Maine gallery presenting greenwood furniture
The Messler Gallery’s exhibit features this “Folded Lowback” chair by Peter Galbert.
“Contemporary Greenwood”, an exhibition of greenwood furniture, furnishings, and art, opened at the Messler Gallery in Rockport, Maine Sept. 20 and will run through Jan. 2.
Greenwood woodworkers harvest their materials from freshly felled trees while both the wood and the bark are green and pliable, according to gallery spokesperson Victoria Allport.
“Cannisters” by Ramon Persson
“The artisans in Contemporary Greenwood have used these materials to create furniture, baskets, sculpture, and bowls that arrest the eye and please the hand. Like bowl-carver Amy Umbel, an exhibitor from Friendsville, Md., many of them strive to incorporate craft tradition while keeping the work culturally relevant,” Allport says.
International exhibitors include David Colwell (United Kingdom); AnneLie Karlsson, Anders Lindberg, Beth Moen and Ramon Persson (Sweden); and Elisabeth Mezieres (France).
U.S. exhibitors include Curtis Buchanan of Jonesborough, Tenn.; Christian Burchard of Ashland, Ore.; Dave Chapman of Spring Green, Wis.; Jarrod Dahl of Ashland, Wis.; David Fisher of Greenville, Pa.; Peter Galbert of Roslindale, Mass.; Mark Gardner of Saluda, N.C.; Mike Loeffler of Grand Marais, Minn.; Tim Manney of Brunswick, Maine; Clifton Montieth of Lake Ann, Mich.; Leon Niehues of Huntsville, Ark.; Jim Sannerud of St. Paul, Minn.; Billy Ray Sims of Camden, Maine; Polly Adams Sutton of Seattle; Amy Umbel of Friendsville, Md., and Jennifer Zurick of Berea, Ky.
For more, visit www.woodschool.org.
Philly exhibit
“Making a Seat at the Table: Women Transform Woodworking” opened at Philadelphia’s Center for Art in Wood on Oct. 4 and will run through Jan. 18.
A sculptural basket (below) by Polly Adams Sutton.
Featuring juried works from 43 artists and makers from throughout North America, the exhibit focuses on their perspectives and practices. The list includes Wendy Maruyama, Gail Fredell and Sarah Marriage.
“Held on the centenary of women’s suffrage in the United States, ‘Making a Seat at the Table’ showcases the profound skill, innovation, and creative vision of these makers. While acknowledging that woodworking has been and remains male-dominated, the exhibition focuses on the many ways these makers are both expanding the edges of the field and holding down the center,” according to the gallery.
For more, visit www.centerforartinwood.org.
This article originally appeared in the November 2019 issue.
