The newest member of the communications team bringing you all the buzz.
Shanley Poole: For starters, can you tell us a little bit about yourself in and outside the Ox-Bow context?
Hannah Bugg: Sure thing. I’m a bit of a creative dabbler in a lot of contexts. I joined Ox-Bow in 2023 in the gallery and retail sphere (shoutout to my Douglas regulars!), and currently am typing, scrolling, and posting as the Digital Communications Assistant. My secret goal is to spread the word of Ox-Bow via edgy reels about the toast bar on campus. Outside of Ox, I work in residential life at Hope College, where I dabble in conflict mediation, laundry lessons, and birthday parties for ghosts. A current fancy of mine is local middle and high school theater. I’m on production 2 of 5 for the spring season—if anyone has any West Michigan recommendations, I’m all ears.
SP: A creative dabbler, indeed! And you’ve certainly added your creative flair to the Communications department this year. Can you talk about your work as Digital Communications Assistant and how you approach it?
HB: The bulk of my work in digital communications is finding ways to distill our message in brief and engaging ways. We all get so much information ALL of the time. I want it to be a treat when someone reads our newsletters or happens upon our posts. It should be a few minutes or seconds well spent learning something new about Ox-Bow and the people who make up our community. In my head, the goal is to leave enough little digital fingerprints that eventually people find their way onto campus, or share the Ox-Bow experience with someone new.
Hannah Bugg connects with a visitor at Ox-Bow House. Photo by Natia Ser (Summer Fellow, 2023).
SP: I absolutely love that philosophy. Speaking of folks making their way to campus… It's that time of year when Ox-Bow’s campus starts to shake off the snow and unshutter its windows. As you think toward spring and summer at Ox-Bow, what are you most looking forward to?
HB: The easy answer is being together with our people again! After a Michigan winter of remote working, I’m excited to join up with familiar and new faces alike. My favorite campus moment is waking up early to birdsong (the only time I ever curse the birds, why are they so loud?) and trudging into the kitchen to quietly join folks round the morning watering hole, the communal coffee pot. It feels gentle and sweet and suspended in time.
SP: The coffee pot really is the watering hole of campus. And it’s right next to that toast bar you mentioned earlier. I must ask… what’s your go-to toast topping(s)?
HB: The essential question! Deep in the Ox-Bow archives, I found this recipe: peanut butter, sriracha, everything bagel seasoning. It’s been a game changer for me.
SP: Wow, so many layers of savory on one slice of toast! As you know, lots of folks describe Ox-Bow as a magical place. I always like to ask folks who have spent a decent amount of time on campus if they have an idea about what fuels the magic. Do you have any theories?
Headshot of Hannah Bugg. Image courtesy of the artist.
HB: One day I’ll dig into the research, but I currently live under the uninformed assumption that nature, like sunlight, water, and/or fresh oxygen, does something scientifically to the human body that feels akin to magic. Is it a pun if I say Ox-Bow’s environment is “grounding” for relationships and creative practices in a way that city dwelling just can’t compare to? The Tallmadge Woods can’t be everything, you have to look to the long history of thoughtful stewardship of our community and thank those folks first, but I don’t think trees aren’t a big part of it.
To see more of Hannah Bugg’s work at Ox-Bow, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
This interview was conducted by Engagement Liaison and Storyteller, Shanley Poole in March 2025.
Banner image features Hannah Bugg with guests at her 2024 Betsy Exhibition. Photo by Dominique Muñoz.