Modern Wonders in Wood

Some off the best woodworking artists from the North Coast—which means some of the best anywhere—are showing their work at the Sonoma County Museum’s 24th annual exhibit ‘Artistry in Wood.’

The juried exhibit opens this Friday August 24 and runs through September 23. There will be a family day with demonstrations by the artists September 15. The show includes 32 artists, most from the North Coast but several from the Bay Area and Southern California. It includes furniture, turned wood, and fine art.

Although the work is varied and the craftsmanship rooted in an older age, the museum’s history curator Eric Stanley says much of it is rooted in the style developed at the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program by the late James Krenov.

The style, modern to its core, is about being true to the material, honest and open about its construction. Joinery is exact and exposed.

“It’s not a fancy kind of style,” Stanley says, “but it’s so beautiful and technically impressive, even without the flourishes.”

For more on ‘Artistry in Wood,’ click here.