The Kohler Doll & Bear Show, Oct. 11, 2008, in Kohler, Wis., was held at The American Club, a posh resort hotel, which boasts a renowned golf course. In fact, German dollmaker Hildegard Günzel, who attended the show, joked that she came for the golf.

In addition to Günzel, the show was also graced by the presence of dollmakers like Zofia and Henry Zawierusynski, Berdine Creedy, Maryann Oldenburg, Sandi McAslan and more. Collectors enjoyed interacting with the artists and shopping. One Milwaukee, Wis., doll collector came to the show to shop for her grand-daughter’s birthday, who had her eye on Oldenburg’s “Willow.”

Another collector, Patti Julius of Neenah, Wis., was drawn to the show because of the “enjoyment and excitement of everyone who is here.”

The artists shared in the energy, too. “This is the first year I could come to the Kohler Show,” said Creedy. “It’s very exciting. It’s the most beautiful place here.”

And in an almost poetic moment, Creedy, once a student of Günzel’s, held one of her new ball-jointed dolls and pointed out the inner workings of the joints to her former mentor. “The first seminar I attended was Hildegard Günzel’s, and she said a sentence that stayed in my mind: ‘Of all the people here, you’re the one who’ll make something of yourself.’ That gave me the confidence to go forward,” Creedy said.

Artist and collector alike, good times were enjoyed by all. Said Marge Voigt, owner of The Nursery Window and host of the show, “We’d love for you to visit us in October for our next show.”