Return to INVENTING THE WORKS blog
This profile originally appeared in the Spring 2007 issue of The Works' newsletter.
Mechanical engineer, artist, educator, innovator, Willis (Bow) Bowman is
probably the closest you’ll come to a Renaissance man in modern Minneapolis. His house
is filled with handcrafted delights ranging from a skyscraper-under-glass
coffee table with a crank-driven jogger on top to giant masks to a low slung,
fine wood glider chair. A pump-driven
stream winds into the back yard, where there’s a pond with giant goldfish, 15
foot domed herb garden, rock cairns
and a huge, pumpkin-flinging trebuchet. In
his packed basement are the machine tools of the trade, where he builds amazing
prototypes for work and play.
You should see what he builds! Giant mechanical puppets for parades, tiny mechanisms for medical device companies, a mechanical frog powered by a bicycle, a graceful commissioned bridge, a cherry wood harp with a fluted column. Each item is wholly unique; Bow’s great gift and greatest delight is to envision and build one-of-a-kind pieces that combine mechanism, fine art and fine crafting. We’re fortunate to have several of Bow’s creations at The Works: three dynamic sculptures called “Grateful Gears” built to honor The Works donors, and a new exhibit called “Gear Up.” In this elegant and whimsical contraption, visitors turn cranks attached to a variety of gear pairs, and are rewarded with shaking dice, a plinking xylophone, a whirling whirligig and a memorable lesson in mechanical advantage. Think “Mouse Trap” enhanced and you’ll understand why this is popular with kids.
You should see what he builds! Giant mechanical puppets for parades, tiny mechanisms for medical device companies, a mechanical frog powered by a bicycle, a graceful commissioned bridge, a cherry wood harp with a fluted column. Each item is wholly unique; Bow’s great gift and greatest delight is to envision and build one-of-a-kind pieces that combine mechanism, fine art and fine crafting. We’re fortunate to have several of Bow’s creations at The Works: three dynamic sculptures called “Grateful Gears” built to honor The Works donors, and a new exhibit called “Gear Up.” In this elegant and whimsical contraption, visitors turn cranks attached to a variety of gear pairs, and are rewarded with shaking dice, a plinking xylophone, a whirling whirligig and a memorable lesson in mechanical advantage. Think “Mouse Trap” enhanced and you’ll understand why this is popular with kids.
We invited Bow to share his
inspiration with the next generation and he approached this new project with
his customary enthusiasm and innovation. This summer, lucky 9 to 12-year-olds
can take Bow’s Tech Challenge camp, and learn to think outside the box from a
real master as they tackle spinning, spanning, flinging and rescue missions. Thank you for elegant exhibits and ongoing inspiration,
valued volunteer Bow Bowman!
Return to INVENTING THE WORKS blog
No comments:
Post a Comment