James Tellen sculptures turned the woods around his family’s summer cottage in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, into a garden of more than 30 concrete figures. Tellen began the project in 1942 and continued until his death in 1957.

Key Takeaways

  • Tellen created historical, religious and mythical figures over 15 years.
  • The garden is now owned by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and is open to visitors.

How James Tellen sculptures took shape

Tellen, who was born in 1880, worked as a decorative striper at Northern Furniture Company. When his hours were cut during the Great Depression, he spent time carving wood and attended six years of night classes in industrial art.

He began making concrete figures at age 62. The John Michael Kohler Arts Center says he was inspired by statues he could see in a churchyard from a hospital window.

In winter, Tellen modeled heads in clay and made plaster molds before casting the heads in concrete indoors. In summer, he mounted them on wire-mesh armatures and built the bodies with more concrete.

Preserving the woodland garden

Kohler Foundation, Inc. acquired and preserved the garden before it joined the John Michael Kohler Arts Center’s collection in 2001. It was the center’s first off-site collection addition.

In 2020, Tellen’s granddaughter donated a nativity set he had made. The foundation preserved it and gave it to the arts center. The garden is part of Wandering Wisconsin, a group of nine art environments across the state.

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