Mission
The Mission of The Clearing is to provide diverse educational experiences in the folk school tradition, in a setting of quiet forests, meadows and water. The Clearing is a place where adults who share an interest in nature, arts or humanities can learn, reflect and wonder.
This is in keeping with the goals of Jens Jensen, founder of The Clearing, who loved it as a special place where one could feel kinship with the earth and reassess one's life.
Location
Located near the tip of Wisconsin's Door Peninsula, The Clearing is situated on the
Niagara Escarpment, a limestone cliff that rises out of Lake Michigan's Green Bay and
defines the western edge of Door County. The Clearing's physical assets -- beautiful
views of the water and the setting sun, historic stone and log buildings and hiking
trails that wind through the property's 130 acres of forest and meadow - combine to
create one of Door County's great cultural and natural treasures.
The Folk School Tradition
According to Jens Jensen, "Instruction at The Clearing is non-competitive - there are no credits, no grades, no degrees, no pitting of one student against another." This method of teaching is what the Danes called "The Living Word." Discussion, conversation, nature study and hands-on work are emphasized, rather than learning just in the classroom, through reading and writing. The folk school experience at The Clearing is a unique combination of learning, history, tradition, social interaction and quiet reflection.
Programs
The Clearing offers a wide range
of classes, including painting, writing, quilting, birding, wood carving,
poetry, rustic furniture making, photography, poetry, fine wood-working,
music, weaving, philosophy, stained glass, metal work, nature study
and paper arts. All Clearing classes are taught in a relaxed, informal
style.
The Summer Program, which runs from May through October, is The Clearing's oldest and the one that most closely resembles Jensen's original folk school vision. The mainstay of the Summer Program is week-long classes, with 25 to 35 students and instructors living at The Clearing, eating family-style meals and renewing their spirit through close contact with the native landscape.
The Workshop Program includes one and two-day workshops from June through mid- November. These workshops appeal to a broad audience by providing shorter length classes during the Summer Program season for those who cannot come for an entire week or who want a "taste" of what The Clearing is like before deciding to take a week-long class.
The Winter Program offers 100 or so day classes in January and February, geared primarily to Door County residents. Many Winter Program classes are held at locations other than The Clearing, including homes and businesses. All Winter Program classes are taught by volunteer instructors.
History
The Clearing was founded in 1935 by Jens Jensen, a Danish-born landscape architect. Many consider him to be the most important American landscape architect and The Clearing his "great work."
Before founding The Clearing, Jensen achieved international recognition for designing many of Chicago's parks and the private estates of Armour, Florsheim, Ford and many other American industrialists. He was a driving force in establishing the Illinois State Parks system and the Cook County Forest Preserves. He also founded the Friends of Our Native Landscape, an organization that was instrumental in preserving important natural areas throughout the Midwest.
Jensen began acquiring the property that would become The Clearing in 1919 for use
as a summer vacation home. Then, in 1935, at age 75, after retiring from his Chicago
business, he achieved his longtime dream of establishing The Clearing. Foreseeing the
effects of the automobile and the vast development of cities, Jensen founded The Clearing
as a place where city people could renew their contact with the "soil" as a basis for
life values. Today, many people come to The Clearing for this same sense of renewal
and to be able to better manage the stresses and strains of everyday life in a
complex and fast-paced world.
Jensen believed that environments have a profound effect on people and that an understanding of one's own regional ecology and culture is fundamental to all "clear" thinking. These precepts continue to guide the programs at The Clearing. Classes involve direct experience with nature, creative expression, thoughtful study and contemplation.
After Jensen's death in 1951, his long time associate, Mertha Fulkerson, sought financial
support from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau to help continue to develop Jensen's ideas. For 35
years, the Farm Bureau, along with the Friends of The Clearing, provided support for The
Clearing's continuing development. In 1988, the Friends of The Clearing, with the
approval of the Farm Bureau, completed a successful fund raising campaign that allowed
The Clearing to become an independent, non-profit corporation.
Today, The Clearing offers classes in natural sciences, fine arts, skilled crafts and humanities. These programs fulfill Jens Jensen's dream of a year-round folk school in a natural setting.
Jens Jensen
Jens Jensen, renowned Danish-American landscape architect and conservationist,
founded The Clearing in 1935 when he was 75 years old. Influenced by the
folk schools of his native Denmark, Jensen envisioned The Clearing as
"school of the soil" where people could develop sound
values for their lives and professions.
Before starting The Clearing, Jens Jensen achieved international recognition for his public parks - especially those in Chicago and Racine, Wisconsin - and for landscaping the private estates of Armour, Florsheim, Ford and many others. He was a driving force in establishing the Illinois State Parks system and the Cook County Forest Preserves. He also founded Friends of Our Native Landscape, effective in preserving important natural areas throughout the Midwest. In Door County, Wisconsin, Jensen helped establish The Ridges Sanctuary and many county and town parks.
Jensen died on October 1, 1951, seventeen days after his 91st birthday.
For Further reading, see Jens Jensen, Maker of Natural Parks and Gardens, Robert E. Grese; Siftings, Jens Jensen; The Jens Jensen I Knew, Sid Telfer, Sr.
A 55-minute documentary video providing a compelling look at Jens Jensens extraordinary career is available from The Clearing online bookstore.
Board of Directors
Tim Stone, President
Dan Poulson, Vice-President
Marilyn Peterson, Secretary
Mike Gilson, Treasurer
George Evenson
Carolyn Kimbell
Gretchen Maring
Sue Peterson
Robert Ross
Jim Severance
Mark Southard
Bill Tishler
Lee Traven
The Clearing Staff
Michael Schneider, Executive Director
Erik Rinkleff, Assistant Director
Kathy Vanderhoof, Registrar
Melinda Schaufer, Receptionist
Don Buchholz, Host
Barb Vondras, Kitchen Manager and Head Cook
John Kenneavy, Supper Cook
Don Gaddes, Buildings and Grounds
Gerry Voll, Buildings and Grounds
Mipian Kerpan, Kitchen and Housekeeping
Pat Lee, Kitchen and Housekeeping
Diane Linden, Kitchen and Housekeeping
Rita Maiworm, Kitchen
Peter Vanderhoof, Kitchen
Andrew Stewart, Housekeeping