July 22, 2006

Mary Burgess shapes the frame for a hand mirror she will put in the wood show. Amelia Wirts | Daily Tidings I’m very interested in making beautiful stuff, but I also want it to be useful. Mary Burgess | Local woodcrafter

By Matt Haulk
Tidings Correspondent

Twice a year the Siskiyou Woodcraft Guild convenes to show their work and celebrate their art with the community.

Although the Thanksgiving show is more renowned, the upcoming summer show promises unique displays of furniture, one of a kind demonstrations, and food and wine from Southern Oregon. Guild member and local artisan Roger Butterfield is organizing the event this year and plans to ensure this show does not disappoint.

“Last year we celebrated our 25th Thanksgiving show and this year we’re celebrating our 8th summer show,” said Butterfield. “This is a very unique event and the fact that it only happens once a year doesn’t give the artisans an opportunity to show their work. Each piece is extraordinarily specialized and is only in existence as a commission or out there to be shown maybe only once in its life.”

The only thing that guarantees to be more interesting than the furniture on display is the artisans who craft it. Mary Burgess, a retired secretary who used to design and make clothing, started making furniture in 1991. Rather than purchase milled wood from a lumber yard, Burgess prefers to work with what nature provides.

Mary Burgess oils a table she plans to show in the Siskiyou Woodcraft Guild Woodworking Show this weekend at Pioneer Hall.

“The wood I work with is from the stuff I’ve found near my place. When I first started doing this a huge black oak fell across the railroad tracks; some of it has defects which I think are interesting. I use the waney edge of the tree in a lot of my furniture.”

Although Burgess is committed to the aesthetic aspects of furniture, functionality is an integral part of her designs. “I want what will be useful,” said Burgess. “I’m very interested in making beautiful stuff but I also want it to be useful; it has to be sturdy. I don’t want it to be too delicate to touch or use.”

There are not many women who make furniture and even few who do so in their retirement. Burgess proudly represents this slim demographic and hopes that her work will inspire more women too take up the craft.

“I would very much like to get other women interested in it and I don’t know why other women don’t do it more often,” said Burgess. “It’s as if women are afraid of the equipment or we’re taught to be afraid of it. There’s nothing physically we can’t do as far as making furniture goes. We buy most of the furniture and furnish most of the houses so we should have more to do with making the furniture.”

Tony Scolaro an artisan originally from Boston, who currently resides outside of Rogue River, plans to enter several pieces into the upcoming show. Scolaro commenced his career in furniture making ten years ago when he remodeled a house. That experience inspired him to take classes at Portland Community College and he has not stopped woodworking since. Scolaro draws extensively on American Tradional and Arts and Crafts styles and work extensively to make sure each piece is perfectly aligned with his vision.

“I think the arts and crafts piece is very good,” said Scolaro. “[The piece I’m entering] is my own design based on the arts and crafts movement. I cut into the middle of a board to get the grain pattern I wanted. I put a lot of work into getting the grain I want which is something that a factory will never do.”

Local artisan Eric Strong is a long time guild member who has been designing and building furniture for five years. Although Strong has entered his work into past Woodcraft Guild shows, he is unsure of whether he will enter into the upcoming summer show. As with many of the other local artisans and guild members, Strong did not always know furniture making was his calling.

After graduating from Occidental College in Los Angeles, Strong guided international bike tours for five years. Perhaps it was during those travels that he picked up on the styles and designs that influence his work.

“I’ve always liked Asian and Japanese furniture, and the clean lines and simplicity of Shaker furniture. All those are definitely inspirations for me,” said Strong. “I like to pare down my work to the bare essentials like clean crisp lines with nothing superfluous. I like my pieces to be quiet and warm over people with time.”

Although his designs are clean and contemporary, his methods are far from modern.

“While my pieces might have a more modern look the techniques I use to build it are steeped in tradition,” said Strong. “I hand cut my own dovetail joints, mortise and tenons; it’s quite traditional construction.”

The Siskiyou Woodcraft Guild Fine Woodworking show will take place on Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. This year the event will include work from 11 different artisans and woodcarving demonstrations for the public. Rising Sun Farms is catering the event and three local wineries will be present. The event will be hosted at Pioneer Hall, across from Lithia Park.