Updates
We completed a schematic site design for the loafing shed project, which uses the entire field that is between the Dahmen Barn and the highway. The final plan shows a new driveway that connects directly with the highway and provides much needed parking, even for the tour busses that bring people to the art center. We need to be meeting with the Town’s Planning Commission to get their permission for the driveway, and are hoping for a good outcome. Currently there are two turns off the highway that connect to the Barn, but it is not a straight shot. The new driveway will get the attention of drivers.

We are having weekly meetings with the architects and are moving right along. Designing a building by committee is quite the challenge, but with the technology the architect now has available, they can show us alternative building forms and styles in 3D, juxtaposed to our historic barn. Our primary requirement is the new building should look like indigenous rural architecture and be subordinate to the Barn, a tall order since the new building will have a larger footprint than the Dahmen Barn.

Recent Wins
“Artisans at the Dahmen Barn” is in its second year of providing creativity experiences to the students at the small, rural, local K-12 school. The first year was done with a grant, and this year is being continued with funds raised from the community. We have been scheduling classes with practicing local artists from the area. This year we have been pleased that a teacher has requested two art experiences from us—reverse glass painting with which the two Spanish classes celebrated the Day of the Dead holiday in late October, and a spring class where English students studying Romeo and Juliet will make Papier Mache’ character masks. We now feel at home working with the school’s art program and feel we have been accepted.

The ornament project that the local school students did for the State of Washington tree in the National Park Service’s display in Washington DC went well. The park service provided 24 clear Plexiglas balls that opened, and our students were to embellish them with themes from our state. They were beautiful and should be in DC by now .We appreciate the Director of the Washington State Arts Commission for selecting Artisans at the Dahmen Barn to work with local students on the State project.

We had an excellent meeting with a local restaurant owner who has been mentoring the development of our teaching kitchen for our new culinary arts program. He is a wealth of information so has saved us a lot of time.

The metal cow sculpture near the Barn is drawing lots of attention. People drive in to take photos of their friends and family with Wheeletta Wholesteele.