Case, who also crafts fine silver jewelry, began his artistic endeavors while recovering from an injury he sustained during the second year of his service as a teacher in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Severe hand and arm lacerations that became infected, topped off by a case of malaria, made it impossible for him to work, and during his recovery he decided to take a weaving course. "I realized that I actually hated weaving," he said, "but, in the process of making a loom, I became intrigued with the metal rings that hold the warp and the weft, and began to twist them into jewelry. I took the rings I had made to an art shop, and they began to sell." Case, who holds a bachelor's degree in art from Michigan State University and also studied for his master's degree there, opened a co-operative gallery, "Union Court Guild," on Union Street in Traverse City in 1975, together with a group of artists that included Larry Doe, Jill Daniels, Mary Dunham, and Geraldine Simkins. In 1979, Case opened his own shop in Suttons Bay, in the building that now is home to Gusto's Ristorante. His current store, at 305 N. St. Joseph St., features both his jewelry and weathervanes, and is not to be missed when visiting the village.
Sierra Leone RPCV Will Case, of Case-Daniels & Rae in Suttons Bay, has given everyone another good reason to look up: many area buildings are graced by one of the artist's amazing weathervanes
Creative Compass
Published: Monday, January 17, 2011
By KRISTINE MORRIS
Contributing Writer
Artist designs nature-inspired weathervanes and unique jewelry
SUTTONS BAY – Living in northern Michigan gives everyone frequent opportunities to look up and check the sky, whether for signs of the next snowstorm or downpour, or to enjoy one of the area's glorious sunsets.
But Will Case, of Case-Daniels & Rae in Suttons Bay, has given everyone another good reason to look up: many area buildings are graced by one of the artist's amazing weathervanes.
Traverse City's public library and Visitor's Center, as well as the Chamber of Commerce building offer examples of Case's weathervane art, as do several buildings in Suttons Bay including Hansen Foods and the Suttons Bay Medical Clinic. His work can also be seen in California, Oregon, Washington D.C., Chicago, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
But don't expect the usual rooster with an arrow pointing out the direction of the wind. Case's weathervanes are graceful works of art – delicate "sky-mobiles" depicting the moon, sun, stars and birds, or even comical scenes like the one that is Case's personal favorite: a concert grand piano with tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers flying out of it along with musical notes.
Case, who also crafts fine silver jewelry, began his artistic endeavors while recovering from an injury he sustained during the second year of his service as a teacher in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa.
Severe hand and arm lacerations that became infected, topped off by a case of malaria, made it impossible for him to work, and during his recovery he decided to take a weaving course.
"I realized that I actually hated weaving," he said, "but, in the process of making a loom, I became intrigued with the metal rings that hold the warp and the weft, and began to twist them into jewelry. I took the rings I had made to an art shop, and they began to sell."
Case, who holds a bachelor's degree in art from Michigan State University and also studied for his master's degree there, opened a co-operative gallery, "Union Court Guild," on Union Street in Traverse City in 1975, together with a group of artists that included Larry Doe, Jill Daniels, Mary Dunham, and Geraldine Simkins.
In 1979, Case opened his own shop in Suttons Bay, in the building that now is home to Gusto's Ristorante. His current store, at 305 N. St. Joseph St., features both his jewelry and weathervanes, and is not to be missed when visiting the village. Continued...
Natural inspiration
Case takes inspiration from primitive and indigenous art, as well as from the patterns found in nature, and has crafted more than 50,000 pieces of jewelry, and more than 600 weathervanes, during the course of his career. He said that it takes a lot longer to design a vane than it does to construct it.
"The challenge is in the design, and in making sure that the weathervanes are mechanically sound and will balance correctly," he said.
Case's weathervanes, made almost exclusively of heavy steel, and on rare occasions, copper, are created either in his fireproof steel shop studio or outdoors, and acquiring one requires that the client have a roof with substantial roof boards for support.
"It also helps to have wind," he said.
In the past, Case has found himself in some precarious situations when installing his weathervanes.
"I once was up on a steep cedar shake roof by myself, installing two weathervanes, when it started to rain and ice up," he said. "My ladder slid to one side, and I was stranded."
Another weather-related incident occurred as he was installing the weathervane on the roof of the Traverse City Visitor's Center.
"It was November, and very cold," he recalled. "The wind was blowing so hard it picked me up off the roof."
These days, customers will need to hire a carpenter or roofer to have their weathervanes installed.
Besides his signature weathervanes, Case is well known as a creator of exquisite silver jewelry. He modestly describes his work as whimsical, reasonable and repairable, and himself as approachable and willing to listen, a trait that's especially useful when working on commissioned pieces.
Case often takes commissions for wedding rings and various commemorative pieces, and does repairs on "everything under the sun, including metal eyeglasses – the weirder, the better," he said.
He welcomes visitors to his shop to look around, get inspired and share stories.
"It's important that customers are moved by a piece of jewelry or a weathervane. If it doesn't move them somehow, emotionally, then it's a dud," he stated.
Case is concerned that contemporary America, in its hunger for all that's new, may be losing its valuable cultural and historical heritage.
"In this country, we really do have an extremely rich and diverse cultural heritage," he said. "The heart of our culture is found in the arts – dance, music, theatre, visual art, sculpture, and writing. They explain and give substance and depth to what we do and why we do it. If we don't value our history, we lose our perspective."
Perhaps a weathervane, inspired by nature and uniquely handcrafted, can point enthusiasts in the right direction again.
To learn more, visit Will Case at Case-Daniels & Rae, 305 N. St. Joseph St., in Suttons Bay, or call 231-271-3876.
