An Enduring Willow @ Department 56
I remember years ago when my maternal grandparents made the decision to auction their estate and move into a senior living center. I was at university at the time, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say it broke my heart a little. Their farm was planted with acres of stone fruit trees and berry bushes, and some of my best childhood memories were spent helping harvest bushels of fruit that would be sold roadside or donated to my grandfather’s parish. The feeling I felt when their estate was auctioned off was not an experience unique to me, but it was foreign to my naïve mind at the time. I selfishly stayed away the day of the auction, only to call my grandmother later that evening to apologize for my absence. She wouldn’t hear of it, and said she’d have stayed away herself if she could have, but ultimately, she was taking her memories and a few important keepsakes and was excited for the next chapter in her and Grandpa’s life.
I share all of this to explain the internal struggle we faced before debuting one of our 2025 pieces, 6013449, “THE ENDURING WILLOW SENIOR CENTER”. Maintaining the idyllic world of The Original Snow Village is a responsibility everyone at Department 56 takes seriously. There is no crime, no strife, and no sadness. But when speaking to collectors on a handful of occasions, it has been pointed out that life transitions do not need to be sad. A senior center, for instance, is something the Village should have, as it’s relatable to so many collectors and it doesn’t have to be depressing. They stuck with me, these comments, as I reflected on my own experience with my late grandparents and the idea of a Senior Center began to take root.
The name was intentional and references the extensive root system that willow trees have. Many families and chosen families alike have extensive root systems that can endure, and we reflected that literally in the title of the piece. The soft pistachio green was selected for the main color of the house because it represents new beginnings, and when it came to figures, we couldn’t agree on a single design to coordinate to this piece, so we went with three. 6013450, “FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS" features a new resident at the Enduring Willow being welcomed with a hug, a worker happily decorating the house for the holidays, and a mover carefully carting in the resident’s most important keepsakes – Department 56 houses!
But when you look upon the development cycle, what sealed our decision for a senior center was a kindly collector who said she had to downsize and was gifting her children her entire Village collections because she didn’t have space for them in her new place. From her story, we believed it would be perfect if we had one building to commemorate her years’-long love of collecting Villages. For me, personally, I could picture the small table near the entry of my grandparents’ apartment, and how perfect this little house would have looked at Christmas. I thought of the people who would have visited them and seen this piece and how it could have ignited a joyful conversation, and that stuck. It’s not just another Village piece; the Enduring Willow Senior Center is a conversation starter.
But as it turns out, there is a larger irony with the Enduring Willow, another conversation, and it belongs to its artist, Scott Enter. As nearly every one of you who is reading this blog knows, Scott joined Department 56 in 1990 as a photographer before eventually making his way to the art staff. Forward 30+ years, and Scott’s undeniable creativity has cemented him as one of the foundational artists of Department 56. His characteristic, charm, and humor can be seen on countless Original Snow Village and Snow Village Halloween pieces, the latter for which he provided the inspiration that began the entire line. 
Like the willow tree’s roots, Scott’s impact on Department 56 runs wide and deep, but he’s made the decision to retire. Thankfully, he’s agreed to contract with us to develop a few pieces in support of our upcoming 50th anniversary!
I know Scott intends to spend more time with his family in retirement, and while I doubt an Enduring Willow Senior Center is anywhere in his near future, the piece stands as a stronger conversation starter now that he’s packed up his artist’s desk at Department 56. The piece is a representation of a major life transition, and few transitions are as major as making the leap to retirement.
I hope you will join me in thanking Scott for bringing so many memories into our lives over the past decades. There is a bit of him and his lived experience in every design he’s ever created, and it’s been pure magic when you can see a bit of your own lived experience in the same. So, wherever you are, join the team here as we toast our colleague, friend, and artist, Scott Enter, on his next chapter. His roots run deep in Village, and through his efforts, Department 56 will endure for decades to come.
Until we gather again …
