 |
DoorCountyTravelersJournal.com |
| ... Your Quick & Happy Door County Read |
|
Clay Bay Pottery, located at a historical landmark in Ellison Bay, is located 2 miles south of Ellison Bay and the perfect first stop on your exploration of Ellison Bay. The building used as their studio is dated 1887, a date found on a Swedish immigrant newspaper lining the log walls. Jeanne’s well-known Lady Vases and David’s figurative studies show they never stop growing and learning as artists. They love making functional pottery as much as the other potters here do. David and Jeanne Aurelius bought the property and buildings that became Clay Bay Pottery from Wink and Audrey Larson in 1976. A Swedish immigrant newspaper lining the log walls of the studio confirmed it was built in 1887. In 1912, William Laurance bought land around the area. He sold the land to the Ellison Bay Orchard Company in 1918. The house and gallery was originally built in 1918 for Sid Teller, Sr., the first manager of Ellison Bay Orchard Company. John Friedlund bought Ellison Bay Orchard and the name was changed to Frielund Orchard. In 1951, Frieland sold to Rolson, who then sold it to the Roens and finally to Wink Larson. The town’s newest restaurant, Pasta Vino, has been an instant hit with locals and visitors alike. Pete D’Amico, who has had other successful restaurants in Door County, offers great Italian food. A beautiful, newly landscaped beach park is on the left. Tennis courts, a playground, huge lawn for frisbee or baseball and of course a nice swimming beach perfect for families. There is a gazebo with picnic tables and grills. ‘Picnic Here’ should be the sign at the edge of the driveway! Downtown Ellison Bay has three thriving restaurants, a coffee shop, the last full service gas station and the historic Pioneer Store. The Viking boasts the oldest Fish Boil on the peninsula. Don’t miss the quaint used bookstore, Caxton Books. Stacked to the ceiling with books, it’s the perfect place for treasure hunting. The Silly Goose right next to the Brew coffee shop offers shoppers almost everything. The Mink River Basin is a step up from the usual Wisconsin supper club. Both the Viking and the Basin are open for lunch. Many of the artists and their studios/galleries are within walking distance of ‘downtown’ but bicycling works too. Across from the Viking are free bikes for anyone to use around town.
Jensen began acquiring the property that would become The Clearing in 1919 for use as a summer vacation home. In 1935, at age 75, after closing his Chicago business, he achieved his longtime dream of establishing The Clearing. Foreseeing the effects of the automobile and the vast development of cities, Jensen founded The Clearing as a place where urban people could come to renew their contact with the “soil” as a basis for life values. Today, many people come to The Clearing for this sense of renewal. Today, The Clearing offers classes in the arts and fine crafts, humanities and natural sciences. The Clearing staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, instructors and students continue to fulfill Jens Jensen’s dream of a year-round folk school for adults in a quiet, inspirational setting “close to the soil.”
Sid bought the property for his orchard, named Driftwood Farms, between 1918 and 1930 while he was managing Ellison Bay Orchard Company, located where Clay Bay Pottery is today! He planted almost 200 acres of cherry and apple trees in that time. He had to blast a hole in the limestone for each tree, and he planted 100 trees per acre. He used the limestone from that blasting for the stonework on the barn, where he sorted, stored and packaged the fruit. John and his wife Diane McNeil make ‘Art For Everyday’ which is what they call their functional stoneware and pit fired ceramics in the studio that was built by German POWs in 1943. They also represent John’s parents, Wisconsin painters Tom and Margaret Dietrich. Tom helped design the curriculum and teach at the Clearing with Jens Jensen. Head back to highway 42 and cross it to explore more pottery, folk art and food. On the left is Gills Rock Stoneware, across Lakeview Road is Newport House Gallery and directly south of Newport House is The Savory Spoon Cooking School and Artisan Cheese Market. At Gills Rock Stoneware, Thor and Judy Thoreson use traditional pottery methods to produce an ancient craft but with a very contemporary feel. It’s both classic and thoroughly modern. Most of the work is hand-thrown on the potter’s wheel. Brilliant colors characterize their work.
In 1988 the property was bought by Thor and Judy Thoreson and became the studio and gallery for their pottery, Gills Rock Stoneware.
