September 27, 2004
Friends Good Will Welcomed
Hands waved and cameras clicked when the Friends Good Will arrived last Saturday. The 60-foot replica of a 19-century sloop was originally used in fur trading. On its maiden voyage, it traveled 1200-nautical miles from Albany, New York, where it was built, to its homeport. It is docked at the Michigan Maritime Museum where it will open for tours.
Posted by Kristin at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2004
Drawings, Oil Paintings and Sculpture in "Anderson Art"
The drawings on the far left are by Wendy Anderson Halperin, the self-portrait and other paintings are the work of her daughter, Kale Halperin, and the sculptures on the right are by Wendy's mother, Marian Anderson.
This is a smaple of the wonderful artwork that is in the show "Anderson Art: Three Generations of Creation," which is at the South Haven Center for the Arts through Nov. 7. The opening reception is Sunday, Sept. 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to meet the artists and enjoy some refreshments at the Center, 600 Phoenix Street.
Posted by Kristin at 04:55 PM | Comments (0)
Girl on a Swing
This sculpture of a girl on a swing welcomes visitors to the South Haven Center for the Arts. The sculpture is by Kale Halperin, one of the four artists featured in "Anderson ARt: Three Generations of Creation," currently showing at the SHCA. The oopening reception is Sunday, Sept. 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. Come and join the fun.
Posted by Kristin at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)
September 23, 2004
"Shared Waters" Exhibit Wins Award
"Shared Waters,' the current exhibit at the Fort Miami Heritage Society in St. Joseph recently was named Best Exhibit of 2004 by the Center for Great Lakes Culture at Michigan State University. The society wil celebrate the award with a special public ceremony at 7 p.m. September 30 at the Priscilla U. Byrns Heritage Center, 708 Market Street, St. Joseph. Why was this award merited? Read on.....
Best Exhibit of 2004
Each year the Center for Great Lakes Culture honors one outstanding exhibition that serves as a model for interpretation of Great Lakes regional culture. Museum exhibits from throughout the Great Lakes states and Ontario are concsidered eligible for the award. The center evaluates the exhibits based on their visual appeal and the use of other sensory elements, educational opportunites and the exhibit's overall effectiveness in communicating its central theme."Shared Watrs" impressed the award committee and scored on all counts.
The committee praised the careful research that went into the exhibit, the use of thematic elements to tell the "Shared Waters" story, the effective incorporation of Indian and gender perspectives in the interpretation and the outstanding programming.
Posted by Kristin at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2004
Sunset Over South Beach
I grew up in Chicago where I could witness sunrises over Lake Michigan. Here in South Haven I can watch "le soleil se couche" whenever I have the urge to see the daily light show.
Posted by Kristin at 10:54 PM | Comments (1)
September Sunset, A Quiet Moment
It's easy to understand why the Native Americans wjp settled here named South Haven the land of beautiful sunsets.
Posted by Kristin at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)
Musing Artist By The Cafe
Bob Battles is one of the most amusing, intelligent, well-read and observant men on this planet. He is a real Renaissance man.
Posted by Kristin at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)
Two Limericks On A Man With Many Tales and Talents
Bt Kristin Hay
There is a man named Bob Battles
Who is funnier than "Blacing Saddles.'
When he tells a joke,
everyone gets a poke,
and all Kingdom Come rattles.
By Vikke Andersen
People follow the pundit who prattles
About flat earth, old testament rattles,
But the wisdom we seek
Never reaches its peak
'Til the jokes fall from the lips of Bob Battles
Posted by Kristin at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)
September 14, 2004
Floating Lotus
South Haven artist Nancy Endres created this paradise for relaxation and meditation. It is here on the edge of this pond that Nancy sculpts figures that will eventually be bronzed and placed in her garden.
How does Nancy create a lovely lush lawn? Keep reading.
Zoie's Garden continued
“Burning leaves is like burning dollar bills;” say Nancy Endres, an avid South Haven gardener and artist.
