Open House

Enjoy a warm welcome and introductions from NBSS staff including President Sarah Turner, and Open House hosts Rob O'Dwyer, Director of Admissions and Enrollment, and Kristen Odle, Retail & Exhibit Manager.

At this event, enjoy a trade-specific demonstration by Locksmithing & Security Technology (LK) Department Head Barbara Baker LK ‘04, and get a quick tour of the LK program space, which includes benches for each student, a room for instruction and demonstration, and a resource library. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation.

Our Locksmithing & Security Technology graduates are trained to perform all basic locksmithing tasks, meeting high standards set by the trade. They understand how to service and repair all mechanical residential and commercial door-locking devices, set up a master key system, install locks, service automotive locks, open safes without knowing the combination, and more.

Department Head Barbara Baker earned her NBSS Locksmithing & Security Technology diploma in 2004, studying with David Troiano. After graduating, she worked at Action Lock & Key with Michael Samra LK ’87. She continues to work part-time as a commercial hardware locksmith, specializing in installation and service, as well as on residential projects and benchwork. Barb also works as an electronic hardware technician in the growing field of Electronic Access Control. She holds an Electronic Engineering Technology Certificate, which provides extra value to our program curriculum. Barb is a member of both the Massachusetts Locksmiths Association and Associated Locksmiths of America.

Preservation Carpentry (PC) faculty will give a brief overview and tour of the program, a tool sharpening demonstration, and a highlight of the Hancock Mansion entryway reproduction project. The PC program space includes bench rooms for each student in the first and second years of the program, and a central machine room. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation.

Our two-year Preservation Carpentry program teaches the time-honored skills and values of fine craftsmanship. Our students share a love of history, materials, quality workmanship, and working with their hands to build, restore, and preserve beautiful structures that last. Our students learn a broad range of construction methods, including stabilizing endangered buildings, preserving architectural details, and recreating historical design elements. Graduates work with contractors and institutions specializing in preservation work, including historical millwork and interior finish carpentry.

Department Head Steven O'Shaughnessy PC ’99 is a graduate of our Preservation Carpentry program and teaches first-year students. He worked for Historic New England for six years as a carpenter and supervised NBSS students as summer interns during that time. He has also served as an instructor for Boston YouthBuild’s preservation carpentry component. Steven has guided first-year students through restoration work on many historic properties in the Boston area, including the 1713 Old State House. He earned a Historic New England President’s Award through his work with second-year NBSS students on the preservation of the Pierce House in Dorchester, and in 2010, his class saved an 18th-century two-bay English barn from demolition in Hanover, MA.

Michael Burrey is the second-year instructor for the Preservation Carpentry Program. He specializes in timber-frame joinery and has researched and re-created 17th century methods of roof thatching, interior walls, and paint finishes. After studying Early American and Colonial Life as an undergraduate, he worked as an Interpretive Artisan at Plimoth Plantation researching and interpreting colonial building techniques. In 1999, Michael established MLB Restorations in order to work on the restoration and preservation of historic buildings, and to encourage the design of new structures in harmony with traditional and sustainable building methods. His carpentry skill has been recognized by his selection in 2014 by the Historic Royal Palaces to carry out the hewing and squaring of new timbers to be used in the repair of the Tower of London.

View featured products from our Bookbinding students and graduates. Shop our online store anytime here!

Pictured above: Sketchbooks by Mike Miura BB ’20, marbled paper bookmarks by NBSS Bookbinding students, bindings of Rewarding Work by Greta Llanes BB ’19 and Jennifer Pellecchia BB ’19.

Join NBSS President Sarah Turner for a presentation and discussion about the many evolutions the School has undertaken throughout our 139-year history, and how these adaptations inform our path forward. From kindergartens and credit unions, to watchmaking and boat building, to Google classrooms and virtual public programs—see where we've been and where we're going.

Learn more about the School's history here.

Sarah Turner, NBSS President since 2018, is an educator leading from both the office and the studio. She has worked at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, the Rhode Island School of Design, the State University of New York at New Paltz and the Oregon College of Art and Craft. In addition to her work in education, Sarah has maintained a studio practice rooted in craft. Trained initially in metalsmithing and jewelry, her work ranges from woodworking to weaving to printmaking—always with a focus on the meanings inherent to objects and materials.

Learn more about Sarah here.

Bookbinding (BB) Department Head Jeff Altepeter BB ’99 will give a tour of the Bookbinding program space, a live demonstration of gold tooling on leather, and visits to student benches. The bindery includes a dedicated bench for each student, a wide variety of professional bookbinding equipment including board shears, combination presses, job backer, stamping machines, finishing tools, a guillotine, and more, plus an extensive library of bookbinding texts. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation.

