Wes Modes
A River Playlist [AUDIO]
A music playlist that you can use as the moody…
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Shantyboat workday
Shantyboat workday
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Found in Alex’s bathroom near the shantyboat
Found in Alex's bathroom near the shantyboat
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At the shantyboat this morning making lists
At the shantyboat this morning making lists
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Great rewards – Check out the Kickstarter
The work we do with the Secret History of American…
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How shantyboats helped build a culture [VIDEO]
A great video about the project by Kirsten Dirksen “I…
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Fair Companies: How shantyboats down the Mississippi helped build a culture
Long before Wes Modes began planning a journey down the…
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Laughing Squid: Artist Rides Rivers in a Homemade Shantyboat to Learn About the People Who Live on the Banks
Wes Modes, an artist and lecturing professor at UC Santa…
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Outfit the Shantyboat
As part of our upcoming fundraiser to support our summer…
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Ask Me Anything!
We did a Reddit AMA. We've done AMAs in 2014…
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Looking Back at the War Against the Dakota People in Minnesota [AUDIO]
I was reminded of these interviews recently, and how little…
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Miah marveling at the amazing generous gifts flooding in
Miah in total amazement at the amazing generous gifts flooding…
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People ask all the time about how the shantyboat was built
Now, all of the shantyboat build process is available on…
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“Secret History shantyboat at sunset”
"Secret History shantyboat at sunset
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“Secret History shantyboat under stormy skies”
"Secret History shantyboat under stormy skies
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“A day off on the Secret History shantyboat”
"A day off on the Secret History shantyboat
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Gerty Tonjum, boathouse owner, talks about river time [Video]
Gerty Tonjum, boathouse owner in Winona, MN along the banks…
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Secret History shantyboat clean-up day and mouse habitat exploration [video]
Secret History shantyboat clean-up day and mouse habitat exploration
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Freddie’s Dead
You may remember that our 1978 20 hp Mercury outboard…
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A sad mouse casualty aboard the shantyboat. He may or may not have died of natural causes
A sad mouse casualty aboard the shantyboat. He may or…
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What surprises await us in the Secret History installation media cabinet?
What surprises await us in the Secret History installation media…
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Secret History Shantyboat after a long wet winter
Secret History Shantyboat after a long wet winter
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This Summer’s Expedition on the Sacramento River
In previous years, Modes has exhibited the project in the…
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Secret History shantyboat nestled in the redwoods in California
Secret History shantyboat nestled in the redwoods in California
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A Journey Home
Two weeks in Paducah and then a hellbent journey across…
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Tribune-Courier: Floating Artist
In general, when people are posed with the question, ‘What…
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Shantyboat home in Felton California
Shantyboat home in Felton California. Benzy has to lift the…
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Shantyboat in the Paducah Labor Day Parade
Shantyboat in the Paducah Labor Day Parade. Nathan Lynn playing…
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Lowertown Paducah kiln firing
Lowertown Sunday kiln firing with Mitch Kimball
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Looking through the Mary Wheeler collection at the Paducah Library
Looking through the Mary Wheeler collection at the McCracken County…
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Busy day at Secret History open house
Busy day at Secret History open house
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Secret History talk at River Discovery Center, Paducah
Secret History talk at River Discovery Center, Paducah
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Rev Kempton Baldridge one of a few chaplains for more than 4000 towboats
Rev Kempton Baldridge one of a few chaplains for more…
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Shantyboat On display
Shantyboat On display today and tomorrow. Open House 10-2pm Saturday…
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Bruce Walker king of the bar-b-Que in north Paducah
Bruce Walker king of the bar-b-Que in north Paducah at…
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Paduca Sun: Artist-in-residence Modes slated to discuss journey of shantyboat
Paducah Arts Alliance artist-in-residence Wes Modes and his 1940s-era shantyboat…
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David Nickell talks about his family history in the Land Between the Rivers
David Nickell talks about his family history in the Land…
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Merryman Kemp founder of Merryman House
Maryman Kemp founder of Maryman House, a shelter for survivors…
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An afternoon by the river on the shantyboat.
