Community ArtShare

T. B. Scott Library’s Community ArtShare program originated in 2006 with a $10,000 grant from the Mead Witter Foundation, Inc. with which secure display cases, easels, and other items were procured that have enabled the library to become a place for local artists and collectors to display their creations and hobbies. Displays featuring one or more artists or collectors are featured each month on an ongoing basis.

Merrill in a Fowl Mood – Sully’s Boonducks Have Landed Locally

September – October 2025

T.B. Scott Free Library is pleased to present our next Beyond Books: Community ArtShare Exhibit: MERRILL IN A FOWL MOOD – Sully’s Boonducks Have Landed Locally

The creator of Boonducks, Dan “Sully” Sullivan, now resides in Merrill, and his collection is on display during September and October at the T.B. Scott Free Library.  Hatched in the boondocks from barn beams, cabin timbers, piers, bridges, and other vintage wood, these whimsical waterfowls are transformed into folk art decoys.

Boonducks have migrated to national art shows in Madison, Minneapolis, Louisville, Philadelphia, and Long Beach.  In addition, Sully’s ducks, swans, geese, loons, and mudhens were showcased during the National Birds in Art Show at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and at the Kohler Art Center.  To date, over 450 decoys have winged their way to art enthusiasts.

Though challenged by Macular Degeneration, this inspirational artisan focuses on colors and contours, rather than the intricate details.  As such, Boonducks take on a unique appearance that is coveted by decoy collectors. Using Old World wood sculpturing and carving, only hand tools such as chisels, rasps, and saws are utilized to create Boonducks. The cracks, nicks, and grains of their century-old wooden frames are blended into their whimsied shapes.