River
Crossing, Inc.
presents
Michael
J. Guli
of
Rolling
Thunder Ranch
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Mike
Guli has been designing and building
historical costumes for over
twenty-five years. His specialty has
been the making of early American
leather clothing and accessories. Mike
has produced clothing for movies such
as “The Mountain Man” and “Made
in
America
”, as well as garments for museums
such as the
Denver
Art Museum
and the
Buffalo
Bill
Museum
in
Cody
,
WY
. He has also designed outfits for
many country and western performers.
Mike Guli’s research enables his
creations to reflect the flavor of the
times in which they were originally
produced. His sources of inspiration
include museums, old paintings, and
the examination of original pieces.
Mike’s
educational background started at the
School
of
Visual Arts
in
New York City
, where he studied painting, sculpture
and clothing design, as well as Art
History. Next he attended
Adelphi
University
where he graduated with a degree in
Art Education. Upon graduation, Mike
was hired by the university as the
Assistant Director of Arts and Crafts.
Shortly thereafter, he became the
Director. After several years at
Adelphi, Mike was hired by North Shore
University Hospital as an Art
Therapist in their drug treatment
program. Mike provided art therapy for
drug dependent patients ranging in age
from their teens to adulthood. After
almost two years, he decided to follow
his first love – the history of the
American Old West. He moved to
Colorado in 1976, and has been in
business for himself ever since
creating historically inspired
garments and products.
Mike’s
interest in the history of early
America and the Old West developed
from many years of research and his
fascination with the men and women of
that period. He combined his passion
for history with his passion for
creating and turned them into a career
that has taken him from one end of the
country to the other.
The
years of research and study have
helped Mike to develop many types of
historical programs and educational
reenactments, which he brings to
schools in the northern
Colorado
area. He can authentically step into a
variety of roles, from that of a
mountain man to an Indian Wars scout,
as he is an expert in the finer arts
of survival of the Old West, including
the use of a tomahawk, black powder
firearms, and flint and steel
fire making. His unique background in
art and education and his passion for
history have combined to enable him to
successfully bring to life this
exciting chapter of our American past
with a hands-on way of teaching
students of all ages.
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