Our two-year Bookbinding program teaches students how to make, restore, and preserve books and other printed treasures. Graduates are trained to bind books in leather, paper, and cloth, use case bindings to bind new books or repair historic books, construct protective enclosures, do finishing work such as blind tooling and gold lettering, and perform aspects of conservation work on leather-bound volumes and paper.

Jeff Altepeter BB ’99 a graduate of the program, the head of the Bookbinding Department, and a 2003 graduate of the American Academy of Bookbinding. After graduating from NBSS, Jeff worked at Harcourt Bindery and Harvard University’s Tozzer Library. He is a past Chair of the New England Chapter of the Guild Book Workers and has mentored many NBSS graduates as they serve in GBW leadership positions. Jeff operates a bindery in Somerville, MA, and he specializes in traditional leather bindings, metalworking for bookbinding, and bookbinding exhibits.

Instructor Martha Kearsley BB ’95 joined the faculty in 2009. A part-time teacher at the School, Martha is a Portland, Maine bookbinder with extensive experience in conservation. She worked as a conservator for Harvard University’s Weissman Preservation Center, the Houghton and Baker Libraries, and the library of Northwestern University.

A hands-on tutorial anyone can do from home with NBSS alumna and Continuing Education instructor Erin Fletcher BB ’12. This quick folding project is great for crafters of all ages! Learn how to create a quick accordion for holding “pocket-sized” pieces of information.

Materials needed if you want to follow along:

• Paper for the pages cut to about 500mm x 150mm / 20” x 6” (a brown paper grocery bag works great!)
• Cover material: cardstock or an old cardboard food container
• Bone folder (optional, if you have one)
• Double-sided tape or glue stick
• Ribbons or ties
• Scissors

Seat weaver and Continuing Education instructor Sue Muldoon will show off a few varieties of seat weaving, and then show attendees how to make a reed snowflake from leftover weaving materials or other supplies from home.

• Download instructions here (will be shared during the tutorial).
• Weaving materials (card stock, colored paper, leftover reeds, or folded pieces of magazine covers).
  • If you want, you can cut the weaving pieces ahead of time: cut 12 strips, 11 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. If you want to make a 2-colored snowflake, cut 8 strips of a main color and 4 strips contrasting color.
• 10-12 Clothespins
• Glue (either white glue or carpenters glue)

An overview of the day's exciting lineup.

Go behind the scenes in the Cabinet & Furniture Making (CF) program with a tour from faculty, live demonstrations, and visits to a few student benches. The expansive program space includes a large bench room with dedicated workspaces for each student, demonstration areas, a large library, lathe room, and a finishing room. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation.

Our two-year Cabinet & Furniture Making program teaches fine craftsmanship through projects incorporating 18th- and 19th-century furniture examples. With these traditional models as a foundation, students are able to design and build furnishings of any era they choose. Graduates are prepared to work in custom furniture or cabinetmaking shops designing, drawing, estimating materials, and constructing and finishing furniture using hand tools and power equipment.

Dan Faia CF ’94 is a graduate of the program and the Department Head. He teaches in both our Full-Time program and Continuing Education courses, in addition to running a custom furniture shop in New Hampshire. Before he joined our faculty, Dan worked with Phil Lowe CF ’74 and Ron Trapasso CF ’69, both master craftsmen. Dan has published numerous articles in Fine Woodworking Magazine.

Steve Brown CF ’90 is a graduate of our program and teaches in both the Full-Time program and Continuing Education classes. Steve worked with Phil Lowe CF ’74 at Makers of Fine Furniture in Beverly, MA, before joining us. His work has been shown in galleries and published in the Fine Woodworking Design Book, and many museum and private collections feature Steve’s restoration work. He lectures throughout the Boston area and has developed several programs for our CE courses.

Lance Patterson CF ’79 is a graduate of the program and a founding member of Boston’s Fort Point Cabinetmakers cooperative. He has designed and built custom furniture for over 30 years. He is also a large format photographer and a contributor to Fine Woodworking Magazine. Lance was named a 2016 Mentor in Design by Design New England Magazine.

Matt Wajda CF ’01 is an NBSS graduate and long-time NBSS Continuing Education instructor. He joined the full-time program faculty in 2017. Matt has also served as an instructor at The Windsor Institute and Penland School of Craft. He's a long-time member of the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers and a contributor to Fine Woodworking Magazine's video series. Matt founded River City Woodworking in 2001, which produces high-end furnishings and millwork for residential and commercial clients.

Basic Piano Technology instructor Emily Townsend PT ’07, PA ’08 will give a tour of the Basic Piano Technology (PT) program plus live demonstrations and time for Q&A. The PT program includes a large bench room for group work, a classroom, and sixteen individual tuning practice rooms outfitted with a variety of both upright and grand pianos.

