Mike VanArk on Ox-Bow 1958-1962
Name/Title
Mike VanArk on Ox-Bow 1958-1962Entry/Object ID
2024.41.205Scope and Content
Mike Van Ark- Ox-Bow Business Manager 1958-1962 March 1, 2010 in the Old School House Mike Van Ark, age 83 on this date, dropped by the SDHS Tech Center to bring us a large box of slides taken of both his collection of vintage postcards covering the Saugatuck Douglas area and of early Ox Bow scenes. While with us he was willing to sit down with Mary Voss, Jack Sheridan and Ken Kutzel, who were on hand with questions, to talk about his 1958-62 stint as the business manager of Ox Bow. Mike, a Holland school teacher, worked for five years for $1800/ summer doing "everything that did not pertain to art" at the center. Those were hard financial times and he was always busy finding food, art supplies and building materials to keep the operation going. His recollection of other staff, select students and his continual fear of running out of money makes a great story. The resulting video turned out to be a good oral history of life, personalities and lifestyle at summer Ox Bow for 5 seasons.Collection
1910 Ox-BowCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2024.41Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionCredit Line
To view this recording, scroll down to the bottom of this entry and click the blue web link. This video was created by Saugatuck-Douglas History Center volunteers or was donated to the Center in a good faith effort to preserve local history. If you feel this content should not be available to the public — or have additional information that will add context to this interview — please contact the SDHC Archives at archives@mysdhistory.org.Oral History Details
Interviewee
Van Ark, "Mike" MyronInterviewer
Shack, John, Voss, Mary, Sheridan, John "Jack" O. 1938-, Kutzel, KenInterview Date
Mar 1, 2010Length of Interview
45Location
Oral History DVD/CDs
AWS/VidArch SSD/DVD originals drawer