Chapter News Archive 2009
ASID WI May Program
By Rebecca Klotz, ASID
Posted: 5/21/09
Juggling work and life was the subject of the latest ASID-WI program held on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 – ‘You Are Not Your Job! How to Create Sustainable Work / Life Balance’ presented by Liesbet Trappenburg. The seminar is part of ASID National Distinguished Speaker Series sponsored by Broan/Nutone/Best. Liesbet used her experience in the corporate world as a backdrop for her program to help the participants understand the difference between work and life. “Who you are is what you do, which should be who you are is what you value” Liesbet said. Liesbet engaged the audience in a few group exercises. One exercise helped determine, through the discovery of core values, our correct balance in life. Another exercise that Liesbet had the group participate in was using the intuition to speculate about another person in the room. This was a very fun exercise. To everyone’s surprise, speculations appeared to be 85 – 95% accurate even though participants didn’t know each other. Liesbet used this exercise to show us that we should trust our intuition; that “intuition is an accurate, reliable, and efficient decision-making tool.” Lastly, Liesbet went over her ‘burnout” checklist,which displayed factors and symptoms of burnout. With the current state of the economy and everyone trying to do more with less, Liesbet’s program was very timely and will hopefully help fellow members alleviate some of their current stress load and create a better ‘work/life balance.
Amazing Artists: Their Work and Their Stories
Posted 4/6/09
| Editorial Contact: | Karla Little KL Communications (401) 533 – 1762 – mobile (401) 816 – 0963 – office klittle@finefurnishingsshows.com |
| For: | Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Shows Baltimore, MD ~ Milwaukee, WI ~ Providence, RI |
New Show in Baltimore to feature fascinating furniture makers & amazing artists creating accessories, fine art and craft.
TIVERTON, RI (February 5, 2009) - KL Communications is pleased to announce wonderful stories about some of the amazing artists that will show and sell their work at the 1st Annual Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show that will be held May 2 & 3, 2009 at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center complex in downtown Baltimore.
“All of our 50 exhibitors are so incredibly talented and their work is wonderfully diverse both in design and materials. There will be a broad range of furniture styles, hundreds of pieces and a lovely selection of accessories, lamps, lighting, and original fine art.“ said Karla Little, show manager. “What is unique at these shows is that you get to meet the artist, see their work and speak with them about what they have available for sale, order or commission. They are also fascinating people with incredible stories to tell about their work, their inspiration, and their passions.”
The new Baltimore show is being added to the successful stable of Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Shows currently held in Milwaukee, WI and Providence, RI. The Fourth Annual Milwaukee Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show returns to the Midwest Airlines Center on September 26 & 27, 2009. The Fourteenth Annual Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show will again occur at the Rhode Island Convention Center on October 23 – 25, 2009.
Each of the Shows feature handcrafted furniture, decorative accessories, fine art & craft designed and handmade by artists from throughout North America and from both emerging and established artists. The shows are open to both wholesale and retail buyers where all exhibitor work is for sale, order or commission. The shows are also a key place to source custom work for residential and commercial use.
Artists who are interested in face to face marketing to show and sell their work at any or all of the Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Shows should contact the show office in Rhode Island at 401-816-0963 or via email to klittle@finefurnishingsshows.com
Visit www.FineFurnishingsShows.com to learn about attending and exhibiting, show specials, and to sign-up for the show enewsletter.
AMAZING ARTISTS: THEIR WORK & THEIR STORIES
“Winner of Maryland State Arts Council Award” – Individual Artist Visual Arts: Crafts
Arnold d’Epagnier, Mission Evolution
Colesville, MD (301) 384-3201
www.missionevolution.com
February 2009 – Arnold d’Epagnier, furniture maker, is one of 15 recipients of this award & grant in the “crafts” category. There were three (3) judges for this category with “blind judging” of 10 photos from each applicant. Winners must submit a report within 6 months of receiving the award to report on how the grant assisted their artistic endeavors. Furniture is placed in the Visual Arts: Crafts category. Other categories this year included the following: Choreography; Music: Classical, Non-classical, World;Playwriting; Poetry; Visual arts Photography, Sculpture. Next year different categories are awarded.
The mission of MSAC is to encourage and invest in the advancement of the arts for the people of our State. The goals of the Council are to support artists and arts organizations in their pursuit of artistic excellence, to ensure the accessibility of the arts to all citizens, and to promote statewide awareness of arts resources and opportunities. The Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards are grants awarded to Maryland artists through an anonymous, competitive process to encourage and sustain their pursuit of artistic excellence. The MSAC Individual Artist Awards Program is administered by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.
