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Audio Block Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more This episode is a special edition of sorts where we actually talk about the process of making instead of getting all existential like we usually do… and although this is definitely not a “tool talk” it is more of a How Make! than a Why Make? this time around!On Episode 39 of Why Make? we talk with Karen Ernst a maker and educator, who is currently a Professor in the Art Department at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she teaches woodworking and furniture design.Originally from East Aurora, NY, Karen holds a BA in Studio Art from SUNY Geneseo and an MFA in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of DesignWe talk with Karen about her process of making one of her colorful and uniquely shaped woodworking objects and follow her down a meandering path of creativity… from the germination of an idea, usually in her sketchbook, all the way to the final evaluation of her finished pieces.Karen also talks to us about the intoxication of creating things people can use, her addiction to making and how it all began for her with an an eye opening field trip she took to Wendell Castle’s studio in Scottsville, NY.So join us as we set off on a journey through one makers mind and their process of making. Find out more about Karen on her website www.karenernstdesign.com

Welcome to the 2021 holiday episode of Why Make. For the end of our third season we have something extra special in store for you… a conversation with one of the groundbreaking artists of the modern studio furniture movement, Tommy Simpson. Tommy’s work has a whimsical bent, but that belies a serious approach to making for someone who has created a universe of unique objects in every media you can think of. Tommy along with Wendell Castle cracked the furniture atom with their 1966 exhibition in New York Fantasy Furniture boldly declaring that furniture was no longer solely about form and function.  This interview also marks a special moment for the Why Make crew. We’ve been asked by the Furniture Society to do a short documentary about Tommy’s life and career. It’ll be our first film, and for that reason we have brought on board documentary filmmaker Nic Beery of Beery Media, an old friend of the podcast, to help us with this project. And now enjoy our conversation with Tommy Simpson, a warm and open soul, who has created more than 4,000 pieces in an over a more than 60 year career.    View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Find out more about Tommy Simpson on his websitePermalink

In this episode of Bonus Make! we continue our conversation with Ellie Richards, a furniture designer, sculptor and teacher who is currently a resident artist at the Penland School of Crafts.We talk with Ellie about her project “The Highboy’s Understory: Deconstructing the Icon” in which she examines the Winterthur, Delaware Museum, Garden and Library’s collection of high chests and other related forms. Richards plans to incorporate this research in a new line of work that responds to and reflects on the many stories, about race, class and society as embodied and embedded in these iconic furniture forms. Join us as we crack open and unpack the grand and flamboyant 17th century high boy with maker Ellie Richards. Discover more about Ellie and her work at www.ellie-richards.comFind out more about her highboy project and more about Winterthur here www.winterthur.org

In Episode 36 Why Make? we talk with furniture designer, sculptor and teacher Ellie Richards who is currently a resident artist at the Penland School of Crafts in the mountains of Western North Carolina. After growing up in Pittsburgh, PA she attended the University of Dayton in Studio Art & Art Education program as an undergrad and Arizona State University in their Sculpture & Wood MFA program. More recently as a Windgate fellow Ellie spent time at San Diego State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in their wood & furniture design programs.Looking to the tradition of both woodworking and the readymade Ellie creates eclectic assemblage, installation, and objects exploring intersections of labor, leisure, community, and culture. Richards has also traveled extensively to investigate the role play and improvisation have on the artistic process. We discuss 2019’s Continuous Limit Line in which Ellie creates a fabricated chain made out of found police traffic barriers. Ellie talks about her Totems and a constant habit of deconstructing and reassembling Brooms and brushes of all shapes and sizes. Navigating this world with honesty, creativity and optimism Ellie believes craft can be a powerful vehicle for sharing culture. So lets take a break from work… its time to play! Discover more about Ellie and her work at www.ellie-richards.com

In this episode of Bonus Make we talk with Katie Hudnall, about that most important of any artists tools, the sketchbook. As a tool for organizing your thoughts, a visual expression of your daily experiences or just a place to write down a shopping list next to a cool idea for a Rube Goldberg Machine, the sketchbook is a Swiss Army Knife for most artists. Katie guides us through her sketch book ,which she also views as her portable studio, as we take a virtual studio.Look on the Podcast page of the website for an illustrated mixed media version of this episode to go along with the audio only version, and now “Katie’s Sketchbook”

In Episode 34 of Why Make we talk with artist, woodworker and educator Katie Hudnall, currently living in Madison Wisconsin she is an assistant professor of art at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Katie began in the arts as someone who loved to draw and was able to morph her drawing language into a unique woodworking style, despite her admitted lack of finer woodworking skills. Hudnall relies mostly on recycled, used and found materials, slotted screws and various other fasteners to create fantastic and other worldly work. Many of her pieces remind one of “Rube Goldberg” machine-like kinetic sculptures visiting from another era.After taking a class with woodworking luminary, Jere Osgood, Katie soon became fond of quoting his answer to her inquiry on whether an idea would work or not… Jere simply replied to her “it might be a disaster, we should try it!” Our conversation with Katie may be a disaster, but an intriguing and bizarrely shaped one for sure. So here we go…  View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Find out more about Katie and her work at www.katiehudnall.com

