Wandawega Blog Archive

Typography study of Wandawega ( Part No.2 )Camp is a compilation of nearly a century of hand painted, letterpressed, Carved, cast and stamped signs- in every corner and on every surface. Most folks dont notice this.But those who are also type nerds see our obsession showing ;)….two of these by @chesperry of @rightwaysigns

July 31, 2024 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

How to spot the real deal.Look for the brush strokes.I grew up with a sign painter mom. From junior high on, I learned the ropes from her, lettering everything from pickup truck doors to store windows in our rural hometown.By the rime I graduated HS I learned enough to talk my way into a job at $6.50 an hour at Weatherford Signs in Carbondale, Illinois (to help pay my way through college).Now shuttered, the shop was one of the best in the midwest, and was consideredsign school at the time.It was at the end of a gravel road in Southern Illinois. Working there, you got the chance to learn from masters of the brush, including Larry Weatherford.He taught us how to cut masks for sandblasting.How to drape chains in the back of the truck on the neon, how to install billboards out of a cherry picker. But mostly, how to hand-letter with a can of One Shot and a good brush. We did everything from gold leaf to building sized murals (in all weather).Looking back it was the hardest and most fun job I ever had. (Until now).My main mentor was 80+ year old dude named Jimmy. Hed been a sign painter his entire life, and was one of the most talented men Id ever known.I was slinging brushes there until I hit 21, graduated, and moved up north to try to get a job as a graphic designer.I miss sign paining & painters. The smell of the paint once you crack the skin.Its a rare art and why we work exclusively at camp with the master himself – @chesperry at @rightwaysigns. Like Larry and Jimmy, Ches is a master at his craft, having painted for over 50 years. We have so much love and respect for those who keep this art alive.Next time youre at camp – look close for the brushstrokes.Talent always leaves its mark.

July 25, 2024 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

THE ROPESWING.In our early days, its was in constant swing.the rope is still up, holding strong. Andit will still launch you out into another universe.But all good things must come to an end.(or so says our insurance company)turns out that you can never buy enough insurance for those who think they can do a Mountain Dew and still have the upper body strength of their Youth.so to protect campers from themselves, we have to keep it chained up now.(but for those who remember getting heaved into the sky, it was a good time)shots here from when @parents came to camp to do a feature on our annual kids weekend. all manner of field sports from three legged races, to tug of war. bonfires, fireworks, weiner roasts… and nobody got hurt. once in a while we break it out, just to remember the swoosh of jumping off the hill.and just like that, were kids again..Photos by @kathryngamblephoto & @jane.goodrich

July 24, 2024 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

Q: Is it too hot to sauna on a Wisconsin July tuesday??(We got the camp cedar hot box custom made in Canada. Shipped here in a million boxes. And assembled it like a ginormous Lego kit on our hillside)Shared by @bobcoscarelli @erikengstromphoto @iamcraigsteven

July 23, 2024 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

Our new friend (and old crush) Ben of @folkmagazine paid us a visit a couple weeks ago.It was his first time here – were always anxious with first timers (cause this place is never as shiny / styled / ready as Instagram pretends it is).The IRL version is way more faded, weedy, & needy than you can imagine. So many spots are still very Blair Witch-y. Its why we push the M.L.E. so hard (Manifesto of Low Expectations).But then people like Ben show up and point their lens at some of the other stuff (the people in & around all the chipping / sagging / rusting ).And it reminds us that Leonard Cohen knew what hes talking about – There is a crack, a crack, in everything. Thats how the light gets in.But at the end of the day (or at the end of our 99th year) what matters are the people we share this joint with. And for that perspective, were grateful to Ben (and other creatives, & campers) who help us see our broken-ness in a different light.As we approach the century mark next year its good to see so many fresh crops of younger campers with an appreciation for preserving history, too. Or it could just be the free Hamms & Schlitz. We dont mind either way.

July 20, 2024 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

This year marked TEN years that weve been hosting our friends at @studiogang.We are inspired by them more every year. What started as campers from their Chicago base has grown to Paris, New York, San Francisco.Its been inspiring to watch them create new buildings that move people. From the Museum of Natural History in NYC to the new Ohare Global terminal- (to our familys little forever home on our shoe string budget 15 years ago) Big or small, they treat each project and each other with a respect & compassion that is uncommon. And- they know how to have a helluva good time on their time off. If there ever was a bar for creating actual culture and camaraderie within a company, this is it. (Sharing the story they posted in full here, cause they summarize it better than we can)

July 19, 2024 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

Hi.our annual this is us (proof of life) post.Just carrying a log to nowhere.Not weird at all. We do a good bit of hauling dirty things around here (just not usually with a camera pointing anywhere near us)Because real work is not cute, its more like last Sundays 94 degrees in the shade with what felt like 100 percent humidity and every possible bug sticking to you. (This was fake work- wed already built that bonfire the day before)Our backstory is up in highlights But the shot is from time that @airbnb showed up with a 15 person crew to create a brand campaign called how to host- sharing stories about real people making real businesses, bonfires and messes. (Tereasa and David here) Nice to meet you) Were the proprietors of this mom & pop. We have a very small team of local help, friends, Neighbors, Seasonal & part time staff that do a lot of the heavy lifting with (and for) us. And for that, we are damn grateful.If you come to camp, just look for the two running around like chickens – we may ask you to pick up the other end of a picnic table or whatever were moving at the time. Because we never stop moving.Youll probably find us doing this until we lose our minds or knees- (whichever comes first) hopefully that day doesnt come for a long time. Because as my dad used to say, Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work his name was Tom – he was a mechanic, truck driver and mason(and he loved to quote his favorite Tom- Mr. Edison)..Other pics by our friend @bennett_young

July 18, 2024 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram