CURRENT STUDENT WORK

Opening Reception: Friday, April 16, 2010, 5 – 7 p.m.

Exhibition Dates: April 16 – May 27, 2009

Emerging Talent at the Messler Gallery

ROCKPORT, ME ­­– “Current Student Work” opens at the Messler Gallery of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine on Friday, April 16. The opening reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. and the public is encouraged to attend. The exhibition runs through May 27.   

“Current Student Work” showcases furniture and decorative pieces created by the talented participants in the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s Nine-Month Comprehensive program. The twelve students, who began the course last September, come from diverse backgrounds, including furniture design, instrument making, and automotive technology. For many of them, this exhibition is the first opportunity to see their work in a professional setting. “It never ceases to amaze me how bold students can be. They jump right into a project that a seasoned pro would shy away from…sometimes with alarming success!” says Peter Korn, the Center’s executive director.

The Center’s Nine-month Comprehensive program is designed for aspiring professional furniture makers and dedicated amateurs who seek in-depth training at the highest standard of excellence. Students complete eleven sequential projects that take them from woodworking fundamentals through the fine points of design and craftsmanship. The course is taught by lead instructor Aled Lewis, a highly respected furniture maker from Wales. Lewis is joined by eleven co-teachers, many of whom are Maine locals, including artist/turner Stephen Gleasner (Appleton), furniture makers Jim Macdonald (Burnham) and Pete Schlebecker (Camden), and artist John Whalley (Nobleboro), among others.

“Current Student Work” exhibitors include Paul Biehl, Tom Breglia, Adam Brown, Evan Brown, Gary Fillmore, Ed Hagenbuch, Tim Hewett, Phillip Leonard, Steve Mackiewicz, John Pennisi, Steven Vowles, and Fred Wasch.

Messler Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. 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, Maine. The exhibition can also be viewed on the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s website, www.woodschool.org, after April 27, 2009.

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, please call 207-594-5611 or e-mail cfc@woodschool.org.