Back in the late 1960's and early 1970's, several young artists and craftspeople discovered the Lake Pepin area. Drawn to the inspiring beauty of the lake, bluffs, woods, and wildlife, many decided to stay and make their homes here. Housing prices were cheap, especially compared to the prices in the Twin Cities. Stunned by the prices and excited about living near fellow artists, some wrote out a check for the down payment without further thought.
To describe the houses that many of them bought as fixer-uppers would be putting it mildly. They were the ultimate fixer-uppers. Often the houses had not been used for many years and were in disrepair. They had no indoor plumbing, electricity, or central heating. One writer tells how her first night in the house she found that she was sharing the place with several wild creatures who had been living there for a while.
These artists didn't give up. They slowly fixed up the houses, created their works, and raised their families. They built a community of artists who have made the area renowned. Recently, they remodeled the Stockholm Opera Hall into Widespot Performing Arts Center and are offering opportunities for you to share in the artistic experience. This Saturday Widespot with the Great Shakespeare Festival is conducting Shakespeare Language workshop at 2:30, a Stage Combat workshop at 1:00, and a “Shakes on the Lake,” an evening performance celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday, at 7:00 p.m. Find out more about these at widespotperformingarts.org.
WISCONSIN
