Meet the Locals – John & Kathy Olesen

John Olesen, a glass blower artist for 38 years, owns White Pine Studio in Battle Lake. His wife, Kathy Olesen (maiden name Sandahl), is a radiology nurse in Alexandria.

John grew up in Askov, Minn. Kathy is originally from the Vining area and moved with her family to the Twin Cities at nine years old. John and Kathy Olesen lived in the Twin Cities for years before moving to Otter Tail County in 2002. For Kathy, it’s wonderful to be back home, she said. “There’s something about the area that is just so beautiful,” Kathy said.

John built his studio in an old hay shed. Presently, he sells wholesale to galleries and other shops around the country. A blue sculpture of his hangs in the atrium of the Fergus Falls clinic near Lake Region Healthcare. He keeps regular hours in the summers at his studio, so people can stop by and watch him work.

Along with his studio, John became involved with Art of the Lakes in 2003. Currently, he is the president of Art Of The Lakes and on the art and advisory council for Battle Lake. In the early 2000s, John was a board member for two terms at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center.

Summer tourism and influx of people to the area gives some cool opportunities for restaurants and the arts, John said. “That’s one of the reasons why Art of the Lakes exists and has thrived for over 50 years. Because there’s a lot of people who’ve come here that help support the arts and make it a fun place to live,” John said.

The community is very welcoming, Kathy said. She enjoys connecting with some of the same people that she went to school with as a kid.

Likewise, Kathy enjoys living in Otter Tail County, being able to tend to a large garden and spend time in nature.

“It’s so much nicer than living in the city,” Kathy said. “I can’t even imagine going back to having people that close to me again.”