ACRE

With heavy hearts we share that our friend, collaborator, and partner Bob has gone over the rainbow.

Without Bob there would be no ACRE Residency. What an honor to be a part of his life’s work.

Tonight’s the kind of night at the farm that would have Bob say: “Beautiful evening! Makes it all worth it.”

We are sharing his full obituary in the slides and text below (continued in the comments), and one of his favorite poems Trees, by Joyce Kilmer.

Thank you Bob.

*****

Bob born in Axtell, Kansas passed away in Boscobel, Wisconsin on August 31, 2026 just shy of his 90th birthday.

A toe-headed, free-spirited Kansas boy Bob started working at a young age, always finding his way into interesting jobs that would feed a lifetime of stories. After high school he continued his education at Baker University in Baldwin Kansas where he studied to became a Methodist Minister. He served a few years in the ministry and built his own home from recycled materials setting the stage for a lifelong interest in materials and people who were outside the ordinary. He moved to Chicago to pursue new adventures in 1968 where he began work at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind. He worked as a counselor and Program Director until his retirement in 2015.  During his time at the Lighthouse, he made many friends with whom he left a big impression. His time and service were highlighted by leading a trip for visually impaired youth to his farm in Minnesota and protesting in Washington DC in support of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

As a young man Bob was an avid fisherman which awakened his interest in water, trees, and springs. He drove over 100,000 miles across the Midwest, in winter, searching for signs of water until he found and was able to acquire land with three sizable springs. For several years he raised rainbow trout, before shifting his energy to recycling timbers and putting them to good use. As a self-described “urban forester”, he worked with major demolition companies to salvage materials that would have otherwise been trash. Bob saw the potential in everything.

*continued in the comments.

Very limited number of Hearth artist/alumni price tickets available and then we are sold out! Grab yours today at the link in bio or stories.

💫💫💫
Join us for Hearth, the ACRE Annual Benefit, on October 14, 2026 to raise vital funds for ACRE’s residency program and ongoing resources for artists.

The event features cocktails by Apologue, dinner by ACRE Kitchen, music by DJ Lele Buonerba, and a silent auction of artwork and experiences by ACRE alumni and friends.

Let’s gather for a special evening to celebrate the artists and community that power ACRE, while sustaining our programs and artist-driven mission.

👀 Cute new ACRE tote designed by alumni artist Armando Roman. Link in bio to purchase. All proceeds directly support the residency program.

Please join ACRE in welcoming the 53 national and international artists attending this year’s Summer Residency Program!

Click the link in bio to see this year’s cohort of artists.

As we embark on our 17th residency season, ACRE is eager to welcome these visual artists, performers, musicians, and writers to our community in Steuben, WI. During their residency, participants have access to a variety of materials, equipment, expert guidance, conscientiously sourced food, and numerous opportunities to share their work. The 2026 summer residency, hosted over three sessions from June 18 to August 11, will take place in the Driftless region of Southwest Wisconsin at the Mother Earth Green Center. This scenic setting offers a perfect backdrop for artists to create, reflect, collaborate, and recharge.

We are excited to welcome this cohort to the ACRE community and stay tuned for more highlights from this summer’s sessions!

We are kicking off the 2026 Residency season with one of our all time favorite activities ACRE Karaoke! May 13 at 9pm !

Sign up for your favorite song or try out something new. We are here to cheer you on as we sing in the summer season together.

9pm - close
$10 suggested donation supports the summer residency and helps us buy supplies for our studios (no one turned away for a lack of funds)

What’s your go to karaoke song???

Image description: 8 bit texts in yellow and red against a no signal blue background reads “Woo, oooh, yes ACRE Karaoke at the California Clipper, Wednesday May 13, all night long (all night) repeat 3x, 9pm to close, $10 suggested donation, no one turned away, Oh hey hey hey yeah, its our send off for the summer (summertime), hoo hoo yeah, sign ups start at 8pm.

Finish out week with the closing celebration of “tether me to the ground or let me float,” organized by curatorial fellow and featuring artists , , , .outside, .tunde, and !

The closing will take place at in the Catacombs Gallery on Sunday, April 12 from 2 - 6pm and is free and open to all!
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Image Descriptions:
1. Shirin Towfiq, Looking for a Sign, 2023. Black cardamom tea bags sewn with gold thread, image transfer.
Quilt of sepia-toned tea bags stitched together. The quilt is an uneven square with grayscale images throughout the work. It appears fragile and there are empty spaces where the wall peeks through the work.
2. Prerna, I’m thinking about you, 2025. Transparency film, threaded rods, nuts.
Four rods hold the corners of a square transparency, which makes a shadow on the wall. The transparency shows a detail of a body of water with froth at the forefront and a rocky beach in the back. A hand on the right side of the image reaches towards the water.
3. Lars Shimabukuro, ace of cups, 2026. Handwoven cotton, double-weaved blocks.
Detail image of a pink textile with a blueish-purple ladder pattern. The textile is draped and gathers at the bottom right corner.
4. Ian John Solomon, Cowrie (Bass Plantation) [Detail], 2025. Photo inkjet on heavy matte.
A dark-skinned hand holds a glass cowrie shell. A field of grass and trees are in the background.
5. yétúndé ọlágbajú, Blood, Skin, & Earth (frum wi soul tuh de soil) no. 1, 2026. Quilted cotton dyed with madder root, oak gall, foraged angelica.
A person holds up a square quilt. Only their hands and legs are slightly visible behind the quilt. The quilt is abstract, dyed with oranges, yellows, and shades of gray. It has flower patterns and a curly stitch pattern.
6. Colin Martinez, Rock Pigeon, 2025. Taxidermy pigeon, stamped aluminum band, scrap steel.
A light-skinned hand in a dark sweater holds the talons of a taxidermy pigeon. The pigeon’s wings are outstretched and its beak is slightly open.