Arnold’s work will be on display and for sale at the new Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, May 2 & 3, 2009. A detail of his work is the featured photo in this year’s Attendee Brochure for the show.
“Pinball Wizard & Maker of Handcrafted Furniture for the Obamas”
Michael Maxwell, M.T. Maxwell Furniture Company
Bedford, VA (540) 587-9543
www.maxwellfurniture.com
Along with his award winning M1 line, Michael Maxwell creates high end conversational furniture pieces using discarded antique electromechanical games. The 1960’s and 70’s era electromechanical pinball games and playfields inspired Maxwell to create his current colorful and most unique line of furniture. The playfield images are vast and varied which allows every piece of furniture to be unique and custom.
While still living in Chicago, Michael Maxwell crafted a bedroom suite from his award winning M1 Line for President Barack Obama and wife, Michelle. It is an honor to recognize that the clean straightforward lines and unfailing craftsmanship that Maxwell makes by hand is shared with the newly elected President and his family.
Maxwell will have both lines of his work on display and for sale at the new Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, May 2 & 3, 2009. He will have the first display at the entrance of the show.
“From Tree to Table – He Selects, Cuts, Mills, Designs, & Handcrafts Each Piece”
David Stine, David Stine Woodworking
Dow, IL & Washington DC (618) 954-8636
www.stinewoodworking.com
Former DC lawyer David Stine is a talented furniture maker who does it all from carefully selecting and cutting down his own trees, milling his own boards, and designing and handcrafting each one-of-a-kind piece of furniture. Many of Stine’s natural and organic furniture pieces feature live-edge boards that enhance a wide range of home decor. In addition David Stine runs his vehicles on used vegetable oil.
David and wife Stephanie Abbajay live in Illinois but consider Washington DC/Baltimore their home where David started Stine Woodworking and where Stephanie owns the Toledo Lounge in Adams Morgan. www.stephanieabbajay.com
David Stine will show and sell his work at all three Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Shows this year including the new Baltimore show, May 2 & 3 2009, the Milwaukee Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, September 26 & 27, 2009 and also at the Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, October 23-25, 2009.
“Indie Artist Selected For Special AltCraft Section of Show”
Linda Johnson, Little Flower Designs
Abington, PA 215-939-4923
www.littleflowerdesigns.com
Ceramic artist Linda Johnson was selected by the American Craft Council to participate in the AltCraft section at its flagship show, the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore (February). Seventeen Artists were selected from hundreds of applicants through a rigorous jury process. They presented their work together on the show floor.
“The Council is pleased for these talented artists and “Indie” designers to be a part of this well-established event,” said Andrew Glasgow, executive director of the American Craft Council. “These makers illustrate the innovative techniques and materials of the burgeoning new handmade craft movement and, as the leading voice in contemporary craft, we recognize and celebrate these individuals.”
Johnson will have her line of work on display and for sale at the new Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, May 2 & 3, 2009.
“Furniture Created from Music”
Nathan Hunter, Nathan Hunter Design
Bloomington, IN (812) 876-0677
www.nathanhunterdesign.com
Prior to becoming an innovator of handmade furniture design, Nathan Hunter had a career as a classical musician. Nathan studied piano performance at the Indiana University School of Music and gave numerous concerts as a solo performer and with orchestras.
After transitioning into the visual arts Nathan started a business in fine furniture making and design. Today his work can be seen in galleries in locations across the country. “My sense of design, proportion and line is built on the foundation of my musical background. I have never been able to separate my musical tendencies from the way I think about furniture and this has brought a unique balance to my work.”
Nathan still practices regularly on his Steinway and hopes to perform again. “The furniture business still needs my constant attention but I am looking forward to a time when I will have more time to devote to preparing for a program at the piano.”
Hunter will have his line of furniture on display and for sale at the new Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, May 2 & 3, 2009 and also at the Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, October 23-25, 2009.
“Inspired By His Connection to Nature & Clients”
John Sterling, John C. Sterling Fine Furniture
Millmont, PA (570) 922-1608
www.jcsterling.com
Sterling’s furniture creates an oasis of peace within the home withnatural edge woodfurniture, specifically his Shibui Line (“unadorned elegance”). “In this day and age we are all seeking to find a balance. The world gets faster and faster, but our souls long for peace and connections. According to feng-shui philosophy, wood is the element that is most refreshing and adaptable for your home. By surrounding yourself with hand-crafted wood furniture, you ground yourself to nature. With that connection, you will make your home or office a sanctuary of peace and that will have excellent implications in all aspects of your life and interactions between your family and guests.”
