THE Weekly Newspaper Volume 37, Number 34 Thursday, September 2, 2021 - The Beacher Weekly Newspaper
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THE
TM
Weekly Newspaper 911 Franklin Street
Michigan City, IN 46360
Volume 37, Number 34 Thursday, September 2, 2021
THE
Page 2 September 2, 2021
911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360
THE
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An Idyllic
Life by Connie Kuzydym
Micky Gallas is photographed by The Beacher’s Bob Wellinski along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Editor’s note — This is the next in an ongoing se-
ries amid this year’s Long Beach centennial anni-
versary highlighting history, individuals and orga-
nizations in the community.
W
hen Long Beach was first established 100
years ago, it was a resort community draw-
ing predominantly from Chicago. Eventu-
ally, the area near Lake Michigan began resonating
with those who wanted to raise their children near
the sand and water. As the years passed, there were
generations of families sprinkled throughout the
beach area.
One such family is the O’Haras. Five generations
have grown up in the beach area.
John O’Hara, grandfather of Micky Gallas, im-
migrated from Belfast, Ireland, to Chicago. During
the week, he traveled the Midwest selling men’s
clothing. He wanted a place where his wife, Flor-
ence, and their three children, Kay, John and Ber-
nard (Barney), were near water and could enjoy the
outdoors. In the early 1930s, their search brought
them to Long Beach, where they purchased a home
at Stop 18.
Following in their parents’ footsteps, the three The pride and joy of Micky’s life: her family. Pictured are
siblings purchased homes in Long Beach. Jordan (from left), Griffin and Bridgette Gallas; Brittany,
Sloane and Sean Gallas; Lydia and Braedan Gallas.
Barney, Micky’s dad, was an Air Force bomber pi-
THE
September 2, 2021 Page 3
lot when he met his future wife, Helen. He spotted
her passing by a huge window in New York, where
he was picking up parts for a plane. E
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“He got halfway down the block and said, ‘I’ll be
right back, I have to go talk to her’,” Micky said.
“He went in, tapped her on the shoulder had a brief
conversation, said he would be back in the area in
another week or two, he would like to take her out.”
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After their second date, Barney proposed. Helen’s
response: “What took you so long?” They were mar-
ried in Michigan City about six months later. Micky
lovingly refers to her parents as spitfires, not sur-
prising as Barney was Irish Catholic and Helen was
French Catholic.
Barney and Helen purchased their first home in
Long Beach. He was a commercial pilot for a brief
time, then was self-employed, selling heavy road
equipment, primarily cranes and tower cranes. Hel-
en was a homemaker who volunteered at the hos-
pital. Eventually, they built a home on a corner lot
at Lake Shore Drive and Stop 21, where Micky and
her brother, Michael, were raised.
Long Beach was an idyllic place for the O’Hara
clan to raise their families. Winters were snowy and
cold, especially when the northern winds blew off
the lake, but summer days more than made up for
winter’s gray skies and temperatures.
The community was predominately full-time res-
idents who watched out for each other’s children,
especially during the summer. According to Micky,
everyone had the same rules. A few people had a
bell. They would ring the bell. If you heard the bell,
it meant everybody go home. When the streetlights
came on, you better be hightailing it home within
seconds, because you lived close enough to get there
quickly.
Helen was the type of mother who had expecta-
tions of help from her children. She also was smart.
Continued on Page 4
THE
Page 4 September 2, 2021
An Idyllic Life Continued from Page 3
baby pool, lap pool and the Roman Plunge, which
had a low and high dive, providing tons of fun for
the town’s youth.
She gave them a choice: They could take all day
to do their chores, or get them done so they could
spend the rest of the day at the beach. Naturally,
living across the street from the lake, Micky and
Michael chose to get their chores done by 10 a.m.
Micky has numerous fond memories of her child-
hood and living by the lake. Her earliest one is play-
ing on the beach. Instead of collecting beach glass,
she loved collecting crinoids, better known as In-
dian Beads.
During the summers, the community stops had
weekly beach parties. At one such gathering, a huge
thunderstorm made its way across the lake. They
stayed on the beach longer than they should have.
She recalls how a neighbor carrying her uncut wa-
termelon home was struck by lightning, which split
the watermelon, but fortunately didn’t cause her
any harm. Ronnie’s, Micky Gallas says, was a fun place in Long Beach. Provided by
Debbie Steele-Semla of the Long Beach Historical Society.
Throughout the years, Micky has seen numerous
sunsets and storms. Many times, her father would Another fun place across the street was Ronnie’s
wake them to watch the storms approach. She has located in the brick building now home to Little
never seen a tornado on the lake, as it deters that Giant Pizza. The town’s “convenience” store had a
kind of storm, but she has seen water spouts swirl- large butcher section where meats were cut fresh.
ing and straight-line wind sheers, which do massive It carried staples such as produce, break, milk and
damage to property and homes. canned goods. In the back was an old-fashioned din-
“We had this huge picture window that faced the er with a counter, seats that twirled and a griddle.
lake,” Micky said. “On the lake side, there was a According to Micky, it is where the best hamburgers
carport and a picket fence, and the fence went down and milkshakes were served. It was an after-school
as the sheer line went right through. The sticks hangout, but also a place to grab a burger with your
were flying and I’m thinking, this is so cool.” mom.
Micky’s parents afforded their
children numerous opportunities
and guided them in a fun, positive
manner. Micky was always tossing
ideas out of things to do. Her dad es-
pecially encouraged her spirit.
“My dad was a girl dad before it
was popular,” Micky said. “He never
influenced me to just be this. His in-
fluence was be all of it…‘What are
you dreaming? OK, you should do
it.’”
She learned the art of persua-
sion. She told her dad she “needed
a horse.” His response was, “You’re
not getting one.” Instead of giving
up, she continued asking for one at
every holiday and on special occa-
The Long Beach Country Club pool, a source of wonderful memories for Micky Gallas. sions such as confirmation.
Provided by Debbie Steele-Semla of the Long Beach Historical Society.
