Artist consortium occupies Old School building

By Marc Boissoneau
Sun contributor

When the Glen Arbor Athletic Club closed this past May, it left the Old School building on M-22, arguably among Glen Arbor’s most recognizable landmarks, sitting vacant. But thanks to a group of local artists, the schoolhouse has again found a purpose.

On July 21, the Underbark Furniture and Carol C. Spaulding Gallery held its grand opening, introducing works by furniture maker Paul Czamanske; painters Carol and Joe Spaulding, and Ted Peterson. The walls of the gallery are lined with Carol’s gouache, pastel and oil paintings, Joe Spaulding’s plein air watercolors and Peterson’s watercolors. From the ceiling hang Richard Burns’ Calderesque mobiles. Czamanske, who is known for his “New Mission” style furniture pieces, describes his artistry as “a contemporary take on arts & crafts furniture”.

The presence of the Underbark gallery and Kristin Hurlin and Paul May’s Glen Arbor Artisans “Beta Store”, which moved in next door (read more about that below) have together created yet another art district in Glen Arbor.

“I’ve heard people say that this has elevated the caliber of galleries in Glen Arbor,” adds Czamanske. “I’d like to think that it’s a bonus for the town.”

Czamanske, the Spauldings and Peterson are prominently featured in the Underbark gallery, as is the Spauldings’ daughter, jeweler and writer Holly Wren Spaulding. Given the involvement of three Spauldings and of four Hurlin-Mays next door, both galleries are family affairs.

“The space is fabulous,” says Carol Spaulding. “It is spacious with tall ceilings and has breathing room around the paintings on the wall. We welcome folks to check us out.”

Despite their new home in the gallery, however, the artists continue to appear in other venues; Carol recently gave a demonstration at Lake Street Studios of her “first strike” painting technique, in which she quickly fills her surface with color. She also held the opening of a solo show entitled “The Garden Palette.”

Daughter Holly will also continue her Etsy store, Hende, along with outlets in several stores in both Massachusetts and Michigan. “Hende” is derived from, and pronounced like “Hände”, the German word for Hands. In Middle English, Hende also meant “noble, graceful, clever and beautiful”.

Despite the gallery’s relatively short season, and its artists’ other commitments, the Underbark Furniture Gallery befits, for now, an iconic building that sat noticeably vacant early this summer.

The Underbark Furniture Gallery is open most days from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., through October. On August 15, Renie Cutler will host a special truck show of her expanded jewelry collection, and on Sept. 31, Leah Dziewit of Leah Artwear will show her hand-dyed silk clothing and wool clothing. For more information, call (231) 642-6179, or visit Spaulding’s website, CarolSpaulding.com, and Czmanske’s website, Underbark.com.

Glen Arbor Artisans features Kristin Hurlin, Paul May

Next to the Old Schoolhouse, master woodworker Paul May and watercolor artist Kristin Hurlin turned the space formerly occupied by Macbeth & Co. into their Glen Arbor Artisans “Beta Store”. Next year they’ll move back to their expanded Paradiso Gallery across M-22 from the Lakeshore Inn.

“It looked bad for the town when tourists saw vacant storefronts as they walked between downtown and the M-22 store and Riverfront Pizza,” says Hurlin. “But now the area looks inviting, with flowers out front and beautiful, well-lit gallery spaces that welcome visitors.”

May’s Glen Arbor Photography features beautiful natural photos of the region. His custom woodwork and furniture has shaped local interior design for 36 years. Hurlin’s detailed ink and watercolor drawings and award-winning illustrations have graced catalogs, books, t-shirts and magazines for over three decades. Her work reflects the landscapes in and around the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

The Glen Arbor Artisans is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (231) 334-3128 or visit GlenArborArtisans.com.

Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis

By Kristin Hurlin

The magnificent cardinal flower has long been considered America’s favorite wildflower. Tall spikes of cardinal-red flowers often grow in great profusion, populating swales and streamsides in shaded areas, but will also grow in full sun if enough water is available. The cardinal flower will be in bloom soon — bloom time being late summer in an average year. Deer browsing and draining of wetlands has taken a toll on these beauties, but they are still found in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.