An afternoon by the river on the shantyboat.
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Louie Kirchhoff baker in Paducah for 75 years
Louie Kirchhoff who has lived in Paducah for 75 years,…
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Nathan Blake Lynn, musician, historian, and amateur folk musicologist
Nathan Blake Lynn, musician, historian, and amateur folk musicologist. Interview…
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Shantyboat at Paducah Farmers Market
Shantyboat at Paducah Farmers Market
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African glass beads at the Paducah Farmers Market
African glass beads at Melanie and Erileigh's stall at the…
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Anita Stamper, our generous host at the beautiful Mav House
Anita Stamper, our generous host at the beautiful Mav House
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Capt Ron Gray Jr of the American Queen meets the captain of the Shantyboat Dotty
Capt Ron Gray Jr of the American Queen meets the…
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Secret History shantyboat visits the American Queen at Port of Paducah
Secret History shantyboat visits the American Queen at Port of…
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AL.com: On a shantyboat in Alabama, nights are hot, food is good and stories flow
Smack dab in the middle of the Tennessee River, between…
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Paducah WPSD: Secret History of River People coming to Paducah
The River Discovery Center in Paducah will host an exhibit…
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Secret History installation at the River Discovery Center in Paducah
Secret History installation at the River Discovery Center in Paducah
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Shantyboat from Founder’s Room at the River Discovery Center
Shantyboat seen through the windows of the Founder's Room at…
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West Kentucky Star: Artist Concludes Daring River Voyage in Paducah
A rustic recreated 1940s shanty boat, a daring river voyage,…
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Age reels in a whopper
Age reels in a whopper
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My favorite Secret History paparazzi photo
My favorite Secret History paparazzi photo. Back from the Benzy…
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Adrian playing dress up
Adrian playing dress up. He already had the radio on…
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Captain and two ships mates, Age and Penske, arrive after trials and tribulations at Kenlake Marina
Captain and two ships mates, Age and Penske, arrive after…
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Oh no! Freddie’s transmission died in the middle of Lake Kentucky
Oh no! We lost the rest of Freddie's transmission in…
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Old Danville Grain Elevator submerged by the inundated Tennessee River
Old Danville Grain Elevator submerged by the inundated Tennessee River…
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Our first volunteer fish dinner
Our first volunteer fish dinner! When we to hop in…
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Two Weeks in Paducah, Kentucky
Join us in Paducah Kentucky for a two week long…
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Storm looming above the shantyboat
Storm looming above the shantyboat. Photo by Adrian Nankivell
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Not everyone knows it’s good luck to pass under a train bridge
Not everyone knows it's good luck to pass under a…
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Pete and Wes look at Freddie to see why we no longer have a reverse gear
Pete and Wes look at Freddie to see why we…
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David “Scoop” Anderson who worked on riverboats and towboats for years
Davis "Scoop" Anderson who worked on riverboats and rowboats for…
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Shantyboat in the secret abandoned MARINA OF THE DAMNED
Shantyboat in the secret abandoned marina of the planet of…
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Dramatic skies over the shantyboat on the Tennessee River [VIDEO & PANORAMA]
Dramatic skies over the shantyboat on the Tennessee River near…
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Typically amazing cuisine aboard the shantyboat. The full time caterers turned out to be a great investment
Typically amazing cuisine aboard the shantyboat. The full time caterers…
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Fishing for breakfast at the confluence of the Duck River with the Tennessee
Fishing for breakfast at the confluence of the Duck River…
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We learn to read the river: this beautiful herringbone pattern precedes larger wind waves
We learn to read the river: this beautiful herringbone pattern…
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Pete Selmeci who’s job is to fix big boats and move them around
Pete Selmeci who's job is to fix big boats and…
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Lost at the rainy end of the world! Next episode of the SHANTYBOAT GUYS [VIDEO]