People will soon be blowing or raking their leaves, bagging them and setting them out to be carted away to a landfill. Endres says that is like throwing money away.
“It’s very important to get the leaves off your lawn in the fall,” she says. . “But don’t throw them away. Use them to mulch flower beds to protect them against frost.”
Enders’ lush lawn surrounds and winds through her personal paradise which she calls Zoie’s Garden. Zoie means life in Greek.
In that space she has created a pond with floating lotus flowers next to colorful plants of all varieties and meditative nooks and crannies with rocks and sculpture. She finds it a perfect place to stroll around, meditate and create her art. But the garden itself is her continuous work of art inn progress.
The lawn is part of this artistic tapestry which requires loving care to keep it thick and healthy. She is now getting ready to prepare the lawn for the cold months ahead by applying a winterizing fertilizer with a pre-emergent weed killer. Fertilizing the grass in September and October will foster the last spurt of new growth before winter. She has a feeding schedule that keeps her lawn beautiful from spring until fall.
In the late spring, she fertilizes the grass with a product that contains a weed killer to get rid of the broadleaf weeds such as dandelions and clover. She cuts the grass and waters it regularly. Water deeply and don’t water during the day because the sun rays on the water act like a magnifier and will burn it, she says. Early morning is the best time to water grass. Don’t cut more than half of the growth, she advises. If the grass grows long, cut it high. Mulching mowers are best. If you don’t have a mulching mower, it is important to remove the grass cuttings from the lawn.
Endres says she has areas which are clay where the lawn is sparse. In these sections, she adds sphagnum pete moss. Ideally, you should mix sphagnum pete moss with the soil before you seed it, Endres also fertilizes her lawn in midsummer.
In June and July, she takes defensive action against the ubiquitous grub, the larvae stage of the Japanese beetle. Endres warns that you have to be mindful when using chemicals on your lawn to kill these beetles. Be sure to put it on the flower beds as well. Moles eat grubs. If chemicals are applied to the lawn only, it will drive the moles into the flower beds.
If you don’t want to use chemicals on your lawn, there is another way to take care of grass that is simpler, cheaper and safe for you, your animals and the environment. The natural way of taking care of a lawn requires feeding it only twice a season with compost-- once in the spring and one in the summer. The advice regarding the natural way comes from Vikke Andersen, a South Haven garden designer who takes her cues from Donald W. Trotter, author of “The Complete Natural Gardener.’ The compost can come from a composting lawn mower or can be purchased at garden centers. Trotter’s book says, winterize the lawn by adding minerals only. The most important thing you can do for your lawn or plants in general is improve the soil.
To fertilize or not to fertilize in the fall is not a question for Andersen. She recommends not fertilizing the lawn or anything else in the fall because it stimulates lawn growth and the tender new grass is susceptible to tissue damage from frost. The fall is also a good time to seed a lawn because the ground will be receiving moisture from rain and snow.
In short, if you want beautiful grass in the spring, get the leaves off the lawn now. The question of whether to fertilize or not depends on which method you choose, conventional or the natural. With either way, it’s possible to have a lovely lush lawn next spring.
Fin
Posted by Kristin at 01:15 PM | Comments (1)
An Artists' Paradise
Nancy Endres created Zoie's Garden where she strolls around, meditates and sculpts.
Posted by Kristin at 01:02 PM | Comments (0)
"Anderson Art: Three Generations of Creativity" Opens Sept. 24
The next show at the South Haven Center for the Arts features the artwork -- sculpture, paintings, drawings and photography from members of one incredibly creative family.
“Anderson Art: Three Generations of Creativity” will open Friday, September 24 at the Center. The public is invited to the reception for the artists Sunday, September 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. The exhibition will include sculpture by South Haven resident Marian Anderson, paintings and drawings by Wendy Anderson Halperin, paintings and drawings by Kale Halperin and photography by Ted Mathias.
