Nine-Month Comprehensive Faculty
The Lead Instructor for the course is Aled Lewis. For each project, Aled is joined by a co-teacher who specializes in the relevant skills. The following list is subject to change. Most of the instructors have web sites which you can visit for more extensive views of their work.
Ed Churchill is retired Chief Curator at the Maine State Museum in Augusta. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Maine in 1979. His major areas of specialization include American and Maine decorative arts (especially furniture and metals), Maine craftsmen, and early American history, especially northeastern North America and Maine. Ed teaches the furniture history component of the Comprehensive.
Mantis sideboard by Neil Erasmus. West Australian blackbutt, ebony, cedar of Lebanon, jamwood, and pig skin suede (71"x21"x33.5"), 1999
Neil Erasmus is a third-generation furniture designer/maker in Perth, Australia who has worked for the past 22 years of his 33-year-long career in partnership with his wife, Pam. Their work includes one-off commissions, limited-edition production runs, and exhibition pieces. In addition to making, Neil directed the Australian School of Fine Furniture in Tasmania, and teaches at various woodworking schools around his country. When time permits, Neil and Pam also teach one-on-one masterclasses at their own studio. Neil is a contributing editor for Australian Wood Review.
Blue Ridge Sunrise by Stephen Gleasner, birch plywood (8-3/4" dia.x14”), 2003
Stephen Gleasner is an Appleton, Maine artist/turner with extensive experience in faceplate and spindle work, gained over a 20-plus-year woodworking career. Currently, he specializes in carved and dyed wall pieces that explore the patterning possibilities of Baltic Birch plywood. Stephen’s work is represented by Carver Hill Gallery in Rockport, Maine and the Dane Gallery on Nantucket, among others. Prior teaching includes demonstrations for the American Association of Woodturners’ national symposium and the 2003 New England Woodturning Symposium, as well as courses at the Center since 2004.
Fluted Coffee Table by Peter Korn, maple and walnut (38"x16"x17”), 2008
Peter Korn, the Center’s Executive Director, has been a furniture maker since 1974. He is the author of Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship (Taunton Press, 2003) and The Woodworker’s Guide to Hand Tools (Taunton Press, 1998). Prior to founding the Center For Furniture Craftsmanship in 1992, Peter spent six years as Program Director at Colorado’s Anderson Ranch Arts Center and four years as Adjunct Associate Professor at Drexel University. His award-winning furniture has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums. Peter’s approach to woodworking calls for a balance between traditional hand skills and effective machine use. "Craftsmanship," says Peter, "is more than a set of skills; through the process of creating an object, we transform ourselves."
Aldous Desk by Aled Lewis, ripple ash, ash, and walnut (64"x32"x29"), 1998
Aled Lewis, our Lead Instructor, came to the Center from Oxford, England. He originally trained at Rycotewood College in Oxfordshire and has been a professional furniture maker for close to 30 years. Aled’s professional experience covers a broad span, from self-employment as a one-of-a-kind furniture maker to managing a busy high-end workshop. He has been involved in all aspects of designing and making one-off and limited-production furniture for individuals and for institutional clients such as Oxford University and London-based financial companies. Prior to taking over as our Lead Instructor this year, Aled taught the machine skills project for many years.
Marquetry detail, Girl with Pearl Earring by Jim Macdonald, 1999 2000
Jim Macdonald creates custom furniture, featuring marquetry and inlay, in Burnham, Maine. In addition to his own projects, Jim collaborates with other high-end furniture makers as a marquetry specialist. His work has been commissioned by Gibson Guitar’s Custom Shop and his Turandot Cabinet appeared in the "Current Work" section of Fine Woodworking (June, 2001). Jim teaches marquetry for the Comprehensive.
Teri Masaschi worked as a professional finisher/refinisher in New Hampshire for 30 years, specializing in antique restoration and reproduction, before moving to New Mexico, in 1995, to become Finishing Specialist/Product Manager for Woodworker’s Supply. Currently, she runs her own finishing and restoration business in Tijeras, New Mexico. Teri writes extensively for Fine Woodworking and is a walking encyclopedia of finishing products and techniques, from the traditional to the cutting edge. Her book, Foolproof Wood Finishing: For Those Who Love To Build And Hate To Finish (Fox Chapel Publishing, 2006) is a must-have for furniture makers.
Torii Tansu by Michael Puryear, wenge and tamo (36"x18"x32"), 2005
Michael Puryear has been a self-employed furniture maker for more than twenty years. He works mainly on commission in his Shokan, New York studio and enjoys the problem-solving aspects of design. Michael exhibits widely in museums, galleries, and craft shows, and two of his pieces were recently purchased by the Newark Museum for its permanent collection. His work has been published in many books and periodicals, such as 500 Chairs from Lark Books. Michael has taught at Parsons School of Design, Penland School of Crafts, and the State University of New York, Purchase. He teaches the bending project for the Comprehensive.
View From the Ancestral Hearth, folding screen by Pete Schlebecker, ash and copper (84"x12"x80"), 2005
Pete Schlebecker, the Center’s Staff Instructor and Facilities Manager, has been a studio furniture maker since 1984 and earned an MFA in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2004. Pete was co-founder of the Alexandria Center for Woodworking Arts in Alexandria, Virginia. In recent years he has written articles and made how-to videos for Fine Woodworking. "Build a Rock-solid Router Table" appeared in the November 2007 issue, and "5 Essential Jigs for the Router Table" appeared in the October 2008 issue, with companion videos on the magazine’s web site. Pete teaches the Veneering and Multiples projects for the Comprehensive.
Basswood corbel carved by Valdemar Skov (15" high), 2000
Valdemar Skov is a woodcarver, furniture maker and engraver, specializing in ornamental carving of fine furniture, accessories, and architectural details, as well as engraving on precious and non-precious metals. A woodworker since 1986, and self-employed since 1990, Valdemar has been formally recognized for his work by the Maine State Legislature and has been featured in numerous articles, including a profile in This Old House magazine. Valdemar works out of his studio in Waldoboro, Maine and teaches carving for the Comprehensive.
Amatory Chair by David Upfill-Brown, laminated cherry with leather upholstery (8"x19"x30"), 2006
David Upfill-Brown graduated from Parnham College in 1981 and moved to Canberra, Australia, where he established a reputation as a designer and maker of fine furniture, working on commission for domestic and architectural clients. Public commissions include work for the parliaments of Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, and the Solomon Islands. David has an equally strong background in teaching. After serving as Academic Director and Principal of the Australian School of Fine Furniture he took the helm as Lead Instructor of our Nine-month Comprehensive from 2004-2009. Currently, as well as establishing a new studio in Australia, David teaches the Chair & Table project of the Comprehensive.
Augers by John Whalley, graphite on paper (30"x50.5"), 2007
John Whalley, our drawing instructor, is a 1976 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a studio in Nobleboro, Maine. He is represented by Greenhut Galleries of Portland, Maine, Vose Galleries of Boston, Mass., and John Surovek Galleries of Palm Beach, Florida. John’s paintings and drawings have been featured in American Art Collector and Maine Home and Design magazines. A 30-year retrospective monograph of his work, In New Light, was published in 2006.