Chippendale’s drawings, work recognized in Met exhibit

The exhibition, “Chippendale’s Director: The Designs and Legacy of a Furniture Maker”, is currently on display at the Met Fifth Avenue in New York through January 27. It focuses on the transformative role of drawings as a promotional tool during the early years of Thomas Chippendale’s career in London.

The exhibit opened May 14 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Chippendale’s birth and has been updated periodically.

Thomas Chippendale (1718–1779) learned woodworking from his father and has been recognized in the furniture world since the mid-18th century. He is known for the furniture produced by his successful London workshop as well as his influential book of furniture designs, The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director. This exhibition looks at how the publication cemented Chippendale’s name as England’s most famous cabinetmaker and inspired furniture design up to the present day, according to the museum.

Built around some of Chippendale’s own works in The Met collection, the exhibition combines the original preparatory drawings from the Chippendale workshop with a selection of British and American furniture inspired by Chippendale’s designs and aesthetic.

Other Chippendale-inspired exhibits and events have been held throughout the world to recognize the anniversary.

For more, visit www.metmuseum.org.

The 26th annual Western Design Exhibit + Sale was held Sept. 6-9 at the Snow King Events Center in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and featured more than 100 juried artists of contemporary and traditional handcrafted Western functional art. It drew over 3,500 attendees.

The four-day annual event is produced by the Western Design Conference and presented $20,250 in awards. Victor DiNovi of Santa Barbara, Calif., won the Best Artist in the woodworking category.

For more, visit www.westerndesignconference.com.

This article originally appeared in the December 2018 issue.