Japanese Woodblock Mary Brodbeck teaches the printmaking art of Japan By Kristi Kates 6/29/09
Mary Brodbeck grew up on a dairy farm in southern Michigan, and felt “a magnetic pull” to the ground her family farmed. As a young adult, she wanted to expand her world away from that country life - studying industrial design at Michigan State University and subsequently moving to Los Angeles to work at an architectural firm. But the way she felt about the land and waters of Michigan remained unchanged, and she decided to return. “After a few months in L.A., I realized that I would have to make a radical change in myself in order to survive there. In essence, I would have to leave the country girl behind. I decided to move back to Michigan - in part because I had never been to Traverse City - I’m not making this up! - and partly because I liked who I was and didn’t want to give up being that country girl.”
