Mike VanArk on Ox-Bow 1958-1962

Oral History

Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society

Name/Title

Mike VanArk on Ox-Bow 1958-1962

Entry/Object ID

2024.41.205

Scope 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-Bow

Cataloged By

Winthers, Sally

Acquisition

Accession

2024.41

Acquisition Method

Found in Collection

Credit 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" Myron

Interviewer

Shack, John, Voss, Mary, Sheridan, John "Jack" O. 1938-, Kutzel, Ken

Interview Date

Mar 1, 2010

Length of Interview

Location

Oral History DVD/CDs

AWS/VidArch SSD/DVD originals

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Ox-Bow/Summer School of Art

Web Links and URLs

https://sdhc-collections.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/videos/205-VanArkMike-OxBow.mp4, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39qbeOUiNPs

General Notes

Note

YouTube summary (generated by AI): Nov 4, 2025 SAUGATUCK Mike Van Ark (b.1929) was interviewed on March 1, 2010, by John Shack, Mary Voss, Jack Sheridan, and Ken Kutzel Mike Van Ark was hired as business manager at Ox-Bow in 1957, during a period of transition as the organization shifted focus from fine art to crafts. He faced financial challenges, including a lack of funds and the need to reorganize the corporation as a nonprofit. Mike managed various aspects of Ox-Bow, including facilities, food service, and student accommodations, often improvising solutions due to limited resources. Van Ark highlights the diverse personalities and roles of the people involved. He mentions the hotel register, the responsibilities of the board president, and the various cottages built by different individuals. The speaker also shares memories of Mary Kay, the caretaker, and Gene, who was always adorned with jewelry. Mike discusses the history of the school and the evolution of its buildings. He recalls the contributions of instructors like Bill Brinka, Leroy Neiman, and Burr Tilstrom, and mentions the tradition of burying objects at the end of each year. The conversation also touches on the ongoing efforts to document Ox-Bow’s history. Facing financial challenges, the school relied on sales of artwork. A geodesic dome, built for studio space, was a temporary solution due to financial constraints. The school offered sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and painting, with a focus on landscape and figure work. The school has since expanded its facilities and now has a full-time director, with funding playing a significant role in its operations.

Create Date

November 9, 2024

Update Date

November 7, 2025