ROCKPORT – “Current Student Work” opened at the Messler Gallery of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport on Friday, April 28. The opening reception will be held on Friday, May 5, from 5-7 p.m. and the public is warmly encouraged to attend, enjoy refreshments, and meet the makers.
The exhibition, which runs through May 31, features furniture and furnishings by students in the school’s flagship 9-month Comprehensive course. The students range in age from 19-68 and come from a variety of backgrounds: from general contracting and furniture making to previous careers in finance, arts administration, and education.
“This show invites you to see the full breadth and depth of what our Nine-month Comprehensive students undertake in their time here, exhibiting both their innovative designs and newly learned and exercised technical skill,” says Matt Hoggle, the Center’s executive director. “Seeing the work that has come from these students’ many months of hard work and dedication inspires and makes clear how they will enrich the world of craft as they graduate to the next phase of their woodworking journeys.”
Exhibitors in “Current Student Work” are Luke Agnew from New Jersey, Glenn Byers from Texas, PJ Couture from Massachusetts, Gabrielle Das from New York, Spencer Fischer from Wisconsin, Seth Goldstein from Colorado, Annelise King from Pennsylvania, Frederico Maders Pinto from Brazil, Ernie Pitts from California, Jack Queeney from Maine, and Kristin Wiese-Adelman from New Hampshire.
The 9-month Comprehensive program is designed for aspiring professional furniture makers and dedicated amateurs who seek in-depth training at the highest standard of excellence. Tim Rousseau, the Comprehensive’s lead instructor, is joined for different parts of the course by co-teachers with specific expertise in casework, carving, drawing, bending, veneering, marquetry, turning, and chair making, among other skills. Instructors from Maine include Aaron Fedarko, Mark Juliana, Jim Macdonald, Brian Reid, Adam Rogers, Libby Schrum, and Valdemar Skov. Other instructors include John Cameron from Massachusetts, Owain Harris from New Hampshire, Beth Ireland from Florida, Aled Lewis from Wales, and Ian Stewart from Ontario.The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship is a nonprofit, year-round school that offers courses in furniture making and related arts such as carving and woodturning.
For more information, call 207-594-5611, e-mail victoria.allport@woodschool.org or visit our website at www.woodschool.org. Messler Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Messler Gallery is located on the campus of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, at the corner of Route 90 and Mill Street in Rockport.