Lost at the rainy end of the world! Next episode…
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Life without the internets! Next on the SHANTYBOAT GUYS [VIDEO]
Life without the internets! Next on the SHANTYBOAT GUYS
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Barges in the mist
Barges in the mist. People ask us constantly if the…
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Secret History is largely a donation supported project and your…
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Emergency! Out of vodka and down to a finger or two of gin
Emergency! Out of vodka and down to a finger or…
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Gene Davidson owner of the Clifton Marina
We talked to Gene Davidson who owns the Clifton Marina.…
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The folks at Clifton Marina treated us super decently
The folks at Clifton Marina treated us super decently. Say…
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Glen Lineberry worked on towboats for 50 years
He worked for 40 years on line towboats that would…
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Age and I set up for a shoot
Age and I set up for a shoot
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Bob who is traveling from Paducah to the Gulf of Mexico via the Tombigbee River on a Seedoo stopped by Clifton to gas up
Bob who is traveling from Paducah to the Gulf of…
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An afternoon roadtrip on Tennessee back roads [VIDEO]
An afternoon roadtrip on Tennessee back roads. Age and I…
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Poor poor Hazel. Her paw was burnt by a falling pot of boiling water when a big yacht passed us by close and fast
Poor poor Hazel. Her paw was burnt by a falling…
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The adventures of Peggy Sanford’s Aunt Jonnie
My Aunt, Jonnie Ruff Vailes, taught in a one room…
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Jackie Irvin runs an opiate addiction program at Jabbok Refuge Center Church
Jackie Irvin who runs an opiate addiction program at Jabbok…
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The fish ain’t bitin next on the SHANTYBOAT GUYS [VIDEO]
The fish ain't bitin next on the SHANTYBOAT GUYS
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Serious beverage situation on the next episode of the SHANTYBOAT GUYS [VIDEO]
Serious beverage situation on the next episode of the SHANTYBOAT…
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Main St of Saltillo leads right down a boat ramp to the river
Captivating on several levels. Main St of Saltillo leads right…
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Saltillo’s Ghost Marina
Not sure this marina in Saltillo is going to have…
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Oh god. We’ve entered the land of relentless biting Horseflies. No one is safe
Oh god. We've entered the land of relentless biting Horseflies.…
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The generosity of strangers: Jesse interrupted his search for Pokémon to give us a ride to get gas and ice
The generosity of strangers: Jesse interrupted his search for Pokémon…
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Roger Lard, fisherman near Savannah TN
Roger Lard, fisherman near Savannah TN, trotline trays in the…
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Age catching the catfishes
Age catching the catfishes
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Adrian wearing his new Amish hat
Adrian wearing his new Amish hat
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Living the shantyboaters celebrity lifestyle upriver at a local party beach
After our thorough ten-minute tour of Savannah Tennessee, we went…
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Shantyboat bloody marys for three days provided by generous folks
Shantyboat bloody marys for three days provided by our generous…
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Jabbok Refuge Center Church service just a few doors down from the Tennessee River Museum
Jabbok Refuge Center Church service. Just a few doors down…
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At Tennessee River Museum in Savannah TN the history of Black people is completely erased
Tennessee River Museum in Savannah TN, like many river museums…
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The landscape where one of the great battles of the American Civil War was fought
Pittsburg Landing, the landscape where one of the great battles…
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Hazel dog on the way to Cyprus Creek [VIDEO]
@GoodDogHazel on the way to Cyprus Creek
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The Delta Mariner that carries rocket parts back and forth between Cape Canaveral and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsvile
The Delta Mariner a vessel unlike any we've seen passes…
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Rooster’s Dogs & Burgers surrounded by hundreds of boats attending a strange boat-in only concert in Northern Mississippi
Rooster's Dogs & Burgers surrounded by hundreds of boats attending…
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