Crafting a Vision
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Villalpandos bring their style to Woodwalk
During the last week of April, Woodwalk Gallery was the scene of subdued chaos as Joslyn and Matt Villalpando prepared to open for their first season as the gallery’s new owners. They acquired Woodwalk in June 2022 and then moved to Door County from Chicago with their two daughters.
Although they are new to owning Woodwalk, the Villalpandos are not new to Door County. Matt is a Gibraltar High School alumnus, and in addition to visits to Door County, he and Joslyn were married at Woodwalk in 2015.
“We’ve been ready for a few years to be here in Door County,” she said. “We knew this is where we wanted to raise our kids and be part of a community.”
Both Joslyn and Matt dove in head first to run the gallery, and together they have worked on renovating the barn and dreaming up new ideas for the space.
“Where I love to curate and install the artwork,” Joslyn said, “Matt is our official groundskeeper, getting to know each flower and plant, and happily naming all of the birds. We are living a dream here with our girls.”
They were drawn to the space as-is, making only small, gradual adjustments. Curating the inventory to reflect the aesthetics of the new owners will be an evolving process, but all of the artists from last season who wanted to continue with the Villalpandos have remained. Another 15 new artists have joined as well, bringing the number of represented creators to about 90.
Some of the new artists came through submissions, and others Joslyn found online or through friends. One – Willow Bayer, a 27-year-old from Appleton who does collages on board or birchbark – was working for a wedding catering company.
“The catering boss said, ‘You should look at Willow’s artwork,’ and as soon as I saw it, I said we had to have it,” Joslyn said.
Prior to Woodwalk, Joslyn was an art teacher at KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) Chicago, a public charter-school network, where she worked in numerous media. She’s especially drawn to fiber crafts such as weaving and macramé, and this is reflected through adding more fiber and 3D arts to the gallery.
In keeping with the Woodwalk tradition, the Villalpandos will use the space for weddings and live music during the season, but Joslyn is also setting up the craft-workshop business she started in Chicago. Using the studio space on the second floor of the barn, customers will be able to try various crafts, including block printing, watercolor, weaving and embroidery, and she plans to host about one workshop a month with drinks and treats.
“I really love the idea of anyone being able to come to a workshop and leaving with something they’re proud of making,” she said.
Woodwalk Gallery Location and Hours
6746 Cty G in Egg Harbor
Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 3 pm