“One day, he blindfolded me and
Another source of enjoyment was Long Beach took me for a ride. My mom was in the car,” Micky
Country Club and its pools. Prior to having chil- said. “He got me a horse. It was the worst horse. My
dren, Barney and Helen were lifeguards at the mom goes, ‘You bought the cheapest horse.’ He goes,
club during the time when Tarzan himself, Johnny ‘pretty much.’ The horse was 17 hands high. It was
Weissmuller, was there training. big and I was little. I had many accidents on that
Micky has fond memories of the old Long Beach horse, but I loved her. Not well-trained, but I had a
Country Club. The community’s beloved pools: a horse.”
THE
September 2, 2021 Page 5
As a child, she benefitted from In her early 20s, Micky worked
her parents’ love of traveling. for her dad while looking for
She was introduced to Florida at teaching jobs.
a young age. They would spend She recalls one particular trip
extended periods there as her to Boston where she was watch-
grandfather moved to Clearwa- ing a crane, owned by her father,
ter Beach and her father’s work being disassembled. Her job was
took them there. She still trav- to make sure all the parts were
els to Florida numerous times loaded onto a barge headed for
throughout the year. Liverpool, England. They kept
Whether it’s Indiana or Flori- wanting to know when her dad
da, she still lives by large bodies was coming. After repeated
of water. questioning, and feeling their
“I love Lake Michigan. I love disdain, she called and told him
the Gulf of Mexico,” Micky said. things were not going well. His
“It doesn’t have to be reading, response: “Too bad, figure it out.”
it could be staring at the wa- Barney gave Micky a great op-
ter, it could be sleeping, it could portunity that day by throwing
be floating, it could be taking a Micky, spending a little beach time with her dog, Tilly. her into a man’s world.
walk. “You don’t know it at the time,
“I think you love what you’re taught and you love but it was a huge gift,” Micky said. “He would be so
what you’ve experienced,” Micky continued. “…I respected by women today, because so many years
was blessed I had such a wonderful childhood.” ago he was all about encouraging you to do what
Her parents were ahead of their time by encour- was right for you. So, when I came up with all these
aging their daughter to expand her horizons. crazy ideas, I want to be a marine biologist…he
Micky started college at Indiana University. After said, yeah, let’s do it or… you should do that. Every
a year, she enrolled at University of South Florida, day, I try to remember what a gift he was.”
graduating with a dual major in marine biology and Her life began to fall into place. She became a
education. Continued on Page 6
THE
Page 6 September 2, 2021
An Idyllic Life Continued from Page 5
She opened Micky Gallas Properties on Aug. 19,
1996, and never looked back.
teacher, married, bought a house, started a family In May 2006, she purchased the building she was
and a real-estate business. renting. She made another major decision in 2018,
She taught from 1980-1995. Her first five years moving her group of 17 brokers under the umbrel-
were at St. Mary’s grade school. She also worked la of @properties, becoming the Indiana Managing
on a master’s degree in teaching from Purdue Uni- Broker for LaPorte and Porter counties. She felt the
versity-North Central. The remainder of her 10- change was necessary to maintain a better pres-
year teaching career was spent teaching science at ence, presentation and system tools for clients.
Elston High School. During that time, she also re- Micky truly enjoys what she does and has no
ceived a master’s in teaching from PNC. plans of retiring. To her, work is not a job. It is some-
While teaching, she began her family. She has thing she loves to do. When she needs a break, she
three sons: Jordan, Sean and Braedan. Two of her heads to Florida for a couple weeks.
sons, Jordan and Braedan, follow in their mother’s Micky has seen many changes in Long Beach
footsteps. Both are licensed, full-time real estate throughout the years. A positive is seeing people
brokers. Both carry on the tradition of living in the discover this area and realize the gem it is. The best
beach area. Sean and his family are close by in In- part of Long Beach for her is the people. Growing
dianapolis. Micky’s granddaughters, Griffin and up, it was all about being neighborly, enjoying life
Sloane, are the icing on the cake. in a calm fashion, caring about your neighbors and
respecting each other.
One of her favorite events is Long Beach’s 4th of
July parade, which she finds so “Norman Rockwell.”
The parade is a tradition for many families, whether
it is an entry in the parade, working as part of Long
Beach Civic Association or as a spectator. The pa-
rade begins the day’s festivities for many residents.
To be on Lake Shore Drive watching the droves of
families — young and old — heading for the town
center leaves one with goosebumps.
“People that come for the very first time cannot
believe how fabulous it is,” Micky said. “They leave
with such a good, warm feeling.”
Having participated as a youngster in the parade
building floats, riding a decorated bike or golf cart,
Micky eventually became a member of Long Beach
Civic Association, which puts on the holiday events.
She can attest to the amount of hard work that goes
Micky, photographed at the christening of Griffin. into this endeavor, from the parade, to the beer gar-
dens, to the fireworks.
This fall, Griffin starts at Notre Dame Elemen-
❑
tary School, following the other O’Haras who went
Micky has achieved a lot in her life. What brings
there.
her the most joy is her family.
The experience of purchasing her first home in
1983 was such a positive and pleasant experience,
Micky realized this was her calling. She taught dur-
ing the week, then worked real estate on nights and
weekends. In 1995, she took a year off from teach-
ing and worked for a local real estate company. That
cemented her decision.
The owner of a building at 2411 St. Lawrence
Ave. in Long Beach reached out to her on July 4,
letting her know a space was available if she want-
ed to open a real-estate office. The catch: She had
overnight to think about it, as there was another
interested party. Micky is photographed with her parents at a college event.
Naturally, Micky sought her dad’s opinion.
“He said, ‘What’s there to think about?’” Micky She speaks fondly of her parents, who were be-
said. “‘You try it, if you don’t like it, you go back and loved in the community. They were married for 63
work for someone else. So, you’re tied to a lease for years. Her mother passed in 2007. Five months lat-
a year. Big deal. Just do it.” er in 2008, at 91, her dad died from a broken heart.
THE
September 2, 2021 Page 7
Her father was very middle of the night picking
involved at Notre Dame out laths and colors and
Catholic Church. Barney leathers...learning ship-
loved boating; Helen loved ping and getting it from
golfing. Eventually, he China to L.A. and trains
picked up golfing. bringing everything here.
Micky’s parents were “It was a masters in in-
the ones who taught their ternational business for
grandsons how to golf. them without being in a
The boys in the summer classroom. They couldn’t
worked for Long Beach have learned what they
Country Club’s pro shop, learned in a classroom.
which worked in her favor I said from Day One, if
as she always knew the there’s any education that
boys were either working comes out of trying this,
Micky, photographed during a fall family celebration.
or playing golf. even if it isn’t the success
Micky attests to being a terrible golfer. that we had hoped it would be, the education would
“I really like work and I really like what I do,” be the success piece. And I think it really was for
Micky said. “If it’s a choice between golfing or work- them at their age to be able to create and build...It
ing, I work.” was exciting.”
One day, though, she headed to the golf course Micky does not know how she developed her busi-
and realized she forgot her golf shoes, so she played ness acumen.
in her wedges. She golfed her best game. That’s the “I used to think, how could my dad want to go to
day she invented a woman’s golf shoe. work instead of the beach, but he had bills to pay,
“I immediately hit the ball better, completely dif- and I now know that he loved his work, and I’m
ferent because you’re putting your weight on the kind of the same,” Micky said.
balls of your feet. You’re over the ball in a much Barney was her biggest cheerleader, and she still
more natural way,” Micky said. “It went off in my seeks his advice.
head that this was something. This was in 2008.” “Even now that he’s gone, I reflect questions that
The housing market had begun to crash that I would ask him,” Micky said. “I sort of wait to see
year, so this was her way of diversifying. She re- how the dust settles, and I feel like he’s helping me
ceived a patent on the design of the shoe, which was process.”
created with help from local artist Laura Sprague. Named Michele from her mother’s French heri-
The shoe was manufactured in China. The first two tage, she was called Micky from her father’s Irish
years were tough, as a lot of money had been spent, heritage.
but there was little income. The shoe did take off, “When you grow up in a small town, that’s what
though. In 2015, she decided the cost of keeping the you go by,” Micky said. “Then name a business in-
effort going was prohibitive, so she stopped produc- volving your name, there’s no getting around it.”
tion and sales of the shoe Micky is a strong, successful businesswoman “by
She still owns the patent, but does not have the the grace of God.”
desire to resurrect it. “I didn’t go to school for business,” Micky said.
“It was really awesome when we did it. It was “When you’re young, I think everything around you
huge as a family. The boys were out of college,” permeates your thought process and who you are. It
Micky said. “They were working with China in the forms you without you even knowing it.”
h h . . . t h e S weet
A h of m m e r
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THE
Page 8 September 2, 2021
Writing Out Loud Returns to Michigan City Public Library
Writing Out Loud returns for its 37rd season, Michael Poore, and daughter, Jianna, in Northwest
kicking off with New York Times best-selling author Indiana.
Angeline Boulley, at Michigan City Public Library, Professor Edward Curtis IV, who speaks Oct.
100 E. Fourth St. 16, is a publicly-engaged scholar of
All programs are at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, with Muslim-American, African-Ameri-
doors opening at 7 p.m. Each program is followed can and Arab-American history and
by a reception hosted by the Friends of the Michi- life. His 13 books have been called
gan City Public Library. “essential,” “exemplary,” “approach-
New Buffalo’s Boulley is an enrolled member of able,” “groundbreaking,” “must-
the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chip- read,” “wonderful” and “a model of
pewas. Her debut novel, Firekeep- clarity.” Publishers Weekly named
er’s Daughter, not only is a New Muslims in America: A Short His-
York Times best-seller, but also will tory (Oxford, 2009) one of the best
be adapted for Netflix by Higher 100 books of 2009. Library Journal
Ground, the Obamas’ production called his two-volume Encyclopedia
company. She writes about her of Muslim-American History one of the “best refer-
Ojibwe community in Michigan’s ence works of 2010.” Recent works include Muslims
Upper Peninsula. She also is a for- of the Heartland: How Syrian Immigrants Made a
mer director of the Office of Indian Home in the American Midwest (New York Univer-
Education at the U.S. Department sity Press) and Arab Indianapolis (Belt Publishing).
of Education. He is William M. and Gail M. Plater chair of the
Janine Harrison, who speaks Sept. 25, wrote the liberal arts and professor of religious studies at the
poetry collection Weight of Silence (Wordpool Press, Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.
2019) and the book If We Were Birds (Locofo Chaps, Eric Zorn, who speaks Nov. 6, is
2017). A travel memoir/guidebook, a former American op-ed columnist
Turning 50 on El Camino de San- and daily blogger for The Chicago
tiago: A Solo Woman’s Travel Ad- Tribune who specialized in local
venture, arrives this year. Her work news and politics. He co-wrote the
has appeared in countless publica- 1990 book Murder of Innocence
tions. She teaches creative writing about Laurie Dann that served as
at Calumet College of St. Joseph, the basis for a 1993 made-for-TV
freelances and serves as a teaching movie. When Alden Global Capital
artist and activist throughout Chi- took control of The Chicago Tribune
cagoland. She was a Highland (Ind.) this past spring, Zorn was among
Poet Laureate, an Indiana Writers’ Consortium the many columnists and other journalists who ac-
president and a poetry reviewer for The Florida cepted a buyout offer. His final column appeared
Review. She lives with her husband, fiction writer June 27.
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THE
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THE
Page 10 September 2, 2021
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September 2, 2021 Page 11
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Page 12 September 2, 2021
Beach Garden Club Brings Art Event to Long Beach
by Kim Nowatzke
Looking for a fun, family- dem with the Long Beach Park
friendly event this weekend that Department, which takes care of
gives back to the community? mowing and watering.
Stop by the Art in the Park on Keenan estimated about 20
Saturday, Sept. 4, at Long Beach local artists will display and
Community Center, 2501 Oriole sell their art at Art in the Park.
Trail. Hours are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Those who attend can learn from
for the art exhibits and 10 a.m.- Master Gardeners or enjoy food
noon for children’s activities. from the South Shore Ovenworks
The inspiration for the event Fresh Wood-Fire Pizza truck be-
came from Sue Keenan, a Beach ginning at 11 a.m.
Garden Club member who sug- Debbie Steele-Semla, founder
gested it as a way to “get people of the Long Beach Historical
into the park and to improve the Museum located in the commu-
community center.” nity center, will have a booth
All proceeds from the event, in with Long Beach information
addition to any donations, will available and various artifacts
benefit the center. Replacement on display. This will include a
doors for the courtyard area are quilt made by Rose Higdon’s
at the top of the wish list, Keenan 1990 sixth-grade class and re-
said. A list of other items in need cently donated by former stu-
will be available at the event. dent Laura Franke Horn. Other
“We, the club, decided to par- items include old Long Beach bus
ticipate, not only to provide the stop signs, information on now
local children entertainment, deceased Long Beach resident
but to connect them to their en- Debbie Steele-Semla displays a quilt made by Rose Frederick Mennen, who devel-
Higdon’s 1990 sixth-grade class and recently donated
vironment,” said Sophia Cole- by former student Laura Franke Horn. The posters will oped Jiffy Pop popcorn, and the
man, another Beach Garden be for sale as well at the event. late famed architect John Lloyd
Club member and chairwoman Photo by Kim Nowatzke. Wright, a former Long Beach res-
for the Curious Kids Art and Nature Trail. ident who not only designed Long Beach Elementary
“We have planned a nature trail, snaking around School (now the community center), but also Lincoln
the artists, where the kids can stop to do bark and Logs. Those who stop by her booth can see a paint-
wood rubbing, make guesses in ‘blind surprise’ feely ing based on when “Good Morning, America” visited
boxes, create portrait selfies in nature frames, draw Long Beach, proof the community center is listed in
and sketch, make pinwheels, listen to stories and the National Register of Historic Places and even a
nature sounds and end with butterfly and bug face- vintage postcard of a past Art in the Park. In addi-
painting,” she continued. “We are giving out a limited tion, Long Beach posters will be available for $20
number of goody collecting bags for the kids to find plus tax. These include many by local artist Con-
special little gifts as they reach each ‘nature station’.” nie Kassal and others used for advertising purposes
All children’s activities are free. from Long Beach Realty Owner Doug Waters.
Coleman said the Garden Club, which began in Keenan says Art in the Park is a great way to end
1933, is comprised of an active group of more than the summer season during Long Beach’s 100th an-
40 members who live in and around the neighbor- niversary celebration this year.
hood. They have been voluntarily keeping up the “We are hoping that it becomes an annual event,”
park near the community center in addition to other she said.
areas in and near Long Beach. They work in tan- (Email sue.keenan@att.net for more details.)
More on a Few of the Artists
Multi-media artist Lauralee Sikorski will display ing on how much time I have available and where
sculptures and paintings at her booth and possibly I hope to share it. I love oil pastel, graphite, India
in the courtyard area. inks and oil-based inks, but I never limit myself to a
“Lately, I have been enjoying getting my hands in particular medium.”
clay and clay-like materials and sculpting,” Sikorski The display will include a group of sculptures
shared. “When I paint, I switch it up a lot depend- made with a clay-based, fiberglass-reinforced, su-THE
September 2, 2021 Page 13
Multi-media artist Lauralee Sikorski works on sculptures for Art in the
Park. Photo by Kim Nowatzke
Photographer Ryan Bolger, seen here in a self-portrait.
per-strong sculpturing medium. Explaining these,
which may find a home in the courtyard area, Sikor- and his friends started the Uptown Arts District
ski said, “I gravitate towards the feminine aspect of and First Fridays events. He formerly owned an art
nature as Mother Nature and mythic figures.” gallery on Franklin Street.
Still at work on the sculptures at press time, “As an artist and also as a big supporter of the
Sikorski said the meditating, contemplative figures arts and local scene over the years, it’s just great to
will emphasis our connection with nature. Probably be part of a local event that is going to put a great
patinated, they also may contain attached moss, shine on something I love so dearly,” he said. “Es-
wood, vines or even small animals. Sikorski said pecially after these past couple years, we all have
she might include decaying wood to symbolize how seen the great importance of what art is and what it
“we go back to the earth when we die.” helps us all to appreciate in life.”
The Connecticut-born Sikorski lives in the Mid- Anyone photographed at the event will receive
west. Her artwork can be found in a group showing one free .jpg, but can order more as prints if they
at the Smithsonian Affiliate Springfield Art Muse- prefer.
um in Springfield, Ohio. After showings in Chicago, “I’ll be photographing people in the park. I’ll have
Northwest Indiana and Michigan, she traveled to a cool big backdrop that will be perfect for portraits
London, where she was juried into a Raw Arts Ex- of individuals, couples and large families...I encour-
hibition at the Candid Arts Center. She continued to age families and couples to dress up. Don your fa-
show abroad in another juried exhibit in Berlin, as vorite threads. It will be first-come first-served…
well as throughout the United States. whomever would like a portrait can get one even
Sikorski also teaches Hatha flow-style yoga class- if it’s a person and their pet. I just want to photo-
es at the community center, a monthly free beach graph as many people of the beach area that I can.
yoga class organized by Long Beach Realty this past It would be great to create a big collection of fine art
summer, as well as a free class pre-COVID at Michi- portraits for everyone.”
gan City Public Library. Bolger’s work has been featured in two recent
Ryan Bolger Apple commercials, TV shows and movies, includ-
Photographer Ryan Bolger will provide portraits ing being personally selected by director Gus Van
at Art in the Park. A local beach-area resident, he Continued on next page
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Page 14 September 2, 2021
Sant to play “the mayor’s photographer” alongside University and Fort Wayne Museum of Art.
