April 19 – May 29, 2019
“Current Student Work” opened at the Messler Gallery of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine on Friday, April 19.
“Current Student Work” showcases furniture and furnishings created by participants in the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s flagship course, the Nine-month Comprehensive. The students come from a wide array of backgrounds and professional experience, including architecture, linguistics, theology, public relations, theater, fashion design, and military service. For many of them, this exhibition is the first opportunity to present their work in a professional setting.
“The quality of design and execution would be exceptional in any context,” says the Center’s Executive Director, Peter Korn. “Aled Lewis and our co-teachers are justifiably proud of the success with which these students have harnessed their imaginations and skills.”
Exhibitors in “Current Student Work” are William Earl Bihlmeyer, from Louisiana, Ken Diamond, from Ohio, Caitriona Fiero, from New York, Joseph Flynn, from China, Denise Gaul, from Colorado, Paul Keating, from New York, Alexander Lohn, from Texas, Chris Merchant, from Iowa, Peter Nielsen, from Denmark, Osamu Sassa, from New York, Karen Schaffer, from North Carolina, and Tyler J. Willmon, from Tennessee.
The Nine-month Comprehensive is designed for aspiring professional furniture makers and dedicated amateurs who seek in-depth training at the highest standard of excellence. Students complete twelve sequential projects that take them from woodworking fundamentals through fine points of design and craftsmanship. The Lead Instructor for the course is Aled Lewis, a highly respected furniture maker from the U.K. Lewis is joined by eleven co-teachers who are experts in areas such as casework, finishing, carving, drawing, bending, veneering, and chair making. Maine woodworkers and artists who serve as instructors include furniture maker Aaron Fedarko, instructor Mark Juliana, marquetarian Jim Macdonald, artist Leith MacDonald, furniture maker Tim Rousseau, and carver Valdemar Skov. Other instructors include furniture maker Bruce Beeken, from Vermont, furniture maker Heidi Earnshaw, from Ontario, furniture maker Owain Harris, from New Hampshire, turner Beth Ireland, from Florida, and upholsterer Mike Mascelli, from New York.
