During her lifetime, some children were afraid of the woman in the “Witch’s House” on Beach Drive in Fox Point. Nowadays, the house’s owner, Mary Nohl (1914-2001), is remembered for the fund she endowed, giving scholarships to young artists. She is also the subject of a book for young readers, which tells the story of Nohl and how she filled her yard with the intriguing stone and wood carvings that drew so much curiosity and unwarranted speculation. Nohl was fervent on art: she painted, sculpted, made jewelry and pottery and transformed her environment into an ever-changing art installation. A Lifetime in Art is illustrated with many photographs, including views from inside her house, where she painted everything, including the furniture, the ceiling and the telephone. Another recent title in the Badger Biography Series for young readers, Father Groppi: Marching for Civil Rights, focuses on the 1960s Milwaukee civil rights leader.