Newport House had its beginnings in 1981, when a few handmade items were for sale in the small barn on the property that had been Gust Klenke’s when he was in the cheese producing business in the area then called Newport. After spending several years at an Ephraim location, Carol and Jan returned to Ellison Bay. Their corner wows everyone who enjoys a beautiful garden.
Michael and Janice Thomas bought the property in 2005, and then spent 2 years carefully restoring this local landmark. The building now houses the cooking school and marketplace, complete with a state of the art kitchen facility, classroom, and culinary store. This year the Savory Spoon opened a Wisconsin artisan cheese store in Egg Harbor. The Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese offers unique, interesting Wisconsin cheeses available only at this store. Following Lakeview Rd. to Mink River Rd., turn left and head over to Turtle Ridge Studio and Gallery, a studio and gallery producing original designs in leather, paintings, prints, mirrors and fiber, including recycling clothes into fashionable new designs, by artist Mary Ellen Sisulak. The gallery is constantly changing and carries the work of other selected artists as well. It’s about a mile, so this might be the time for that long bike ride, or your car.
All of these artists have the energy and passion necessary to make a living making art and that drive spills over into their work and living spaces, including gardens and their community.
Cousin’s Walk Gallery was built on land that was originally given to Elias Gill in 1860 for his military service. At one time it was owned by the United Trinity Lutheran Congregation of Ellison Bay (which is now Lindens) and then Mrs. Annie Severson, who lived there until 1931. The log cabin which houses the gallery was built in the late 1800s’ out of Chamber Island cedar. Someone carved the date 1904 on the inside wall of the outhouse which has three holes, two for adults and one for a child. Annie had nine children which she raised in the log cabin. A great grandson from Minnesota shared a family story that Annie sold the cabin, which was moved to where it is now in 1994, and in 1998 it officially became Cousin's Walk. Back downtown Ellison Bay across from the Pioneer sits a most unique building, the old Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church which has been transformed into Lindens Gallery . Brian and Jeanee Linden have created a kind of time travel to China providing a way to see and buy Asian antiques and contemporary Chinese art. The Shepherd of the Bay was formed by the merger of two very well-established Lutheran congregations in Ellison Bay and Sister Bay. Both were started by groups of lay people meeting with visiting pastors to explore the possibility of Lutheran congregations in this area. As early as 1878 a group of early settlers of Swedish descent met in Sister Bay. They organized a congregation and were given land by P. W. Carlson upon which a church was built in 1879. In 1885 a meeting was held in Ellison Bay to organize the Lutheran Trinity Congregation. Trustees were Hans Olsen and Ole Olsen from Norway and Andrew Wickman from Sweden. John Ellison, for whom Ellison Bay was named, donated two acres for the church and cemetery and the building fund collected $265. Neither congregation could afford their own pastor so they shared. In 1904 the pastors wage was set at $150 per year and farm members encouraged to supplement his income with produce. There’s more to see and do in ‘The Top of the Thumb’. Town parks are hidden surprises, as are the beaches. There are more artist studios scattered all throughout the Ellison Bay and Gills Rock area. Take some time to get away and go north of the ‘Tension Line’. You’ll be happy you did. 1. Clay Bay Pottery 11650 Hwy 42 www.ClayBayPottery.net 2. Linden Gallery 12001 Mink River Rd. www.LindensGallery.com 3. Cousin's Walk 11940 Lakeview Rd. CousinsWalk@charter.net 4. Turtle Ridge Studio/Gallery 11736 Mink River Rd. www.TurtleRidgeGallery.com 5. Ellison Bay Pottery Gallery 12156 Garrett Bay Rd. http://ellisonbaypottery.wordpress.com/ 6. Gills Rock Stoneware 12020 Lakeview Rd. www.GillsRock.com 7. Newport House Gallery 12044 Hwy 42 NewportHouseGallery@charter.net 8. The Clearing Folk School 12171 Garrett Bay Rd. www.TheClearing.org 9. The Savory Spoon Cooking School & Marketplace www.SavorySpoon.com
© Copyright 2011 by DoorCountyTravelersJournal.com
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Email article to a friend
