I-69 Heritage Corridor - Hamilton County
DeKalb Cty -- Coney
-- Hochstettler
-- Houser
-- Minard
-- Myers
-- Placencia
-- Riser
-- Waterloo jam session
-- Sarasien
-- Sechler
-- Stackhouse
-- Rowe
Grant Cty -- Adkins
-- Butler
-- Petro
-- Neuhouser
-- Garage pickers
-- Cox
-- Hoke
-- Cash
-- Powers
Hamilton Cty -- Bundy
-- Davis
-- Day
-- Gordon
-- Cricket players
-- Dr. Bomie Han
-- Gerald Terry
-- Bobbie Kauffman
Delaware Cty -- Jackson
-- Doris Jean Coil
-- Ronald Davis
-- John Zile
-- Ken Shipley
-- Atchade
-- Roberts
Allen Cty -- Mowry
-- Zehner
-- Bozarth
-- Cynar
-- Lengacher
-- Gorman
-- Hollman
-- Patria Smith
-- Penny Myers
-- Rugsaken
Madison Cty -- Spencer
-- Joe Rice
-- Theoharris
-- Carol Ball
-- Greg Adams
Huntington Cty -- Enyeart
-- Glessner
-- Alice Stickler
-- Company Singers
-- Dick Hinton
-- Goldenberg
-- Jay Peters
-- Gil Shideler
Henry Cty -- Bennett
Valerie and John Bundy display two of their duck decoys. In 2000, sales of their decoys generated enough revenue to restock the White River with fish after a devastating chemical spill. --
Photo by Brent Bjorkman
John and Valerie Bundy --
Duck decoy carvers
John Bundy and his wife Valerie started making duck decoys over twenty-five years ago out of their home in Noblesville, Indiana. At first, they gave the decoys away as presents, but soon began displaying their work at art shows. Now, ducks purchased at Bundy Decoys are sent all over the world.
Both John and Valerie came from artistic backgrounds. Valerie developed the special coloring process that makes Bundy decoys unique. She combines lacquer and pigments to enhance the natural grain of the Northern White Cedar used in the decoys. John uses machine carvers and a band saw to coax the duck’s shape out of the wood, but the rest of the decoy is handcrafted.
"It’s not just making a duck, and selling the duck," Valerie says. "There are a lot of details there. It takes a lot of commitment."
While creating their art means hard work, John finds satisfaction in knowing a customer has found something he or she likes: "The piece speaks to the customer. And that’s really what folk art is, anyway, is what the piece of artwork means to them."
Hear John and Valerie talk about:
What is folk art?
(transcript)
The work that goes into the craft
transcript
The fascination of carving
(transcript)