NBSS offers two Piano Technology programs, and both attract students who share a passion for music, problem solving and mechanics, and the hand skills used to restore and care for beautiful musical instruments. The one-year Basic program covers all phases of aural piano tuning, including the concepts on which equal temperament is founded. Students learn to tune, regulate, and repair the actions of both upright and grand pianos.

Learn about our other Piano Technology program during the Advanced Piano Technology session at 1:00 pm.

Emily Townsend PT ’07, PA ’08 is a 2007 graduate of the NBSS Basic Piano Technology program, a 2008 graduate of the Advanced program, and a Registered Piano Technician. She also holds a degree in piano performance from Trinity University. Emily has served as head technician at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and as a concert technician at both Aspen Music Festival and School and Tanglewood. She now runs her own tuning and rebuilding business.

Debbie Cyr PA ’93 is a 1993 graduate of the Advanced Piano program, is a Registered Piano Technician, and the Department Head. She works as a piano rebuilder and has an established piano tuning clientèle. She is also the staff piano technician at Brandeis University. A recent past president of the Boston Piano Technicians Guild, she teaches at regional and national PTG seminars.

WILL ROPER PT ’19

Will Roper PT ’19 is a recent graduate of the program and is now the program's Teaching Assistant.

View featured products from our Cabinet & Furniture Making students and graduates. Shop our online store anytime here!

Pictured above: Turned, lidded bowl by Grant Burger CF ’17, geometric cutting boards by Ryan Messier CF ’11, nutcracker by Ellen Kaspern CF ’03, and marking gauge by Bob Miller CF ’11 / Mass Woodworks.

Curious about attending one of our Full-Time programs? Join us for an online Information Session, covering both admissions and financial aid. NBSS is now accepting Full-Time program applications for the next three start dates in February, March, and September 2021.

Presented by Director of Admissions & Enrollment Rob O'Dwyer, Associate Director of Admissions Sharon Stetson, and Director of Financial Aid Jamie Dergay, hear an overview of our programs of study and community, learn about the admissions process and requirements, and get info on the financial aid process, including funding, scholarships, and veterans' benefits for qualified students. There will be time to ask questions during the event.

Rob O'Dwyer | Sharon Stetson | Jamie Dergay

Go behind the scenes in the Advanced Piano Technology (PA) program with a quick tour from instructor Louis Del Bene PT ’06, PA ’07, plus live demonstrations and time for Q&A. The PA space includes a large workspace where students restore grand pianos, an instructor demonstration bench, machine room, and spray booth.

NBSS offers two Piano Technology programs (Basic and Advanced), and both attract students who share a passion for music, problem solving and mechanics, and the hand skills used to restore and care for beautiful musical instruments. The Advanced Piano Technology program focuses on the entire piano and comprehensive piano service. Each year, PA students work in teams of two or three to dismantle, rebuild, and repair grand pianos. They also learn advanced tuning and regulation practice. Many students who graduate from the Basic program continue for another year in the Advanced program.

After graduating from both NBSS Piano Technology programs, Louis Del Bene PT ’06, PA ’07 worked in a number of piano rebuilding shops, and eventually launched his own business, Brevet Piano Service, in Santa Rosa, CA. He is a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild and has served as President & Vice President in the Central North Carolina chapter and later, as Vice President for the San Francisco chapter.

Louis teaches students in the PA program. Get to know our other Piano Technology faculty during the Basic Piano Technology tour at 11:00 am.

Most piano technicians are always on the move and have to make careful choices about the tools they carry with them. Join us for a show and tell with Renee Kelsey PT ’17, PA ’18, an NBSS alumna and Continuing Education Instructor who currently is a Piano Technician at John Hopkins Peabody Institute. She'll show off how she's set up her mobile tool kit, discuss tools she uses for "everyday service," and explain how she has modified some of her tools, and also in some cases, made her own.

This 30-minute activity will include a short introduction to SketchUp, a free, easy-to-use digital drafting program. Instructor Eli Cleveland CF ’09, Cabinet & Furniture Making graduate and Continuing Education instructor, will then give a virtual tour of some detailed Sketchup models. See how Sketchup can be used to design a house, furniture, or piece of jewelry, lay out a room, carefully plan a construction project, and much more.

If you would like to follow along with the demonstration, please prepare ahead of time:

• Ensure you have a stable internet connection
• Create a login for SketchUp. Any version of SketchUp will work, including SketchUp Free

An overview of the day's exciting lineup.

Carpentry (CA) faculty Peter Smith and Brock Leiendecker will give a brief overview and tour of the program, a coping demonstration, and offer time at the end for questions from the audience. The CA program includes large flexible spaces for group construction projects and bench work, plus a large fully-outfitted machine room.

