Maximillian Von Magius Fernekes, Jr. was born July 7, 1905 in Hales Corners (now Greenfield), Wisconsin. Max spoke German until he was six years old, when his formal schooling began at a one room schoolhouse in Hales Corners. He attended West Division High School in Milwaukee and studied civil engineering at Marquette University. But Max wanted to become an artist so he completed his formal education by studying art at Milwaukee State Teachers College, which later became University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Max became well known for his watercolors, sketches, block prints and etchings.

One of Max’s earliest assignments as an artist began during the Great Depression when he became one of the illustrators for The Index for American Design by Clarence F. Hornung. This WPA project was part of an effort to index decorative arts, handmade items, and tools used on the farm before 1880. Max also did freelance work for the Milwaukee Journal by providing sketches for the editorial page which featured old and familiar scenes in Milwaukee. Max was a member of the 1932 committee working on the first art fair in Milwaukee. There he met his wife Ava Avery, who was also an artist. As a newlywed, Max worked as an artist for the Civilian Conservation Corps at a camp in Northern Michigan.

Max moved his family to Mineral Point in 1940 and opened a studio at his home. Max’s years in Mineral Point were good years. He enjoyed earning his living entirely by his artwork.

Info from Memorial Profile of Max Fernekes, The Democrat-Tribune, Mineral Point,
Wisconsin, December 27, 1984.