Four months had passed and it was now January of 1969. I was into the swing of things at the glass studio and had learned the rudiments of blowing glass. I continued to struggle with developing the basic techniques of blowing basic forms. It was a frustrating struggle to say the least. While Harvey and the U. of Wisconsin provided the glass studio there was no one to demonstrate and teach us the basics of glass blowing. We really taught each other. The studio was crude and the glass was very stiff but we managed and enjoyed our struggles. I was finishing my assistantship with Harvey and handed the reins over to Dan Schwoerer who now became Harvey’s assistant. It seemed Harvey needed someone that could run a metal lathe and I did not have that skill but Dan did and so Harvey booted me from my assistantship and Dan replaced me. I should mention Dan is the same person that became the founder of the Bullseye Glass Co. along with Ray Alghren and Boyce Lundstrom but that’s another story.

Sometime during December of 68 Harvey asked if I would take the pieces that Erwin Eisch had made at the Madison studio in 1967 to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion SD for an exhibition of his work. Never one to turn down a road trip I agreed and asked if it was okay if Mike Kraatz, another glass student, could come along. Harvey was more than happy to let Mike go with me. It also happened that the ceramic teacher at the U. of SD inquired of Harvey if we could also present a glass blowing workshop at the University. Unknown to me Harvey agreed and told me that not only was I going to deliver Erwin’s work for the exhibition but Mike and I would present a workshop and we would also have to build a glass furnace as well as a glass blowers bench. Never one to turn down a challenge I agreed. It should be noted that I had only been blowing glass for about 4 months. I did know how to build a day tank and install a burner but not all that much about blowing glass but I knew enough that I felt confident that Mike and I could present a decent workshop. I notified the prof. in Vermillion that I would need them to provide the bricks and other pieces and parts in order to build a glass furnace. We brought the JM475 marbles for blowing. An annealer was out of the question. I also told them that I would bring a schematic of a glass blowers bench that they could easily build when we arrived. They agreed and we were all set. So early in January Mike and I loaded up my black Valiant Station wagon with Erwin’s work. We were ready for our road trip to Vermillion, SD a distance of about 450 miles.

I don’t remember much about the drive to Vermillion but I do remember it was very cold and it would be a long drive.

We made the trip in one day. We arrived at the University and eventually located the museum where we were to drop off Erwin’s work. After dropping off Erwin’s work we headed for the ceramic department where our “workshop” was to take place. We found it and introduced ourselves to the prof. who was a young guy and all excited about the workshop. Unfortunately his name is lost to history. There in a small room were all the bricks and angle iron I would need to construct a small glass furnace. After a good nights sleep we set to work and built the furnace, set the burner and hooked it up to their propane tank. We had hot glass in less than 24 hours. There it was, my first furnace build, and I was ready along with Mike for our first workshop. Through my life in glass there would be many more workshops and any number of furnace builds.

The students showed up and Mike and I spent the day doing our demo of mugs, jugs and bowls while the students watched. I have to say if it was exciting for the students it was just as exciting for us. The demo went off without a hitch. It’s too bad there was no annealing oven as I would love to have seen what we made over those two or three days. The pictures below should give you an idea of what this workshop looked like. I’m glad I had my camera with me to document the event.

As an aside I should tell you that Vermillion SD is home to the Plains Indians and it was the first time I saw a real live Native American, not one of those Hollywood stand ins but a real American Indian. One doesn’t get to see native Americans back in the Bronx where I grew up. The reason I bring it up is that to this day, 54 years later, seeing him standing there among the other students still stands out in my mind. I knew then why we were referred to as "pale face".

The workshop ended and it was time to return to Madison. It was January 12, 1969. You ask how is it I remember the exact date we started our trip back to Madison, WI? It’s not that I remembered the date but I do remember it was Super Bowl Sunday and the Jets were playing the Baltimore Colts, Super Bowl III. A quick search on the internet gave me the date. Mike and I were anxious to see the game and so we decided we would stop at every turn off and find a local bar and at least watch snatches of the game. That was the plan but little did we know that a giant snowstorm would erupt and we would be driving directly into a white out or the white out directly into us. There we were driving along and suddenly we could not see the road or anything for that matter. To make it even worse my black Valiant hit an ice patch and we slid off the highway and into a giant snow bank. It was a soft landing and my car was unharmed. We were stuck in a snowbank on the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere and no car, gas station, house or anything in sight. We were stuck unable to move. It was, to say the least, panic time. No Super Bowl for us. Time passed and eventually the snow stopped and the weather cleared. We must have sat there for and hour or so wondering how the hell were we going to get out of this situation when a truck appeared and we stood there wildly waving our arms hoping he would stop. The truck stopped and out stepped this skinny guy and he looked at us and our car. As I recall he did not have any shoes on. He told us he was delivering bags of mail to the regional post office. He went around to the back of his truck and he appeared with a shovel. He chopped away the ice and snow and to make a long story short got us back onto the highway. I offered him money but he refused to take anything. He got back into his truck and went on his way. Our trip home resumed. Well, we did stop at various bars and did get to see bits and pieces of Super Bowl III and almost watch Joe Namath upset the Colts. As I said it’s now 54 years later and that trip with Mike Kraatz to and from Vermillion SD is as vivid today as when it happened.

After writing this piece I wondered how Mike was doing and I called him at his home in New Hampshire so we could talk over old times. I haven’t seen or spoken to Mike in many years He wasn’t home but his wife Susan told me he had a part time job at the local hardware store and I should call in the evening between 6 and 8 when he got home from work. I will do that.

It’s 7:45 pm and I just got off the phone with Mike and we had a trip down memory lane conversation. Mike is still making art and doing some teaching. It was so great to hear his voice and catch up with him. We shared many memories of our travels together. I wished I lived close to those old friends that I share adventure memories with. C’est la vie.


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Pictures of the S. Dakota workshop. Me posing with the furnace, blowing something, Mike Kraatz assisting me, and finally me being cool. I have no idea why I was wearing the Beatles style cap. I loved that cap but it disappeared years ago.