ARTSCULTURE · MUSEUM
Matchstick Marvels Museum
Arts & Culture
1
In Gladbrook, Iowa, Pat Acton’s decades-long matchstick craft is presented through large-scale models made entirely from wood, with about twenty displayed at a time. Since beginning in 1977, he has created seventy intricate designs ranging from architectural landmarks to popular fictional subjects, all built by gluing one stick at a time and usually left unpainted to reveal the workmanship. Opened in 2003, the museum also preserves his drawings, plans, tools, and a film about his process. Works such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the United States Capitol, Hogwarts, the Millennium Falcon, and the Starship Enterprise show the scale, patience, and technical discipline behind this singular folk art.
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Gladbrook, Iowa
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