Kelsey Grammer in the TV show, “Boss.” He’s pho- Kathi is a self-taught wire weaver.
tographed famous subjects such as Michael Jordan, “I consider my work as unique, one-of-a-kind,
Lebron James, David Beckman and former presi- wearable art,” she said. “I use copper, silver and jew-
dents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, as well as elers brass with precious and semi precious stones,
creating work for NBC, Spike Lee, The Levi Strauss which I purchase direct from lapidary artists who
Co. and the president of Ireland. own mines in the southwest – hence, the stones are
George and Kathi Millet AA and AAA graded stones.”
A husband-wife team from Kouts, George and Kathi has been showing her work in various art
Kathi Millet will participate in Art in the Park. festivals and markets in the area. Her art is repre-
George is a self-taught watercolor artist born and sented by The Courtyard Gallery in New Buffalo,
raised in Chesterton. and she has collections in Lubeznik Center for the
Arts and Chesterton Art Center.
Janet Taylor
Another Art in the Park participant is Janet Tay-
lor, Elmhurst, Ill. A mixed-media artist, she primar-
ily works with oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink and oil
pastel.
“My recent work and the work that will be seen at
the event focuses on a response to the pandemic and
regulating our nervous system through a connec-
tion of movement and artistic mark-making,” Janet
shared. “Over the last year, I have felt this need to
physically move and emotionally connect with na-
George and Kathi Millet. ture to process trauma and connect with something
“Born and raised near the gate of (Indiana) Dunes larger than ‘us’.”
State Park and the Indiana National Lakeshore, I Taylor also is an art educator, teaching high school
take pleasure in the multitude of outdoor activities and higher education. In addition, she teaches Cre-
in the region,” he said. “My love of hiking the hills of ativity and Visual Journaling courses to adults on-
sand dunes, hunting in the fields and bogs, and fish- line and in person.
ing and swimming in streams and lakes throughout Vivian Busch
my life is conveyed in the paintings I create.” Vivian Busch is from Long Beach, and her col-
Especially known for his paintings of birds and lection features her palette knife collection of Lake
dunescapes, he’s won various awards in local and Michigan and others.
regional shows. He’s been part of art fairs in In- “It is a technique using enormous amounts of
diana, Michigan and Illinois. His paintings have color and texture on canvas,” she said. “There are a
been included in individual and group exhibits at variety of sizes available.”
Midwest Museum of American Art, South Bend Mu- She plans to donate the proceeds of one of her
seum of Art, Baurer Museum of Art at Valparaiso paintings to the community center.THE
September 2, 2021 Page 15
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Page 16 September 2, 2021
The Evolution of a Sculptor/Educator
“I actually no longer 5-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3,
use ‘art’ as the framing at Barker Hall at Trinity
device. I think I’m just Episcopal Church, 600
kind of practicing things, Franklin Square.
practicing life, practic- Born in Richmond, Va.,
ing creation.” – Theaster his parents eventually
Gates moved to the suburbs.
That sense of practic- One of his earliest memo-
ing, of creation, of move- ries is of his grandmother.
ment forward through “My maternal grand-
time involves evolution mother had to babysit me
of thought and choice. one night,” he recalled,
Contemporary sculptors “and she pulled me up on
build on life experiences her lap and put a book on
to create objects that it and a piece of paper.
reflect the inner indi- Then, she showed me
vidual — culturally and how to draw a horse. It
spiritually. In contempo- was magic.
rary times, the resulting “So, I thought that was
object(s) might be con- just amazing,” he contin-
structed using unique and ued, “and then I started
varied materials such as doing my own drawings
glass, aluminum, recycled and stuff. I didn’t have
wood or metal, even the kindergarten or pre-
Edwin Shelton’s “Non Duality Drums” (2021).
earth and nature itself. school when I was grow-
Edwin Shelton is such an artist. ing up, and I flunked first grade. School was a little
An individual who has known and understood challenging for me academically, but I would make
his passion to create since his youth in Virginia, extra projects, like art projects, to submit for extra
and who has used that internal dialogue to evolve credit to boost my grade. I got a lot of positive at-
through multiple media, to a unique definition of tention going through middle school and then high
form and space. school. That kind of launched me along.”
The community can experience many of his lat- That determination, to use his talents to succeed,
est works by visiting his “Pop Up Installation” from is the hallmark of a truly creative soul. An indicator
of a relentless vision to learn, experience and grow.
In high school, he considered himself an “art
nerd.”
“I would get permission to skip pep rallies so that
I could get more time to go in the art room to do
stuff,” he said, “because I thought pep rallies were
a big waste.”
Deciding as a youth that art and sculpture would
be his total focus informed his future goals. Conse-
quently, he took his college freshman English class
during his senior year of high school, and applied
for an advanced placement program “that knocked
out the foundation art year for me in about eight
weeks.” Upon completing high school, he enrolled
The
Inquisitive
Artist
Linda Weigel
Edwin Shelton and Laurel Izard.THE
September 2, 2021 Page 17
in Virginia Commonwealth however, had not completed
University with enough her master’s program in ce-
college credits to satisfy ramics. So, he pressed on,
his freshman-year require- starting at VCU in Rich-
ments. Eventually majoring mond until she could rejoin
in sculpture, he finished in him.
just three years. Concurrently, VCU pre-
At VCU, Shelton was in- sented a tempting overseas
troduced to an outstanding opportunity for study in
group of educators: Joe Sie- Paris. To do so would re-
pel, Harold North, Lester quire completing the nec-
Van Winkle, Chuck Renick essary paperwork, then
and Myron Helfgott. awaiting a decision.
“Joe Siepel, in particular, “I just filled it out figur-
was very energetic and ex- ing, what the heck, to see
traordinarily creative, and what would happen,” he
did a lot to boost the entire recalled. “Lo and behold, it
sculpture program at VCU came through.”
while I was there,” he said. Together, Shelton and Iz-
Such a positive experience ard would have the chance
was highly influential. to spend 4½ months in
Shelton moved on to Edwin Shelton, photographed in his 10th Street studio. downtown Paris, except it
graduate school at University of Wisconsin-Madi- would still require money on their part, an estimat-
son. The experience came in stark contrast to VCU. ed $150 a month.
