Getting ready for the holidays

It’s not even cold outside, so why bring up the holidays? Because we at Marietta Magazine (with the help of the Alumni Engagement Office) have identified a number of alumni-owned businesses that offer unique items that would make perfect gifts. The Alumni Office is building a directory of businesses owned by alumni to serve as a special resource for the Marietta College community interested in supporting fellow members of The Long Blue Line. We hope to produce a new Holiday Gift Guide each year — so please connect with alumni@marietta.edu to make sure your company is a part of this list.

Conrad Boatworks, owned by Lee Kulinna ’91, reflects his passion for rowing. The company, based in Anacortes, Washington, offers two main services: custom wood rowing shells and unique rowing experiences around the San Juan Islands. “My love for rowing and my gratitude for rowing truly comes from MC. Rowing to the House of Wines every fall was the most amazing experience of my life, but of course I didn’t know it at the time.” The rowing shells Kulinna makes are tailored to the rower’s size. He says the shells are perfect gifts for people who spend time on the lake or who have a passion for rowing.

https://conradboatworks.com/

Artist Justine Schneider ’13 creates magnets and stickers from her artwork and offers one-of-a-kind pet portraits — either digitally or in watercolor. “I’ve come out with monthly stickers since 2020 — something I did because the pandemic shut down productions that I’d be creating sets for. The pet portraits are also great gifts because our pets are like family. A lot of the portraits I do are memorial pieces, so they’re really meaningful to my clients.” Her stickers and magnets are waterproof, making them good for customizing travel mugs as well as bumper stickers.

https://ko-fi.com/artistjustineschneider/commissions
https://ko-fi.com/artistjustineschneider/shop

Justine Schneider ’13

Justine Schneider ’13

Eric Strickland ’94

Eric Strickland ’94

Eric Strickland ’94, owner of Funky Designs Unique Concrete recently visited Marietta to participate in the Harmar Days Festival. “I started Funky Designs in 2018 in Canton, Ohio. Initially, I was selling cool, colorful concrete decor pieces like planters, candle holders, and coasters. This soon grew to include concrete and stainless steel jewelry. The jewelry was a surprise hit and became the center of my business. In the last few years, I have returned to my Marietta education and started working with my pigmented concrete for decorative art, using my pigmented concrete on stretched canvas and incorporating laser cut acrylic and wood into my art. I do all my work in my home studio, then go out on the road to sell my work. I do about 50 dates a year, mostly on the weekends. During the week, I create.”

https://funkydesignsoh.com/
https://www.facebook.com/funkydesignsoh/
https://www.instagram.com/funkydesignsoh/
https://www.deviantart.com/funkydesignsoh

KeepScore, owned by Kevin Lane ’77, is for the baseball or softball enthusiast. The company, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, offers customizable baseball and softball scorebooks. Recently, the Altoona Curve purchased the specially designed pieces featuring the team’s logo to be sold in their team store. “The scorebook also features a unique progressing pitch count not found in any other scorebook,” Lane says. “In addition to the number of pitches, it allows a scorekeeper to document balls and strikes, changes of batters, changes of pitchers and changes of innings. Pitch counts have become extremely important, particularly in youth leagues, as they help protect young, developing pitching arms from repetitive motion injuries. The scorebook also contains larger graphics, larger score sheets, extra innings and more statistical categories.”

www.keepscore.us

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