood. My Uncle Harold has one that my great-grandfather (his grandfather) carved, oh how I wish I knew the story behind that! Perhaps hobos or tramps visited the farm looking for work and taught him a bit of their craft??

Hobo Art

Tramp Art

I've always been fascinated by tramp / hobo art and have purchased a few pieces online but nothing I own is as beautiful as those Vandertie created -- one really needs to see them! The primary body of Vandertie's work is at the Kohler Art Museum and additional works are housed at the Ashwaubenenon County Historical Society in Green Bay.

When you go to the Art Museum you MUST stop in and view the restrooms (these are the only rooms where you can take pictures) -- remember, this is an ART museum and is sponsored by Kohler . . .

On our way home we stopped at the James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden in Wilson. This was an amazing place! Tellen created multiple statues and vinettes from concrete -- after he turned 60!! The property is maintained and conserved by the Kohler Foundation also.

The Native Americans meet you at the road and as you enter the property you're met by a life-size sculpture of an American Cowboy, Abraham Lincoln, and religious sculptures to name a few.

This place and the art museum are free -- but the memories are priceless.