Bio

Logan Balis is a student who lives in Greenville, Michigan with his family. He currently resides in his van here just south of Adrian in Fairfield with a family that has adopted him for the year. They influenced his life to be responsible and patient, which therefore influenced his work ethic in the shop. When he was 13, he started a small lawn/light landscaping business as the “Backyard Barber.” He began this business with a $50 push mower. After 7 years, the business grew and eventually Logan owned a full set up with all of the modern day equipment. With a few years of doing odd jobs with lawns and landscapes, he gained a deep interest in gardens but specifically sustainable gardens and agriculture. After graduating high school in 2022, Logan took a gap year. During that time, he found the furniture/design program and enrolled immediately after a visit. He is a curious student seeking hand skills and knowledge in all crafts fields. 

Artist Statement

When I was maintaining properties for clients while mowing, I gathered a rhythm to my work, beginning to learn the idiosyncrasies of equipment and tools. As I became more confident in my abilities with the tools, my senses helped shape the quality of my work. After taking a gap year following high school graduation in 2022, I decided to look for hands-on skills in the crafts. I spent three months in Reno, Nevada working with my sister who was a pastry chef in an Italian Bakery. This gave me the opportunity to assist in the bakery and learn how to create in a kitchen. My current focus is seeking knowledge and connections in more hands-on fields with carving, mixology, and permaculture gardens. Deep intentional learning with a hands-on approach has pushed me to have an open mind to going about acquiring the knowledge and understanding of what I would like to pursue next.