out on the rocks

   In June, the summer of 1948, a handful of art students from East Lansing were spread out over the village.

Sally Chadwick was working on a watercolor of the Leland city post office. It was all sparkly. But it wasn't going the way she wanted. Just her luck, the roaming paint instructor showed up. What to do? Ralf Henriksen stood quietly beside her, taking in every detail. Finally he pointed and said, "That's a nice sign there." The placard on the building in her watercolor drew his compliment.

The summer program had been just like that. There was lots of work to be sure. But when they all met at the end of the day, the instructor from East Lansing was there to make comments, maybe a suggestion or two. He appreciated all their effort, their willingness to go after it, their fortitude to push themselves. Growth had its own reward.

   Michigan State had an art school in Leland.
The six week program was held in the summertime.  
When Sally heard about it she talked with her mother, who said she could go. The next school year she would graduate, and she wanted to take part before she did. She told her sorority sister and fellow classmate, Helen Galoff, about the painting class, and asked if she was going. Helen told her parents about it, and found out she could go as well. 

Sally had known her friend from the big high school both went to in Detroit, and kept bumping into each other when they had art classes at Michigan State. Since she had no car of her own, Sally's parents drove the two of them up and got the lodging settled. Meals were provided through the college like usual. Fees were paid with the tuition, and students received lunch and dinner meals at the Blue Bird in Leland. On the map, Leland was on the upper northwest peninsula in Leelanau County. A five hour drive from the city of Detroit.

     It was one day, when they were out doing their assignments, that they noticed
someone out on the breaker rocks that lined the Leland cove. Out, beyond the end of the long wooden pier. Out on the big white rocks, somebody was sitting. All quiet. Focused on painting. He wore a light rimmed hat. He had his shirt off. He had a deep tan. He looked good. He kept on working. He wasn't with their class. Who was this mysterious person?

       The second day they noticed him, he was painting closer to the shore, at a location closer to the group.  They saw him walk by. Little by little they got to know him. He made them laugh. He was older than the guys in the class. He was right out of the service. He was an itinerant painter. They called him Reiny.  
 

                            #         #         #         #


(Drawings of students by Sally Chadwick Mc Kenzie, photos of Fish Town and students beside MSU art exhibit sign, photo of Reiny seated, courtesy of the artist, Harbor Springs, Michigan.)

(Photo of Ralf Henrikson with student, courtesy of Michigan State University, Department of Art and Art History, and Leelaneau Community Cultural Center, www.oldartbuilding.com, accessed March 4, 2015)

(Story by Karl Marxhausen, copyright 2015. Narrative was based on conversations with Ms. Mckenzie in February and March 2015)