Although I have a degree in Hotel and Restaurant management I rely mostly on my pottery degree to keep me true to myself. While working in the corporate world allowed me to meet many new people and learn about many different industries through the guests and clients of the hotel, I yearned for more. Rather than following corporate guidelines that were devised by someone that didn’t know me, I decided to create my own guidelines and set my own rules. I started making pottery full time and waitressing at night until I could sell enough pottery to pay my bills and buy more clay. I started teaching classes so others could share the joy of creativity and share the forgiveness and flexibility of clay.
I felt like I was me again. I am who I am and I love that I am.
I met my husband in 1988 and we hung out as friends for a long time before we married in 1994. He is a musician and was on the road on weekends and that helped us to justify putting off having children. We have 2 sweet, above average boys in middle school.
They excel in all of our expectations, musically, creatively and academically. We are truly blessed. Together we love to go on adventures, hikes, trips Up North. We wander through different state and national parks when we can. We raise a garden every year and love the harvest and reap many benefits from my parents’ garden as well. We eat our canned and frozen vegetables all through the Winter and enjoy creating fun meals. Homemade food is a passion of mine. It is vitally important to create my family meals from scratch and share the love that goes into every part of the meal. I am certain there is a correlation between the healthy energy that goes into preparing the meal and the healthy energy enjoyed by each family member and guest eating the food.
I sing in the St. Charles choir and have been a member of the parish for almost 20 years.
Our faith community is very important to our family and offers a strength and foundation that is immeasurable.
I own Lake Country Fine Arts School and Gallery and have for almost 17 years. I offer pottery and sculpting classes for people of all ages and abilities, embracing people with special needs, liberating them and all of my students to have the joy to create beautiful memories and sculptures. My students have taught me so much over the years and that allows me to share so much more with all of my future students.
There is so much to learn from working with clay. There are many reasons why there are over 30 verses in the Bible that refer to clay and or creating with earth and water. It is my career passion to work with clay and share it with anyone that allows themselves the joy to do the same. The clay is forgiving, flexible and patient. When we make a mistake we can squish and reform it. When we need to altar a sculpture it allows us to stretch and manipulate it into another figure. When we need to take a break we can cover it up and put it aside for another time. Working with clay is as healing as it is fun, as it is, creative.
My volunteer time is also important to me. I organize Hartland Lights, Hartland’s tree lighting event and “Chillin’ On The Trail, A Walk of Art”, our community Spring art show that features creations by students in local schools. I helped to make Hartland the first official Ice Age Trail Community, embracing the beauty of the trail that wanders through Hartland. I run a program for teenage girls with special needs in the summer, helping the girls create bowls to be sold raising money to feed the hungry in southeastern WI. – Marlene Millevolte, Owner
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I (Rachel, The Lake Country Mom) have had the pleasure of meeting Marlene and seeing her passion and dedication to her work at the studio, to the community and her family. She is a beautiful person, and I really hope you take the time to stop by her studio, visit their website and Facebook page. Learn about the amazing classes they offer for both adults and kids. You may have heard of Lake Country Fine Arts School and Gallery in Hartland before, you may have drove past it many times. But have you took the time to check it out?
Here is where you can do just that:
Lake Country Fine Arts School and Gallery in downtown Hartland
112 W. Capitol Dr.
Hartland, WI 53029
(262) 367-2900
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