“It was challenging because I didn’t feel I had “We had two nickels to rub together at the time,” he
the support that I had had in Richmond with the said. “So, Laurel, being the amazingly creative per-
professors,” he said. “At one point, I thought about son that she is, put together a ceramic jewelry line. I
dropping out, but I was paying out-of-state-tuition. had an old kiln that we used in my parents’ basement
I just had a Shelton stubborn attack and said to my- and we started cranking out ceramic jewelry.
self, ‘I’m just going to finish this thing out,’ and I’m “There was a craft gallery in Richmond where she
glad I did.” (Laurel) started selling our ceramic jewelry. It took
There is one profes- off. Women were coming in with their dresses to
sor he fondly remem- match the glazes that Laurel was using. In a short
bers: Don Reitz. amount of time, we made enough money to fly to
“He was a ceramic Paris and live there for 4½ months.”
artist creating very This early foray into the commercial world of
large abstract forms,” art marked the beginning of their ceramic jewelry
Shelton said. “He spent business, one that later transitioned into Izwin, a
a good deal of time off joint venture featuring ceramic objects and, later,
campus going to visit whimsical clay forms. They worked collaboratively
other university pro- on that for about 20 years. Eventually, the heat in
grams. He was very Richmond became too much.
energetic, and I was “It gets tropically hot in April,” he said. “We moved
very glad I was able to to the Midwest with family near Woodstock, Ill.”
A whimsical ceramic piece. work with him.” After about a year there, they moved again, this
❑ time to Chicago “to an apartment in uptown where
we remained for eight years with no lease. We set
“My work is like a dialogue between me and un-
up our studio at Will Street Studios and continued
seen powers, like alchemy.” — Cai Guo-Qiang
the clay business that had supported us.
Developing a career after college, and the process
“Eventually,” he continued, “we recognized that
of seeking new avenues, are always a challenge.
the landlord was not going to be around forever, and
Like so many others, for Shelton that meant an
we wanted to buy a house. We surveyed Chicago,
optimistic leap into the unknown and a search for
and our business did not generate enough money to
individual potential, a chance to use his “unseen
support a mortgage in the city.
powers.” He’d met Laurel Izard, a fellow artist and
“Then, we happened to be driving along the inter-
collaborator, and they married. Next, he began look-
state and stopped at an oasis and picked up one of
ing for a university teaching position, which was
those magazines. I realized we could afford a house
rough, “unless you went to really obscure places.”
in Michigan City. We got back to Chicago and called
Fortunately, he was invited back to VCU as an ad-
junct faculty in the sculpture department. Izard, Continued on Page 18THE
Page 18 September 2, 2021
The Evolution… Continued from Page 17
Place Premium Outlets. Shelton ended up part time
at the John G. Blank Center for the Arts on Eighth
Street. While there, he was invited to organize a
up a Realtor and said, we simply want an old special summer camp underwritten by LaPorte
house where we would be able to walk to the South County Solid Waste District. He organized the spe-
Shore train. That was our criteria. She showed us cial camp repurposing objects into art, an effort that
seven houses, and the one we are in today is the won a Governor’s Award in 2003.
one we picked. We’ve now been here 30 years. It’s Eventually, the Blank Center transitioned into
been the best experience being in Michigan City – the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, and another op-
on many levels.” portunity presented itself when Shelton ended up
❑ full time there in charge of exhibits and programs.
“Creativity is the power to reject the past, to change His passion, however, lay not with planning and
the status quo, and to seek new potential…Creativity executing exhibits, but with developing programs.
is the power to act.” – Ai Weiwei He learned a lot during his five years there. Next,
Creativity, indeed, is the pow- he spent some time at the Boys
er to act. It also is the power to & Girls Club, substitute taught
be flexible, to seek out and rec- and developed other projects,
ognize new opportunities and one of which was a before-school
be inspired. Shelton is particu- program for eighth-graders at St.
larly successful in that regard: Stanislaus Kostka School, 1506
tenacious, determined, forward Washington St.
thinking. Meanwhile, Izard was hired
Once situated in their Michi- part time teaching art at Mar-
gan City home, Izard and Shelton quette High School, 306 W. 10th
continued producing clay works St., until she completed her
through Izwin. Regretfully, times teaching license, thus enabling
were morphing economically and her to transition to full-time
culturally. Tastes were changing. work. She went back to graduate
“We moved here, and it was school for a year and a half and
like, I don’t know whether 9/11 received her license.
had anything to do with it, but Shelton continued teaching at
after 9/11 there was this huge St. Stanislaus.
shift,” he said. “Whimsical, color- “So, I provided art class,” he
ful clay did not have appeal, even said. “That led to an opportunity
though we had galleries (repre- to teach part time at Notre Dame
sentation) all over the country. School with the young kids, which
We had sold to Neiman Marcus, was terrific. Then, the principal
Bergdorf Goodman and more. We there a year later set up an op-
had some pretty decent accounts. An untitled mixed-media piece from 2021. portunity for me to teach not only
“But then, all of a sudden, the taste and trends at Notre Dame, but also teach at St. Stans, thus
changed to stoneware,” he continued. “We weren’t equaling a full-time position so I could have health
set up to transition to high-fire stoneware. We kept insurance. That was wonderful!”
going to the New York Gift Show trying to get new Other possibilities arose, but did not pan out.
accounts. We ended up creating a lot of debt trying Eventually, Izard retired from teaching at Mar-
to revive our business.” quette and Shelton took over her position. He’s now
What to do? going into his sixth year there. During all this time,
Shelton had a personal outsider art collection especially since the closing of Izwin and their teach-
that included works by Martin Ramirez, Jim Nutt, ing responsibilities, the two continued developing
Roger Brown and Christine Rambert. Unfortunate- new ideas and artwork.
ly, he had to liquidate his collection to remain sol- During these past few years, Shelton’s Marquette
vent. classroom served double duty as classroom and art
Letting go of the former Izwin joint venture must studio. However, the studio portion was not large
have been painful. enough to allow for bigger projects. The size issue
“It was like the universe was, I think, saying it was temporarily resolved by creating flat/mixed-
had to hit me upside the head with a metaphysical media fiber art panels that could be rolled up dur-
2x4 to say, ‘OK! That was a business. Now is time ing transportation, unrolled and hung for exhibit.
for your next chapter,’” he said. The results were a series of intriguing fiber assem-
That next chapter saw a new potential emerge. blages: stitched, layered, free-form works. His “Two
Laurel began temporarily working at Lighthouse Spirits, Practice the Pause” was completed and ex-THE
September 2, 2021 Page 19
A unique opportunity arose this past July, push-
ing Shelton’s desire to create larger works. He re-
ceived a two-week residency in the Indiana Univer-
sity Northwest Art Department, where he began
experimenting and developing an entirely new body
of large 3-D works, utilizing repurposed objects.
