Wandawega Blog Archive
The Wander Boys Presents
We had the immeasurable pleasure of hosting The Wander Boys. Weekend recovery starts now. (These boys know how to throw a party) . 🌈💄⛺️💪🏼🚒🔥🥂 . We ❤️ @wanderboyspresents Courtesy of Tino DeMartino: Dear Camp Wandawega, Hope you haven’t gotten sick of hearing from us. We knew we’d have an amazing time, we just didn’t know that you’d wow us quite so hard. You say you stick to simple and modest while we tend to go elaborate and over the top. There is, however, one thing we’ll always have in common: we’re both true to who we are. We celebrate and honor your commitment to authenticity…
New Issue of Flea Market Style
The new fall issue of one of our favorite magazines we contribute to just hit the stands. (Flea Market Style) Every time we shoot a feature, it results in over-buying for the styling …and we end up with an overflow of props, antiques— so now our camp prop room is overflowing & we want to give some lovely camp antiques a good home. So to make room (#JustifyNextFleaMarketTrip) we’re giving away a bunch of the antiques shot for the story. 10 OF THE ANTIQUES INSIDE THE BASKET: * 1950’s picnic caddy (picnic shot) * antique metal thermos (used for a…
The Treehouse made a Belgium coffee table book!
Can anyone translate German? (we never thought we’d see this) A Belgium coffee table book “BAUM HAUSER” just showed up in the camp mailbox this morning, with a little chapter of our treehouse in it 😊 Many folks don’t know why our treehouse is called ‘Toms’.The Daily Mail summarized it pretty succinctly : (link on profile) Excerpt: “Camp owner builds three-story treehouse in memory of her father, who christened the camp by hanging a swing on that very tree just before his death” It was a nice surprise to see the story of what he inspired show up in far…
National Wedding of the Year
This elaborate, days-long wedding celebration at Camp Wandawega won the national ‘Wedding of the Year’ award” Congratulations to the beautiful couple! . Read more about it here.
The Most Important Thank You Note – Lake Affect Chicago
The most important thank you note a guest has ever left for us. Do you remember the first time that you… caught a fish, frog or firefly? Jumped off a dock into a lake? Roasted a marshmallow on a campfire? The basic ’rite of passage’ summer camp kid things that we all take for granted- are foreign concepts for lots of kids who live in so many of our Chicago neighborhoods. This past week we hosted ABC anchor @TanjaBabich to launch her new initiative: . . In partnership with Kerry Wood’s @woodfamilyfoundation, they gave a diverse group of amazing urban kids the chance to…
THE GANG EVERYONE WANTS TO JOIN..Every company claims they have community – that their office is like a family. And there are those rare companies – and leaders of those companies – who really do reach that point by the actions they take. Imagine having a boss who:Doesnt just write the article for FORBES spearheading womens pay equality, but challenges an entire global industry to do so.Imagine having a boss who (Alongside the Pope, Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga) is deemed a Titan in Times 100 Most Influential People of 2019.Imagine having a boss who not only earned the highest commission in history for a female architect, but also designed the tallest building ever designed by a woman. Now imagine having a boss who greets you with a hug, cracks a beer with you at a campfire, and remains humble in spite of her success. We host a lot of creative retreats for companies. But this boss lady sets the example for ALL.Be kind.Be generous of spirit.Be the catalyst for change.Create for cause.Innovate.Be the example of inspiration, work ethic and selflessness -and people will flock to you.Each summer the Studio heads to Elkhorn, Wisconsins Camp Wandawega for camping and camaraderie. A Studio Gang tradition since 2012, our annual retreat features special guests who lead us in activities ranging from foraging to drum-making to star-gazing. We are proud to call her a friend. And honored to host her incredible work family.This year, in addition to her Chicago crew, she flew in her whole gang from Paris, New York, and San Fran. .The juxtaposition of having the people who create some of the most beautiful buildings in the world stay in a dirty old summer camp is not lost on us. It takes a special sorta boss to be willing to subject your team to this. And it takes a certain type of employee who are not just game for it – but fully embrace it.What makes this gang special is their complete lack of pretense. Weve witnessed the growth of this family from 25 to a global army of 130- and congratulate them all on their latest win- to design the new Ohare terminal. It couldnt have been awarded to a more talented and dedicated family..
We make a living by what we get.- but we make a life by what we give. – W.C. ..We read this on a park bench once and took it as a sign. (To start making more life here at camp)So we decided to start opening the gates to artists who are creating art with the purpose of giving back.We just hosted our inaugural Artists in Residency group – and are so happy for their success. Thank you to the inspiring artists who spent time here to workshop their project :@sarahsandman@nikkijuen_soofficialrightnowWe couldnt think of a more deserving group with a more deserving cause- that celebrates the joy of coexistence over the divisiveness of border walls. After all, What divides also brings together. .#// details on their vision, mission and launch date coming soon // .First photo by @burtsbrisplease With few behind the scenes pics from Nikki.#pdacollective#elpaso #texas #ciudadjuarez #juarez #mexico #caminoreal #sierramadres #tierraadentro
6 scenic lakeside retreats perfect for warm weatherthanks, @Curbed for the shout-out (the Artsy A-frame in Sawyer, Michigan – # 3 on your list – is on our bucket list) #curbedchicago excerpt:”Camp Wandawega started out as a speakeasy, and eventually fell into the hands of the current owners, who have worked to restore the old cabins, houses and bunks on site. The 1920s bunkhouse is ideal for big groups, especially with so much to do around camp: Theres a treehouse lounge, grills and smokers, 25 acres of untouched woods, a private beach with rowboats, campfire pits, and retro Schwinn bikes. Sleeps up to 12″story on todays profile line
