The North Bennet Street School in Boston’s North End, one of the oldest crafts training programs in the country, has announced that Boston’s Gallery NAGA will host the exhibition, “For North Bennet Street: A Benefit Exhibition of Studio Furniture,” featuring handmade furniture from “some of the most prominent studio furniture makers in the United States.”  The exhibition runs from March 5 though March 27, 2010.

“In an unprecedented gesture of financial support by a commercial gallery and its artists, half the purchase price of every exhibition piece sold will be donated to support the school’s crafts training programs….

The exhibition’s 27 objects — seating, tables, chests, cabinets and wall 
pieces — reflect current thinking about the very idea of “furniture” both as functional object and as art form. Some makers have drawn their inspiration from traditional styles and techniques; others bring a modern and, at times, whimsical viewpoint to their work.

A reverence for wood is apparent in the show, as one might expect. But there are the unexpected materials, too – plaster, graphite, polymer resin, limestone, steel and leather.”

Richard Oedel, North Bennet Street School alumnus and CustomMade artisan

Last year, I went to an open house at North Bennet Street School and found the interactions with the students to be fascinating!  We have a few North Bennet Street School graduates on CustomMade, including Richard Oedel of Fort Point Cabinetmakers.  By sheer coincidence, Richard also lives across the street from me (which proves you never know what kind of craftspeople are right in your neighborhood).

In order for well-handcrafted items of all kinds to stay alive, we must support efforts such as this one!  We also must strive to provide an active marketplace for these handcrafted items.

If you have the time and the means, you should go to Gallery NAGA and see some of the amazing pieces there!

Until next week!

-Mike

William Doub Custom Furniture designs and builds exquisite Art Nouveau style furniture and architectural interiors.  We asked them to give us a bit of history on the Art Nouveau style and its impact on furniture design:

William Doub Art Nouveau Breakfront

Art Nouveau refers to an international movement and style of art that was prevalent across Europe between 1890 and the beginning of the First World War (1914). Art Nouveau furniture is characterized by an emphasis on organic forms and curvilinear lines often derived from sources in nature. Ornamentation was often integral with the sculptural form of the piece, which emphasized floral and plant elements, and could merge wood and ironwork. Applied decoration included inlaid glass, marquetry and ceramics, as well as gilded elements.

William Doub Art Nouveau Bed

At its peak, Art Nouveau was a stylistic approach to design that impacted everything from architecture and furniture to decorative and applied arts, integrating art with everyday life. In 1895, the Parisian art dealer Samuel Bing opened an art gallery to show the ‘new art’- “Maison de L’Art Nouveau”, and further popularized the style in his installations at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. There Bing installed rooms fully decorated in the Art Nouveau style, containing furniture, textiles, tapestries, and other fine and applied art objects. These installations became the foundation of the French Art Nouveau, from which the entire movement took its name.

Close-up of Bed Carving

Furniture designers Louis Majorelle and Victor Prouvé founded the Ecole de Nancy, in Nancy, France. This served as a center for Art Nouveau that included the art glass foundry and furniture manufacturing of Emile Galle. Other significant French Art Nouveau furniture designers were Hector Guimard and Emile Gailliard, whose mastery of the sweeping organic line served as a signature of the style.

William Doub Art Nouveau Round Door

Art Nouveau emerged concurrently in several European venues. In Belgium the style was developed with the help of the architects and furniture designers Victor Horta and Henry Van de Velde. In the United Kingdom, it drew upon the English Arts and Crafts style in the 1880s, and can be seen in the furniture and graphic designs of Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo. In Germany, it was also known as Jugendstil, German for ‘youth style’, and merged into the Vienna Secession.

About William Doub Custom Furniture

William Doub is committed to designing and building quality furniture and architectural interiors. His furniture business has close to thirty years of experience fulfilling corporate, commercial and residential contracts. As a master woodworker, his knowledge of design and construction techniques assures that the customers vision can become a reality.  www.customfurniture-doub.com

You need a display cabinet for your prized art-work?  Or you want the same desk that your brother inherited?  An elegant bed or a one of a kind music stand?  It’s possible to have furniture built to meet your specific needs.

Guest blogger and Fine Woodworking contributing editor Chris Becksvoort of C. H. Becksvoort Designs walks us through the process.

It is not inexpensive, and can take some time, but the finished product – furniture built to meet your exact needs – is well worth the effort. It involves a bit of searching and questioning, good communication and faith.

First, you’ll want to seek out a furniture maker whose designs and style you share.  Do you prefer Arts & Crafts, California modern, Queen Anne, Shaker, or something more whimsical?  Explore CustomMade.com, search the internet and visit craft shows and exhibits.

Molding attached with dovetailed keys

Meeting someone face to face at a craft show or in their studio has obvious advantages.  It allows you to see and touch and really check the workmanship.  But often the person you decide on may be farther away.  With e-mail and good communication that shouldn’t be a problem.  Even at a distance you can check your craftsman’s web site and ask for references. See if there is any of his or her work in your area and if it is possible to view it.

Either way, look at the pieces and/or photos and ask questions.  Does this person use plywood and veneer or solid wood?  Are the dovetails hand-cut or routed?  Do drawers slide smoothly?  Does the craftsman build the piece or do employees?  Are sharp edges sanded, bottoms smooth and backs presentable?  Is quality hardware used?  Is wood movement taken into account and allowed for?  Are personal touches like carved monograms or secret compartments offered?

Monogram and anniversary date

Once you’ve selected and are comfortable with an artist, the business details need to be worked out.  Most woodworkers will give free estimates, but charge for drawings.  The charge is usually waived if you decide to commission the piece.  Remember that changes are easy on paper, but once a drawing is approved, and work starts, changes will affect the price. A down payment of about 50% is pretty standard, to cover the cost of materials before building commences.  Ask about the expected completion time, and any crating, shipping or delivery charges.

With good references and good communication you’ll end up with a work of art to enjoy each time you use it.  More often than not, it is also the start of a long and mutually beneficial relationship with your very own furniture maker.

Chris Becksvoort

www.chbecksvoort.com

About Chris Becksvoort

Chris Becksvoort has over 40 years of experience in wood technology, joinery, design and restoration. Each piece is individually built by Chris Becksvoort in his shop in New Gloucester, Maine, using sustainably harvested cherry and the finest hardware. Featuring hand-cut dovetails, carved monograms and secret compartments, to make each piece a “one of a kind”. He has been a contributing editor for Fine Woodworking magazine for over 20 years, and has been honored to do restoration work for the last active Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake, ME.