One such work (“Non Duality Drums”) was trans-
formed using an old chair he found in an alley, and
to which he added other items.
“Two Spirits, Namaste,” (2018), made from mixed materials “I saw then a lamp thing that I found in a dump-
hibited in 2019. It is a large work (103x79x2) con- ster and some conduit,” he explained. It was almost
structed of various fibers, stitching and mixed ma- like putting a new skin over the whole sculpture us-
terials. “Two Spirits, Namaste,” executed in 2018, ing fabric with Elmer’s Glue. Then, I wrapped it with
is another mixed-materials work (47x10x3) and an upholstery thread and then applied either spray
especially fine example of his surface and fiber ma- enamel paint or florescent acrylic paint to kind of dis-
nipulations. solve the form and camouflage the whole thing. So,
Creating a new body of work always is exciting, when you look at it, you have to have a kind of little
and getting it out and seen is the next logical step. investigation to find out what it’s made of.”
Shelton’s new fiber art panels needed an audience. He continued.
So, he was in line to show at the Winnetka (Ill.) “For the piece ‘Chimes of Times,’ I was going down
Community House and exhibit at the Evanston (Ill.) Lake Shore Drive and found a busted plastic lawn
Art Center. chair. So, I just threw it in the van,
“The dates weren’t there, but I and the arm was so busted that I
was in the queue,” he said. “And engineered a bunch of conduit and
then, the pandemic showed up and PVC and added that to the struc-
erased those opportunities.” ture,” he said. “Most of this piece
Concurrently, as the pandemic was built before I went to the IU
intensified, school buildings were residency, but I wanted to be sure
locked down, becoming inacces- to have it completed by the end so I
sible. Shelton lost access to his could include it in my popup show
classroom/studio. He regrouped to at Barker Hall on Sept. 3. Thus,
his kitchen table at home, utiliz- I ended up going to the Goodwill
ing his own handmade paper and outlet in Gary to get extra pots
other supplies. As he began exam- and pans and things to jazz it up
ining more closely some of his fiber more.”
pieces, he noted how he’d uncon- Shelton is a practicing artist,
sciously created stitch designs and creating a dialogue while working
patterns on the backside of the creatively, and always moving on
works, which he found intriguing. and moving forward. When size
“I took pictures of the stitch de- limitations meant Shelton had
signs on the back, which then be- to adapt, he did so by creating a
came the basis for drawings,” he whole series of 2-D fiber panel
said. “Then, I would take a little artworks. When the pandemic hit
strip of fabric, wrap it in uphol- and he lost his studio access, he
stery thread and stitch it down to didn’t stop and brood, but instead
the paper.” segued into drawings with stitch-
He explored these ideas for ing on handmade paper. Finally,
about five months. when a new studio was secured, he
Soon, to his delight, he discov- jumped right ahead into realizing
ered an empty studio available his dream of constructing larger
The mixed-media piece 3-D sculptures, works utilizing re-
to rent in the former St. Mary’s “Two Spirits, Traveler” (2019).
School, 326 W. 10th St. The larger purposed, recycled objects much
space would enable him to expand on his sculptur- like the earlier work he did amid summer camp
al dreams to create larger sculptures. Taking into with children.
consideration future transportation needs, he rec- His creativity is the power to act.
ognized the family van had a maximum length of 8’.
With that in mind, he now could break down large
sculptures into 8’ sections for transport to reassem-
ble afterwards.THE
Page 20 September 2, 2021
About the Cover
by Andrew Tallackson
We didn’t give him much in 1967 and later attended
to go on, just to create Chicago Academy of Fine
something for the cover in Arts. In addition to study-
the spirit of Labor Day. ing general art, he took
And what Bill Cava- classes in one of his pas-
lier delivered not only sions: cartooning.
caught us by surprise, but “That has been my plea-
charmed the socks off of sure in life,” he said. “It
us. The longtime Michigan keeps me grounded.”
City Art League member, He has lived in Michigan
and current league board City for 22 years, and has
member, paid tribute to his worked as a graphic artist.
favorite time of the year. He also does freelance car-
Specifically, when monarch tooning.
butterflies emerge from For our Labor Day cov-
their chrysalises, milk- er, Cavalier says he spent
weed plants their perches Bill Cavalier displays his cover for our Labor Day edition. about three to four hours
of choice. Photo by Andrew Tallackson total on it, working in wa-
“I started thinking about tercolor and MicroPen. We
this time of year,” Cavalier said, “and the one thing were so impressed by what he achieved, we asked
I always like is not the sunflowers, but the milk- him to come up with something for our Halloween
weeds, which have been the most fascinating plant edition.
to me. They are beautiful things that carry with He readily agreed.
them these beautiful monarch butterflies.” Why does Cavalier pursue his artistic side? The
Cavalier, who grew up in Gary’s Miller Beach answer is simple.
neighborhood, graduated from Wirt High School “It’s always been about doing what I like,” he said.THE
September 2, 2021 Page 21
Footlight Players Kicks Off New Season With “Steel Magnolias”
Robert Harling’s (Isobelle Sebastian),
beloved comedy- is about to get mar-
drama “Steel Mag- ried.
nolias” kicks off The technical crew
Footlight Players’ includes Declan Rice,
72nd season with Tony and Michael
performances Sept. Thomas, Chris and
3-5 and 9-12 at Foot- Lara West, Joy Da-
light Theatre, 1705 vidson, Jim Milcarek
Franklin St. and Sharon Kienitz.
