Does the thought of letting your creative side show sound like fun?
Would you like to let your inner artist out? If you could go back to summer camp as an adult, would you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Woodlanders Gathering in historic Mineral Point is the event for you! It’s probably the greatest little gathering you have never heard of.
The Woodlanders Gathering is a fun four day gathering of nature inspired artists who really enjoy teaching. The event just celebrated its 20th anniversary! It’s billed as a summer camp for adults, and for good reason! It’s structured like a camp with morning classes, community lunch, afternoon classes, and evening activities.
The gathering was inspired by a guy named Daniel Mack in upstate New York. He is a famous artist/builder who makes furniture and home décor from rustic materials found in nature. He describes it best in this quote.
“And it dawned on me that to some people, the chairs represented the romance of the forest … something they wanted to bring into their house or a room they were doing.”
Building on his work, you will see classes with a variety of nature inspired art to make. A sample of the classes that were offered this year are; Rustic Garden Bench, Soap and scrubs, Gourd birdhouses, Nature imprints in clay, and Teepee Garden Trellis, just to name a few.
The gathering on its own would be great, but the fact that it’s on a unique historic property called Shake Rag Alley adds another level to it. You know with a name like that it’s going to have an interesting story, and it does. The property is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in Wisconsin. It’s Wisconsin’s third oldest city, and is located about an hour southwest of Madison in Iowa county. The grounds that this festival is held on goes back to the 1830’s when miners from Cornwall England moved here to mine lead. The campus at Shake Rag is part of those original homesteads. You will marvel at the distinctive Limestone homes in and around Shake Rag. The buildings on the property are best described as “quaint” with names that conjure up simpler times (The Quonset hut, Carriage house, Cabinet shop, Ellery House, French Cabin, Log cabin, Potter’s Shed, and Blacksmith Barn). There is a small meandering spring on the property that adds to the charm of the campus. The road is named Shake Rag Alley from a time when women would alert the men, working in the nearby mines, that dinner was ready by shaking a rag to get their attention.
From the workshops I attended, and the people I spoke with, it was much more than the items they crafted. There was a synergy to the event that is hard to describe. It was about people working together, sharing experiences and excitement with fellow crafters, and feeling a sense of accomplishment. I heard things like, “I didn’t think I could ever create this kind of art.”
Friendships were forged during these classes. Many of the people have been attending for years with some driving great distances. With this kind of atmosphere, it’s no wonder why they would make the long trek! I can personally attest to this from the workshops that I attended. My favorite thing I made was the rustic twig mosaic table. Upon seeing the one that the instructor displayed, you wonder if you will be able to make such art. But with their easy-going instructions, they erase all doubts. Everyone that has seen the table agrees, it’s a real work of art! It’s a true prized possession that I will cherish for years!
Shake Rag is just a 2-block walk to the downtown district of Mineral Point. This town is so old and historic it has a palpable feel to it. You may feel like a time traveler. It’s filled with art galleries, interesting shops, and restaurants. The town is also home to Pendarvis National History Register of Historic places. Mineral Point has so much to offer, it needs a day of exploration on its own.
If you want to be inspired and let your creative side out, then I would recommend giving this gathering some serious consideration. Woodlanders workshop is not the only thing at Shake Rag. They hold a variety of other workshops throughout the year. More information on these workshops can be found here. Workshops by Month – Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts
If you go, give yourself some extra time to explore this beautiful historic area as there is so much to see here.
Author – Vincent Aiello