Good Road to Follow

Good Road to Follow examines the work of two artists, separated by decades and experiences, whose work contributes to the lore surrounding American hobos and their lives on the road. Highlighting the important role that artists can play in the documentation and recognition of marginalized groups of people, this exhibition speaks to the power of humankind’s quest for community.

From childhood until his death, Adolph Vandertie (1911–2007) was fascinated by the stories, lifestyle, and material objects of the hobos and tramps passing through his hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Starting in the mid-1950s, Vandertie began teaching himself the hobo and tramp art of notch and chip carving, eventually mastering the ball-in-the-cage. He went on to create thousands of such carvings, trading his creations for those of others. He eventually co-wrote the book Hobo and Tramp Art Carving: An Authentic American Folk Tradition to share his collection and teach others the skills of the craft. Upon his death, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center acquired nearly thirteen hundred of Vandertie’s carvings and some of his archival materials related to hobos and their work.

David Eberhardt, a documentary filmmaker and photographer, began riding freight trains in 1990. He immersed himself in the rail-riding subculture, hopping trains across every state west of the Mississippi. The relationships he developed became the foundation for his 2003 documentary film, Long Gone, and his upcoming book of photography, You Can’t Catch a Ghost. Good Road to Follow features a selection of these photographs.

View this exhibition handout and overview