Photos by Erik Hess
That up there is "the 1608," a guitar designed by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, built by luthier Gordy Bischoff (who lives in Vernon's hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin), and made out of wood from Bushmills Irish Whiskey barrels. As you may recall, Bon Iver are part of the whiskey company's advertising campaign. The guitar is up for auction right now with proceeds going to Eau Claire's Confluence Project. Check it out on eBay.
The Confluence Project is an effort to build a community arts center in Eau Claire. Here's what Vernon said about it in a press release:
“The goal is to put art back on the map in Eau Claire. Far too many artists from this area have had to leave because what we want to do with our lives just isn’t possible here. That’s what the Confluence Project is: to build a center that can be a nucleus for art here in Eau Claire.”
You can donate to the cause here.
This year, Vernon's already designed a shoe and come up with an elaborate idea for a tattoo. What's next?
Here's a short video on the guitar and the Confluence Project: