The Studio Furniture/Wood Program champions individual voice supported by strong technical skills, critical thinking, and experimentation. Traditional woodworking techniques geared toward furniture design and construction as well as experimental processes are taught and encouraged. The program is based on the idea that a student’s future success is dependent on creative excellence, strong technical skills and a solid basic liberal arts education.
BFA
Undergraduate classes are designed to give students a strong foundation in woodworking techniques while emphasizing idea development and experimentation. Lectures, demonstrations, and handouts, along with small class sizes that allow for one-on-one instruction, ensure that students learn to use the equipment safely.
Studio furniture, sculpture, and design are all supported in this program, and the Craft department’s emphasis on the five media, along with the nearby location of sculpture facilities, allows for the incorporation of other media such as cast and blown glass, clay, metal, and fiber. Material interplay is supported and encouraged!
MFA
The MFA in Fine Arts with a concentration in Wood program entails two years of intensive studio work. Graduate students will demonstrate a serious dedication to their work and to the development of their vision. Surrounded by the energy of a vibrant undergraduate program, a tight-knit cohort of interdisciplinary MFA candidates, and through meetings with the wood area faculty and other committee members you will be supported in your quest to establish yourself in this field.
Facilities
The Studio Furniture/Wood Program occupies approximately 7000 sq.ft. and consists of a large bench room with a general class bench area plus 27 individual Ulmia benches.
The machine room includes:
- 2- 10” 5hp Saw stop table saws
- 24″ Powermatic bandsaw
- 24” Tannewitz bandsaw
- 14″ Oliver bandsaw
- 24″ Powermatic planer
- 12” Portable Dewalt Planer
- 16” Oliver Jointer
- 12″ Bridgewood Jointer
- 24” Grizzly Thickness Sander
- Rockwell Radial Arm Saw
- Multi Router
- Two One-Way lathes
- 56″ Crouch edge sander
- 20″ Jet disk sander
- Grizzly spindle sander
- Safety cut panel saw
- Downdraft table
- Router table
- Dewalt scroll saw
- Dewalt sliding miter saw
- Vacuum Bag 4’X8’ (and additional smaller bags)
- Steam bending equipment
- Festool Domino
- Festool Track Saw
- Tormek Sharpening System with carving tool attachments
- Wide assortment of hand tools-planes, gouges, chisels, files, etc
- Assortment of Wetzler, Bessey, and Jorgensen clamps
- Spray Booth