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2017
Miltenberger Tree
Crown of Thorns Christmas Tree
Bill Miltenberger and his wife Karen carefully place Bill’s Crown of Thorns Christmas Tree on its stand. The tree is tramp art, a folk art that came out of the great depression when hobos or “tramps” used discarded cigar boxes to produce pieces of art. Tramp art uses no glue. The elements are interlocked creating strength and stability. All of the ornaments on the tree are either tramp art, or Bill has hand-carved them, including the 10-foot hand-carved Norwegian Christmas chain. It is carved from six pieces of wood, each 20-inches long. The Tree has more then 4,500 pieces. The Trunk has an additional 450 pieces and the star has 54 pieces. Bill's tree was the featured piece of AVA's 2017 Art Under the Tree Art Exibition and Ornament Sale.