John enjoys making connections with the people he purchases from and feels that supporting small business & buying local is his responsibility to help create a sustainable world. “When you commission us to design and build a piece of furniture, you are making a connection that doesn’t end when the piece is delivered. You will never look at that piece of furniture without thinking about the wood it is made of, the man who built it, and the families (of the sawyer and builder) that made it possible and who you in turn are supporting. When we are more connected to purchases we make, we become responsible citizens of this world. These are the clients we seek.”
John and his wife Elizabeth draws their inspiration from the experience with their son’s illness and death which helped them become compassionate about others experiencing a similar crisis. This led to the Blue Butterfly Fund www.bluebutterflyfund.org which helped them learn how to go after their dreams…their furniture business.
John will have his line of furniture on display and for sale at the new Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, May 2 & 3, 2009 and also at the Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, October 23-25, 2009.
“Furniture Maker Invited to Teach All Across America”
Michael Doerr, Doerr Woodworking
Sturgeon Falls, WI (920) 743-5631
www.michaeldoerr.com
Michael Doerr is not only an accomplished furniture maker but he is also in demand for teaching his craft. He has taught both short and long-term classes at schools across America including the Penland School of Craft in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft in Gatlinburg, TN, the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking in Manchester, CT and The Clearing School of Arts in Ellison Bay, WI.
“The chairs and tables of Michael Doerr are exquisitely crafted and well designed pieces of hand made furniture. I have known Michael for a number of years and have watched his progress and growth as a sensitive craftsman/woodworker. He has created a line of furniture that is both functional and beautifully unique. Michael uses the finest hardwoods and pays strict attention to detail in his work. His style utilizes a sharply sculpted curving line that follows the form of his furniture. This line, combined with softly contoured surfaces, makes his chairs not only beautiful to look at but also very comfortable. Michael Doerr has achieved the illusive marriage of form and function which is so important in high end, hand built furniture” stated Wayne Francis Director, DeVos Art Museum – Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan.
Michael will have his line of furniture on display and for sale at the new Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, May 2 & 3, 2009 and also at the Milwaukee Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, September 26 & 27, 2009.
“Machines On Wheels Allows For Large Furniture From A Small Studio”
Corwin Butterworth, Corwin Butterworth Custom Furniture
Wakefield, RI (401) 440-2798
www.corwinbutterworth.com
Corwin works out of a converted 2 car garage and has learned how to make large pieces in his small space – he put all his machines on wheels!
Corwin is a talented artist in several mediums – primarily a furniture maker but is also a painter. He won a Best of Rhode Island Award in 2008 for Handmade Furniture from Rhode Island Monthly Magazine. He is currently working on 5 large commissions.
Butterworth will have his line of furniture on display and for sale at the new Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, May 2 & 3, 2009 and also at the Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, October 23-25, 2009.
“Photograher Sea Kayaked In Greenland & Volunteers For Watershed Council”
Bruce Hooke, B.G. Hooke Studio
Providence, RI (401) 351-5747
www.bghooke.com
Traveling by sea kayak while photographing the coast of Greenland gave photographer Bruce Hooke a close-up view of one of the most amazing landscapes in the world and a place few people get to see in person. Hooke feels very fortunate that he was able to travel to Greenland and bring back photographs to share with the world.
As a volunteer for the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, which worksto protect and restorea river that starts in rural northern Rhode Island and ends in downtown Providence, he has come to see that nature is all around us, even in the middle of the city. Bruce has made photographs in urban areas that look like they are miles from the city. “Nature can be found everywhere, not just in the places we think of it being!”
Butterworth will have his line of furniture on display and for sale at the new Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, May 2 & 3, 2009 and also at the Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, October 23-25, 2009.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE
www.finefurnishingsshows.com – in both the Attend the Show and the Press sections!
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SHOW DETAILS:
1st Annual Baltimore Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show
France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD
www.france-merrickpac.com
May 2 & 3, 2009
Saturday 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
Tickets: Adult one day $10, two days $15, children under 12 free
Website: www.FineFurnishingsShows.com
Telephone: 401 816-0963The show features approximately 50 exhibitors in 60 booth spaces from throughout the Mid-Atlantic and from across North America and includes many interesting and educational displays as well. For more information visit www.FineFurnishingsShows.com or call 401-816-0963.
4th Annual Milwaukee Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show
Midwest Airlines Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee WI
www.midwestairlinescenter.com
September 26 & 27, 2009
Saturday 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
Tickets: Adult one day $10, two days $15, children under 12 free
Website: www.FineFurnishingsShows.com
Telephone: 401 816-0963The show features approximately 100 exhibitors in 125 booth spaces from throughout Wisconsin and from across North America and includes many interesting and educational displays as well. For more information visitwww.FineFurnishingsShows.com or call 401-816-0963.
