Meet Sarah
Sarah came to Washburn with a dream, having left an academic career of almost thirty years as a professor of studio art to start a new life in the Northwoods. A series of life events motivated that change, including a desire to build a quality of life she could share with others. Years of backcountry camping in the mountains of Colorado helped shape a vision that prioritizes access to the forest, and the restorative potential that being in nature can provide. Sarah hopes that guests who stay at Wedal Woods can get a taste of the beauty and richness of the Northwoods, a place she feels lucky to now call home.
Years of planning and visiting the area were good preparation, yet Sarah’s dream of building a small lodging business has also been predicated on a steep learning curve, a healthy level of risk taking, and a sense of humor (familiar attributes of being an artist)! She acquired the property on Wedal Road as is, sight unseen, but looking back feels grateful for all the other opportunities that have arisen from having taken that risk.
Without a road map or financial/investor support to help navigate being a woman-owned small business for the first time, she tries to follow the advice she used to give her students: follow what excites you, ignites your curiosity, and feeds your mind and heart – everything else will fall into place.
So far, so good.
Farewell article from the University of Denver
fond-farewell-saah-studio-professor
F*Bomb Exhibition
Interview with Elena Buszek about F*Bomb
Sarah’s artist website
Meet Sarah
Sarah came to Washburn with a dream, having left an academic career of almost thirty years as a professor of studio art to start a new life in the Northwoods. A series of life events motivated that change, including a desire to build a quality of life she could share with others. Years of backcountry camping in the mountains of Colorado helped shape a vision that prioritizes access to the forest, and the restorative potential that being in nature can provide. Sarah hopes that guests who stay at Wedal Woods can get a taste of the beauty and richness of the Northwoods, a place she feels lucky to now call home.
Years of planning and visiting the area were good preparation, yet Sarah’s dream of building a small lodging business has also been predicated on a steep learning curve, a healthy level of risk taking, and a sense of humor (familiar attributes of being an artist)! She acquired the property on Wedal Road as is, sight unseen, but looking back feels grateful for all the other opportunities that have arisen from having taken that risk.
Without a road map or financial/investor support to help navigate being a woman-owned small business for the first time, she tries to follow the advice she used to give her students: follow what excites you, ignites your curiosity, and feeds your mind and heart – everything else will fall into place.
So far, so good.
Farewell article from the University of Denver
fond-farewell-saah-studio-professor