Wickerson Studios is a 'state' created from the clay of the earth and the timber of the fallen trees. Two structures have emerged from their foundations: a bathhouse and a foundry.
The bathhouse digs deep into the earth and boils rainwater into the air. It is a place for the mind and soul and constantly resists the term, dwelling. Gardens grow both inside and out and animals nest in its branches and twigs. No work will be done in this place. It is a place for well-deserved rest, relaxation and healing.
The foundry is the laboratory. Raised and rammed from the dead trees and surrounding mud. This building houses the equipment required to cast liquid iron and bronze and the machines capable of manipulating and transforming cold steel. Traditional lost wax castings find their forms within this earthwork and the artist's endurance and strength are tested within its walls.
Sunlight is the only light that is ever provided. The winds and rains penetrate the privacy of these two special places. Everything is seasonal. The summer sun exhausts and the winter chill bites. It is easy to feel alive in this place.
-Michael Wickerson, Winter 2011
Formerly known as Beth Allison Gallery, Wickerson Studios reorganized itself on 11 wooded acres in the rolling hills of Kansas City, Kansas. It houses two adobe and rammed earth buildings, an anagama kiln, has hosted visiting artists, gallery exhibitions, and many iron casting performances over the past two years; and is currently fabricating architectural metal castings.
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