STUDIO FELLOWSHIPS

Fellow Maryah Smith-Overman at the lathe.

Fellows Kristin Terpening and Joe Brewer assemble Joe's table.

Furniture maker Joe Tracy (left), Studio Fellow Libby Schrum (center), and student Forrest Procter discuss a chair design.

Stackable Etagere by Libby Schrum, cherry and glass (16"x16"x45"), made during her Fellowship in 2003

Hall Table by Eric Hurt, cherry (42"x15"x32"), built during his Fellowship in 2004

Video Video about the Studio Fellowship by Dave Griffin

The Studio Fellowship Program provides emerging and established furniture makers, carvers, and turners with a stimulating environment for the exploration of new work. The program offers free studio space and other benefits to individuals who are willing to commit anywhere from a month to a year to expanding their creative abilities.

Facility

Six Studio Fellows share the 5,400-square-foot Thomas Miller Jackson Building, which contains a bench room, a machine room with full dust collection, and a drafting room. The bench room is outfitted with European-style workbenches and the machine room is equipped with 10" tablesaws, a 12" sliding table saw, 8" and 12" jointers, 15" thickness planers, 14" and 20" bandsaws, Oneway 1640 lathes, a shaper, a router table, a combination sander, an oscillating spindle sander, a chopsaw, a scrollsaw, drill presses, grinders, and a horizontal slot mortiser.

Benefits

Free studio space in a well-equipped, dedicated facility
Round-the-clock shop access, including weekends
Open attendance at demonstrations and lectures by more than 40 outstanding professionals who serve as the school’s year-round faculty and visiting instructors
Availability of faculty mentorship
Critiques by faculty and visiting instructors
Access to the Center’s library and gallery
Interaction with hundreds of professional and amateur furniture makers who participate in the Center’s instructional programs
Exhibition opportunity in Messler Gallery group show

Responsibilities

Studio Fellows are expected to contribute six hours per week to the school, helping out with tasks such as:

facilities and grounds maintenance
gallery staffing and cleaning
assistant teaching
special events, such as gallery openings

In addition, Fellows are responsible for their own housing, materials, and transportation.

Qualifications

Applicants must:

be experienced furniture makers, capable and ready to explore new work on their own initiative
possess good interpersonal skills
know how to use machinery and hand tools competently and safely
have a record of creative achievement

The Maine Fellowship

Through the generosity of the Betterment Fund of New York, the Center has established a “Maine Fellowship” to encourage the participation of Maine woodworkers in the Studio Fellowship Program. The Maine Fellowship gives preference for one of the six fellowship positions to Maine-based woodworkers who fit the program’s guidelines and intent, with particular emphasis on encouraging the professional development of emerging makers. Applicants for the Maine Fellowship should follow the standard application procedure and simply note in their cover letter that they reside in Maine.

Application

The six Studio Fellowship positions are awarded on a competitive basis for periods ranging from one month to one year. Applications are accepted anytime and positions are awarded as vacancies arise.

To apply, please send the following:

A resume
Digital images of your work
A letter stating your reasons for applying and your goals as a woodworker
The names and telephone numbers of three references
An indication of the dates for which you are available

Applications should be addressed to

Studio Fellowship Program

Center for Furniture Craftsmanship

25 Mill St.

Rockport, Maine 04856

or e-mailed to: fellowship@woodschool.org