Directed by Janice Reservations are
Rice, with Bryan Re- strongly suggest-
deagle as assistant ed, and there is no
director, the action is assigned seating.
set in a beauty salon Times are 7:30 p.m.
in Chinquapin, La. Thursday through
Helped by her new Saturday and 2 p.m.
assistant, Annelle Sunday. Tickets are
(Maggie Gowan), $15, or $10 for chil-
who’s not sure if The Footlight Players cast of “Steel Magnolias” includes (from left) Sherry Ver Wey dren 12 and young-
she’s still married, (seated), Maggie Gowan, Dee Piotrowski, Isobelle Sebastian (seated), Kathy Chase er and Thursdays
and Laura Meyer (both seated).
the wisecracking shows. Make reser-
Truvy (Dee Piotrowski) dispenses shampoos and vations by phone at (219) 874-4035, in person at the
free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ou- box office or online at www.FootlightPlayers.org,
iser (Laura Meyer), an eccentric millionaire, Miss then click the “Reservations” box. Doors open 45
Clairee (Kathy Chase), and the local social leader, minutes before curtain, and reservations are held
M’Lynn (Sherry VerWey), whose daughter, Shelby until 15 minutes before shows start.
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Page 22 September 2, 2021
The Center of the Cinnamon Roll
When the news broke that the Delta variant was
chiseling away at the efficacy of each COVID-19
vaccine, that we would soon need a booster, I sat riv-
eted in front of the TV. I puzzled how this could be This Girl,
happening so soon after normal activities resumed.
And as I listened to wave after wave of news an-
That Life
chors validate the startling findings, I squirmed. Julie McGue
Thoughts of a redo – resuming the worn-out pan-
demic routine of uncomfortable masks, social-dis-
tancing, isolation and virtual contact – didn’t just my husband. When they opened the white Styro-
usher in disappointment. I found the news deflat- foam containers, an aroma of toasted bread and
ing. It was as if someone had pierced all the party sugary sweetness consumed our area. If the airline
balloons and banned fun forever. I suspect many attendant hadn’t chosen that moment to issue the
shared this doomsday reaction, too. first boarding call, I would have closed my eyes and
Several years ago, before federal laws mandated savored the scent of warm cinnamon.
all travelers don face masks for air travel, my hus- Instead, I said, “Hurry up. Eat.”
band and I were switching planes in the Minneapo- My words were rewarded with frowns and eye-
rolls. From experience, I knew my children consid-
lis airport with our four kids. Because we had flown
er eating a cinnamon roll a serious endeavor. It is
out of the Chicago area at dawn, breakfast was slim
an act of reverence. First, they devour the crispy,
or nonexistent. My husband handed the kids each
brown edges of the bun, then they work their way to
some money. “Grab some breakfast. Hurry back.
the gooey middle drenched in cinnamon and warm
Our next flight boards soon.”
vanilla frosting. Saved for last, the delectable cen-
Our oldest daughter, who was a teenager at the
ter usually is devoured in one big bite.
time, trotted off with her youngest sister in tow in
I rose from my seat, strapped on my backpack
search of a greasy breakfast sandwich. The two
and pulled our boarding passes from my purse. My
middle kids followed the sugary scent of hot cinna-
husband nodded at me, then considered the kids’
mon rolls down the moving walkway. My husband
poky efforts with their cinnamon rolls. I don’t know
and I huddled at the connecting gate, enjoying a
if he meant to speed up their breakfast or if the sight
quiet cup of hot coffee. I was less concerned about
of the bun’s savory center was too much to take. He
my rumbling gut as I was the four of them return-
grabbed a fork, leaned over and snagged the prized
ing in time to make the next flight.
middle from my son’s breakfast bun.
My “bookend” daughters returned first and nes- The entire family gasped.
tled into seats beside me. The eldest handed my The expression on my son’s face was one of dis-
husband a hot egg and cheese sandwich. I peeked at belief and profound disappointment. His stricken
my watch, then at the airline attendant. She stud- look contrasted with my husband’s smacking lips.
ied a computer console and held a microphone in one All this confusion was set to the background refrain
hand as if an announcement was imminent. With of the airline attendant proclaiming, “Boarding all
our 10- and 12-year-olds nowhere in sight, I stood rows, now, for the flight to Bozeman.”
and craned my neck in each direction. My heart took Before I could chastise my husband for snatching
off in a gallop. I knew if we missed our flight, there food from a child’s mouth, he gave my son a stern
wasn’t another one until later that night. To my look: “Get over it, son. It’s time to board the plane.
husband, I muttered, “I’m going to look for the kids.” There are more cinnamon rolls in your future.”
The words no sooner formed than the tardy pair As I think of this family anecdote and juxtapose
emerged from the throng of passengers flooding an it against the latest pandemic wrinkle, this recent
adjacent gate. setback is not unlike having the center of the cin-
“You were gone a long time,” I scolded. namon roll stolen away. The initial shock is mad-
The twosome ignored me and plopped down by dening. The loss is deflating. Regrouping is a given.
Indeed, there are more cinnamon rolls to be had.
Normalcy will return. It’s just a matter of when.
SPACE PLANNING
Reaching that milestone entails stretching our pa-
FURNISHING
DECORATING tience once again. I suppose one bonus is that we
SINCE 1991 are better at delaying gratification than ever before.
There is plenty to be concerned about, but a tiny,
HM\SSZLY]PJLLJVJVUZJPV\ZKLZPNUÄYT new worry is niggling in the corner of my mind. I
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• 9143 northern IN • southwest MI • metro Chicago hope the cinnamon roll franchise will not be anoth-
nplhinc.com LAWRENCE ZIMMER er business that meets its demise due to COVID.
Hang in there, neighbors and friends.You can also read
