MU

Missouri Folk Arts Program

University of Missouri

Donate
MENU
  • About Us
    • Our Staff
    • Our Partners
    • Donate
  • Programs
    • Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program
    • Folk Arts Grants
    • Community Scholars Network
    • Student Workers
    • Folk Arts in Education
  • Art Exhibits
    • Master Artists/Master Teachers
    • Work is Art and Art is Work
  • Publications
    • Museum Magazine
    • Essays
  • Show Me Folk
  • Contact

Joseph “Joe” Patrickus

Joseph F. Patrickus, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois but has been making custom Western-style boots in Camdenton, Missouri since 1978. Taught by his California-dwelling Uncle Aldie, Mr. Patrickus is a fifth-generation custom bootmaker. He credits his training as an electrical engineer with an easy transition into a second career in bootmaking.

b. 1947 d. 2018
Camdenton, Missouri
Custom Handmade Western Bootmaking

Apprentices:
1987 Joe Patrickus, III & Franklin Holler
1989 Kathleen Patrickus Flanders
1990 Kathleen Patrickus Flanders
2002 Kathleen Patrickus Flanders
2007 Stephen Mino

 

Mr. Patrickus makes custom boots for “the true boot connoisseur,” incorporating regional and exotic materials in the finished product. In addition to making boots, Mr. Patrickus is one of just a few artisans who still makes wooden “lasts”—the wooden form around which the boot is shaped—rather than relying on mass-produced plastic lasts.  In 2007, Mr. Patrickus noted, “In my opinion, the art of making a great western boot includes every aspect of the boot—from the design and visual artistic elements to quality constructions and a perfect fit enabled by the use of custom lasts.

Outside evaluator Donald Love praised Mr. Patrickus’s teaching during a 1987 session, observing, “bootmaking is a slow, laborious process.  Even a master requires weeks to finish a pair.  Beginners could easily become burned out from trying to work too fast, or discouraged by the slow pace.  Joe keeps up a steady stream of encouragement.  He urges them to the next steps, and, when necessary, reins them in to make sure the work at hand is being done with sufficient care.”

Among his many apprentices are Mr. Patrickus’s son and daughter, who were eager to carry on the family tradition.   According to MFAP staff evaluation in 1989, there were only three women who practiced traditional bootmaking in the United States.  Kathleen Patrickus noted, “I love making boots, I always have wanted to learn.  You can put your dreams in boots.  I’ve helped my father in the shop for several years, and this program has made it possible for me to learn how to make boots from the beginning.”

Audio clip: Mr. Patrickus and Stephen Mino discuss the process of learning inlay technique with MFAP Folk Arts Specialist Deborah Bailey on a site visit to the apprenticeship in 2007.

Related

Share this page

Show Me Folk

ANNOUNCING MISSOURI’S NEW LIVING TRADITIONS SUSTAINER FELLOWSHIP!!

Missouri’s Living Traditions Sustainer Fellowship seeks to recognize the artistic excellence and lifetime achievement of living traditional artists in the Show Me State. The fellowships will honor those individuals’ deep-rooted contributions to their art forms and the…

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Jan 13, 2023 Read More

A visit with an old friend, Lee Ann Sours–Artist Profile by Nathan Lee McAlister

“In the beginning I wasn’t thinking about being a fiber artist. I was just thinking about farming.” Lee Ann Sours   Over the last few years, Missouri Folk Arts has collaborated with community documentarians to…

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Dec 09, 2022 Read More

End of Year Donations welcomed by Missouri Folk Arts

Missouri Folk Arts is thankful to individual donors who have provided unrestricted gift funds that support opportunities for staff and traditional artists beyond those designated in grant-funded projects. Previous examples include artistic fees; travel; fees…

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Nov 28, 2022 Read More
Missouri Folk Arts Program

Contact Us

573-882-6296 higginsll@missouri.edu

Missouri Folk Arts
Museum of Art and Archaeology
520 South 9th Street
Room 1, Ellis Library
Columbia, MO 65211


© 2022 — Curators of the University of Missouri. All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information.
An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer.
Published by the College of Arts & Science. Contact Web Group.

Our Partners

 

Loading Comments...