Our nine-month Carpentry (CA) program trains individuals to work in residential construction or renovation. Graduates are prepared to perform all basic tasks of the carpentry trade, both rough and finish, meeting code requirements and the expectations of clients. Students learn how to read blueprints accurately, estimate materials, and construct a basic single-family house, including construction of cabinets, trim, molding, and stairs, installation of windows and doors, and much more. Students frequently work at off-site locations including construction projects for private clients.

Peter Smith PC ’04 is the Carpentry Department Head and a graduate of our Preservation Carpentry program. He most recently worked for custom building and design firm David E. Lanoue, Inc, and previously supervised NBSS interns at Mt. Lebanon Shaker Village. Peter is also a former NBSS Continuing Education instructor, with additional experience as a camp counselor and a public school teacher.

Brock Leiendecker PC ’16 graduated from the School's Preservation Carpentry program, and has worked on a variety of preservation and building projects throughout New England. He previously taught Continuing Education courses and served as an assistant in both the Carpentry and Preservation Carpentry programs.

At this event, enjoy a tour of the program space by Violin Making & Repair (VM) Department Head Roman Barnas, plus student demonstrations of rib construction, carving, and varnishing. The VM program includes a dedicated bench for each student, a machine room, sharpening station, finishing/varnish room, library, and drawing area. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation.

The three-year Violin Making & Repair (VM) program at NBSS is one of the few full-time instrument making programs in the United States. The curriculum provides a solid foundation to the art and science of stringed instrument making, and an introduction to restoration. Over the course of the program, students build six violins and a viola. Students, alumni, and faculty regularly receive international recognition for the craftsmanship and tonality of their instruments. Graduates are trained to work in instrument shops, and are prepared to repair and set-up stringed instruments and bows to meet the standards of the craft and the needs of a professional or student musician.

Roman Barnas is originally from Zakopane, Poland, and began making his first violins at age 14, when he attended the Secondary School of Fine Arts. He studied music and violin making for five years at the Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan, Poland, eventually receiving his Master of Fine Arts.

Roman came to the U.S. in 1996, where he worked for more than nine years specializing in violin restoration at Psarianos Violins in Troy, Michigan. He has studied with Hans Nebel and Boyd Paulsen, and is a regular participant in the Oberlin Violin Making Workshop. Among Roman’s past commissions was a replacement Gaspar da Salo viola for the late Nathan Gordon, a former Concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, one of Roman's violins earned him a Certificate of Merit for tone for at the 2010 Violin Society of America violin-making competition. See Roman's website for examples of his work.

Join us from noon-1:00 pm in the NBSS Store/Gallery for demonstrations and alumni shop tours with Retail & Exhibit Manager Kristen Odle. Learn how students and alumni create the beautiful work we sell here in the Store!

Kristen will feature four guests:

Pop in to the Fort Point jewelry studio of Jewelry Making & Repair alumna Melissa Finelli JM ’96, Melle Finelli Jewelry. Read an interview with Melissa in the Boston Voyager here.

View a handmade tool demonstration by Bookbinding student Mitch Gundrum BB ’21. Watch an interview with Mitch here from our In the Making series.

Visit Bookbinding alumna and instructor Martha Kearsley BB ’95 in her printmaking studio in Portland, Maine. Learn more about Martha here.

At this event, enjoy live demonstrations of faceted stone setting and learn the how a ring is made from Jewelry Making & Repair (JM) Department Head Ann Cahoon JM ‘02. She'll also give quick tour of the JM program space, which includes dedicated benches for each student and equipment for polishing, soldering, engraving, metal forming, laser welding, stone setting, and silver, gold, and platinum fabrication. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation.

The two-year Jewelry Making & Repair program prepares students to become professionals in the industry, working in retail stores and trade shops. Graduates of the program are trained to construct jewelry from gold, platinum, and silver, set stones, and finish to a professional standard, and can also repair jewelry and restore pieces to their original appearance. Their course work also includes metal and stone identification, metal forming techniques, polishing, soldering, engraving, laser welding, and more.

Ann Cahoon JM ’02 has a BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry and Ceramics from the Maine College of Art and is a graduate of NBSS and the Department Head. She was a finalist in the gold and platinum category of the 2010 Saul Bell Awards. She works on one-of-a-kind and limited production jewelry as a principal goldsmith and designer at Flying Marquis Studio in Leominster, MA. Ann also writes, lectures, and judges for the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) and Jewelry Artist. She is the technical co-editor of the MJSA book Secret Shop Weapons, and is featured in an instructional DVD produced by Lapidary Journal.

Learn how to clean and maintain your own jewelry with simple items that can be found at home with NBSS alumna and Continuing Education Instructor Mechelle Lois JM ’14.

If you would like to follow along at home and clean a piece of your own jewelry, please gather these items:

• A small bowl of warm water
• Dish soap or Mr. Clean
• A soft toothbrush