In the Making: Grab a Chair

November 20, 2020

Categories

In the Making

“A chair is considered to be one of the first pieces of furniture. If you think about it, the moment we became bi-pedal, we had to sit somewhere.”
– Julie Muniz

On Thursday, November 19, we hosted a live conversation with a custom furniture maker, a curator, and a tastemaker as we threaded the story between chair restoration, Fuller Craft Museum’s exhibition From Where I Sit, and material culture.

View a video of the full conversation above.

Beth McLaughlin, Artistic Director and Chief Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at Fuller Craft, showcased significant pieces in the exhibition, including works by Garry Knox Bennett, Kristina Madsen, and Vivian Beer. Julie Muniz, curator and owner of ChairAware (@chair_aware on Instagram), addressed cultural trends and meanings of the applied arts though chair forms, and shared notable works by Bert Loeschner, Karen Ryan, Pablo Reinoso, and Martino Gamper. Current Cabinet & Furniture Making student Art LaMan CF ’21 detailed the rescue and restoration of a rod-backed Windsor chair found in the trash by NBSS faculty member Dan Faia.

Together with moderator and NBSS staff member Kristen Odle, they explored craftsmanship, ingenuity, and the expressive potential of the humble seat.


“In the Making” is a new public programs series where we connect with a range of new voices, fields, and perspectives. Learn more and view a full list of participants on the series homepage.