14th Annual Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show
Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin Street, Providence, RI
www.riconvention.com
October 23 – 25, 2009
Friday 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
Tickets: Adult one day $10, any two days $15, children under 12 free
Website: www.FineFurnishingsShows.com
Telephone: 401 816-0963The show features approximately 125 exhibitors in 150 booth spaces from throughout New England and from across North America and includes many interesting and educational displays as well. For more information visit www.FineFurnishingsShows.com or call 401-816-0963.
Karla Little
KL Communications
80 Main Road, Suite 203, Tiverton, RI 02878
401-816-0963
ASID February 2009 Design Cafes
By Matt Lathrum, Allied Member ASID
Posted: 3/27/09
Once again February saw Design Cafes occurring in cities all across Wisconsin. ASID members met on the 19th at local spots such as The Wine Guyz in LaCrosse, Mitchell’s Hilltop Pub & Grill in Stevens Point, and others in Green Bay, Madison, and Eau Claire. Getting together at these informal gatherings provided a relaxing opportunity to simply enjoy each other’s company, for some, and a chance to make new contacts for others. Conversations included a broad range of topics such as the economy, ASID design awards, CEU’s, as well sa family, school and hobbies.
Madison had a particularly good turnout, with about 15 people gathering at the OpusLounge. Moody lighting and tasty appetizers were enjoyed at this classy little establishment near the Capitol, and among those in attendance was Matthew Cottick of Coalesse, a new ASID WI Platinum Sponsor this year.
Those who attended the Milwaukee Cafe on the 26th, on the other hand, found themselves in a different type of setting altogether. Duet Resource Group & KI treated attendees to a tour of one of their recently completed projects, the headquarters and roasting facilities of Stone Creek Coffee Roasters. After a generous reception in Stone Creek’s new office suite, the roughly 40 people in attendance were given a personal tour of the roasting facility by Carrie from the headquarters team and Eric, the owner. The group had the opportunity to hear the straight scoop on sourcing coffee beans conscientiously, was able to ask all sorts of questions about this stimulating industry, and got to meet the roaster named Diedrich, whilst all the while breathing in the aroma of fresh coffee beans.
Thanks go to those Platinum Sponsors and ASID members who helped us arrange all these great events, and also to Carson Cooper, Chair of the Design Cafe Committee, for his unflappable leadership!
ASID January Program at One Erdman Place
By Rebecca Klotz, ASID
Posted: 2/9/09
On Tuesday January 13, 2009 members of the ASID WI Chapter and other non-member guests received a personal tour of The One Erdman Place. The tour was led by a four-person group of professionals involved in the planning and project submission process to achieve the LEED Gold certification. They discussed the pre-planning studies that were conducted to determine a more economical and environmentally friendly way to work and to save valuable resources.
Rich Dunham, Design Architect; Amy Doyle, Interior Designer; Beth Churchill, Director of Sustainability and Tracie Rodman, Interior Designer, guided the group through the space pointing out and discussing many of the energy / environmentally efficient features of the building. From the rainwater harvesting system to the construction recycling as well as the high-efficiency lighting fixtures with occupancy sensors. They also discussed the material selection criteria for the building and the consolidation of their resource library and the planning that was involved in that design.
The tour ended in their new resource library that was truly a site to behold for any interior designer. The centralized resource library did away with the multiple copies of outdated resources and samples that are typically found in a facility and consolidated everything into one space. Of course, the old resources were donated or recycled to alleviate additional waste. The resource library was also recently featured in the January/February 2009 issue of Interiors & Sources magazine.
After the tour, the group was invited to mingle and network in the Town Square.
Fine Furnishings Show 2008
By Wendy Schaffer ASID
Posted: 2/3/09
On September 27th and 28th, 2008, the Third Annual Fine Furnishings Show was held at the Midwest Express Convention Center in Downtown Milwaukee. The show featured artisans of the finest handcrafted furniture, decorative accessories, and art.
Four designers from our Chapter, Susan Michalek of Desumi Design, Inc., Nancy Miller of Form & Function and Gigi Szeklinski and Rebecca Twohig of Eppstein Uhen, created room settings filled with a variety of furniture and accessories from this year’s exhibitors.
In addition to the room designs, chairs designed and created by students Dave Abresch, Darlene Junker and Tiffany Schafer were featured at the show.
The Chapter also sponsored a CEU presented by Barbara Littman. Her “From Where We Sit” lecture on the exploration of the history of the chair was attended by Show participants and Chapter members alike.