After a career in advertising, Marian Anderson started her career in fine arts in 1972. Her sculptures have been shown at the Kalamazoo Institute or Arts, the Krasl Arts Center in St. Joseph and at many other art centers, galleries and festivals. She will have a dozen abstract sculptures in a variety of media, including wood, metal and cement. At the age of 83, Anderson says she is able to draw upon the many visuals she has collected in her mind over the years. The artists who have been major influences on her work are the abstract expressionists and minimalists.
Read about the next generations...
(...continued)
Wendy Anderson Halperin, who is Marian’s daughter, is a nationally known book illustrator. She has illustrated 19 books in the past ten years. Anderson Halperin says drawing has affected the way she observes the world. “I love to teach children how to draw people, and I hope to inspire others to draw, as so many artists have inspired me.” She conducts children’s drawing workshops at libraries and schools and also does workshops for teachers and other adults.
Her books and prints will be for sale as well as 100 pastel paintings of sunrises and sunsets. Her daughter, Kale Halperin, who is a junior at the Rhode Island School of Design, will be showing still life and figurative paintings and drawings and a fiberglass sculpture of a little girl on a swing. Kale was chosen for the European Horrors Program by the Rhode Island School of Design, and so will be spending the upcoming school year studying in Rome. Ted Mathias, Marian Anderson’s grandson, is a 17-year-old high school student living in Chicago. One of his photographs won second place in an international competition for high school students.
Alice Matthias, Ted’s sister, has done a video with interviews of the three generations of artists in the Anderson family. That video will be on display during the exhibition.
“Anderson Art: Three Generations of Creativity” can be seen in the lower gallery through November 7. The Center is located at 600 Phoenix Street, and the gallery is open Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.
Posted by Kristin at 11:36 AM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2004
Sunflower Cafe Is A Sunny New Spot In South Haven
The Sunflower Cafe popped up in South Haven's downtown this summer. Jeff Smeltzer, who runs the cafe, is here with his wife, Cyndie and their children. The cafe is at 515 Phoenix Street.
Why did they open? Read on...
The Sunfloower Cafe Pops Up In South Haven's Heart
The Sunflower Café has taken the place of Dave’s Dogs at 515 Phoenix Street in South Haven. Jeff aSmeltzer and Cyndie Mack-Smeltzer thought South Haven needed another restaurant, so when Dave’s Dogs went up for sale, they seized the opportunity to realize their dream of opening a business...
Jeff Smeltzer has worked in the business world for 26 years, 14 years in restaurant management and retail and 11 years as a manufacturing manager for Johnson Controls in Holland. His wife, Cyndie, who is an accountant, said the opportunity to open their own business just fell in their lap. They mulled over the idea for six months before they bought the business. The couple has lived in South Haven for the past four years. Because they have three children, they understand the need for a restaurant that is what they call, “family friendly.” They have brightened the atmosphere will colorful pictures of sunflowers and are making the café a comfortable place for families to eat.
In addition to Chicago-style hot dogs, the cafe features wraps, and salads. They also have ice cream, milk shakes and blueberry pie. They serve gourmet coffee to go with pastries and muffins, and in the fall the plan to offer soups and hot pannini sandwiches. Their intention is to keep the café open all four seasons. The café hours are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 11 pm., Saturday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call the Sunflower Café at 269-637-8994.
Posted by Kristin at 10:58 PM | Comments (2)
The Past and the Present Meet
The clopping of hooves maes me prick up my ears.It breaks up the cacophony of car alarms, cell phones and boom boxes, the background music of summer.
Posted by Kristin at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)
September 09, 2004
Horse and Carriage Rides Bring Smiles
Jim and Carolyn Smith of Top Hat Carriages were in South Haven over Labor Day weekend. They will be back September 17 and 18. They'll be giving sleigh rides in November and December. The rides are reasonablly priced, I think -- $7.50 for an adult and $5 per child. Take a step back in time. Slow down and see South Haven from a hoursedrawn carriage.
Posted by Kristin at 05:11 PM | Comments (0)