Article originally published in the Vermont Sunday Magazine,
January 1, 2006.
www.rutlandherald.com
By Richard L. Brown
When I lived in Seattle, one of my favorite places to browse and drool over the merchandise was the Northwest Gallery of Fine Woodworking. Rutland doesn't have Puget Sound views, but it does now offer a destination for those who are drawn to unique, finely crafted furniture and other functional items.
The Center Street Artisans Gallery occupies the ground floor of the newly renovated Tuttle Building at 11 Center St. A cooperative venture, the gallery shows the work of 22 member artisans from Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire, who create elegant objects from humble materials. In a sense the gallery itself is a group exhibition, as each member provided materials for the furnishings. Although limited space allows for the mention of only a few members, all are worthy of note.
Gary Krauss' furniture proves the adage that one person's trash is another's treasure. He uses cast-off wood deemed unfit for commercial use: thick irregularly shaped slabs with knotholes and raw edges still showing bark. These are finely finished and made into tables, chairs, cabinets and desks. His plain trestle-style dining tables might be called upscale rustic. His desks, sideboards and other furniture forms are decorated with applied leaf and branch forms with cupped leaf forms for drawer and door pulls, and are reminiscent, in feeling if not appearance, of the work of Gustav Stickley.
Jeff Lind's work is more formal. His use of geometric forms, half-ovals in his wall tables, for example, uncommon woods such as curly red oak, flared legs and exquisite joinery give his work-to use a cliché-a timeless elegance. His rectangular “Bridge Table” is named not for its use in the card game but for its form. The mahogany top slab is supported by the “bridge”-a shallow arch carrying walnut spindles, which lend visual support to the top.
Jim Williamson of Stuart Reproductions is dedicated to recreating furniture types of past periods, generally painted in traditional colors of light green, blue and faded red. A cabinet with three shelves supported by scroll cut sides carries verisimilitude to the extent that the boards forming the back are slightly gapped. A notable piece is his chair/table, where the four-foot back of the chair pivots to become a tabletop. When in chair position the hinged seat opens to reveal storage space. It is a reminder of the inventiveness of past workers who created such combination pieces for homes where space was tight and utility a major consideration.
Wood is not the only medium utilized by the artisans of the gallery. Clay, metals, parchment, glass and cloth are all represented in the many rugs, lamps, gaming boards, vases, bowls and wall hangings. And even if handmade objects are not your thing, a visit to this magnificent 1906 commercial space is a must on any tour of the city.
The gallery is open daily. Call 774-1300 or go to www.centerstreetartisans.com.
Richard L. Brown is an art historian and former gallery director.
Exquisite furniture from humble origins
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