In Episode 33 of Why Make? we talk with furniture maker, sculptor, and educator, Andy Buck. Andy is currently a full professor in the School for American Crafts in the College of Art and Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has also taught at the Oregon College of Art & Craft, and given workshops at Anderson Ranch, Haystack, Penland and Peters Valley.Andy’s work has always seemed to embody fun and whimsical forms but we step behind the whimsy to talk about the serious ideas he is exploring in his work and the unique design vocabulary he has developed.Robb has been an admirer of Andy’s work for a long time and his fun play on tools and toilet bowl plungers inspired his early work, including an ongoing flyswatter series! So grab a brush and a can of milk paint and join us as we see what makes Andy Buck tick. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Check out more of Andy’s work on his website www.andybuck.com and read his artist feature on the Arbortech site. A quick program note… this conversation was recorded in late November 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic was in full swing. As you listen now and possibly in the very near future it continues to be a focal point of all of our lives and a prominent part of many of our conversations.

Episode 32 of Why Make? is a Bonus Make! as we continue our conversation with Adam Manley and talk about his 2018 solo exhibition, Ordinary Rendition.

On Episode 31 of Why Make? we are joined by Adam Manley a San Diego, California based maker and educator. We talk with Adam about everything under the hot California sun including his large-scale sculpture and installations, his furniture and functional objects, and teaching San Diego State University as an assistant professor in their Furniture design and woodworking program.

Episode 30 of Why Make? is a Bonus Make! We discuss with Michael Puryear the evolution and creation of his Dan chair, his interpretation of a classic African low chair, which is now a part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.

On Episode 29 of Why Make? we talk with Michael Puryear a consummate New York based furniture maker with an elegant understated aesthetic. Please join us on one makers journey as we find out what inspires and motivates Michael Puryear.

On Episode 28 of the Why Make? podcast we talk with artist Maggie Sasso, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin based maker producing maritime influenced installation work. Maggie’s conceptual bodies of work examines material culture in relation to our collective past using comedy and levity to navigate through the harsh realities of modern life. Although Maggie has a background in contemporary craft, including woodworking and metal smithing, most of her current work is in fiber… resulting from an a-ha moment she had after raising a hand sewn signal flag over her then home in Kenosha, Wisconsin.Journey with us as we talk with Maggie about childhood plays performed for an audience of trees, studying with her father, maker and educator Paul Sasso, and even her husband, Ben Jones, crash testing speedboats into logs. So pull on your life preserver pants as we meditate on the horizon line and sail through the vast creative ocean of Maggie Sasso! Find out more about Maggie and her work… www.maggiesasso.com

In Episode 27 of Why Make? we talk with filmmaker John Nakashima and discuss his new documentary George Nakashima, Woodworker about his uncle, George Nakashima John unfolds about the making of his new documentary, his life long relationship with his uncle George and the 20 year journey he has taken in making this stunning film. So grab a hand plane or a chisel, pop in your earbuds and get to work on that air dried slab of walnut you just acquired… and hold on for a Why Make? history lesson!Enjoy. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Discover more about John Nakashima and his documentary here https://nakashimadocumentary.comLearn about the George Nakashima Peace Foundation here https://nakashimafoundation.orgSee George’s work here https://nakashimawoodworkers.com

In Episode 26, our 2021 Season Introduction, we take a look back at the dumpster fire that was 2020 and the multitude of ways we were able stay healthy, talking and connected. We look back at about some of the wonderful conversations we had last year and also give a preview of the upcoming episodes planned for 2021. We also dig into a couple of the Why Make? side projects on the drawing board! Hang on as we take a bumpy ride back through the last year and swerve confidently into the Why Make? future.

Episode 25 of Why Make? is a Bonus Make! as we talk with Greenville, SC artist Daniel Marinelli about creating the new landmark sign at Penland School of Craft. With butterflies in his stomach about creating his largest commission to date, Marinelli goes into detail about the design and fabrication of this incredible sign and the thrill of a job well done!Don’t adjust the kerning on this episodes layout, Daniel has already done it for you… so just sit back, listen and enjoy the latest Bonus Make! Find out more about Daniel and his work at okgoods.co and danielmarinelli.comAnd discover Penland School of Crafts too!

Why graduate school? Episode 23 of Why Make? is a Bonus Make! and we talk with artist and educator Cory Robinson about his decision to go to grad school at San Diego State University in their Furniture Design and Woodworking program and how he chose which school and program to attend. Continuing our conversation from Episode 22 we have an honest discussion about what can reasonably be accomplished in a graduate program and “get schooled” by Cory Robinson. We also talk about many of the amazing alum that have come through the SDSU Furniture program including Mia Hall, Russell Baldon, Barbara Holmes, Christine Lee, Lyn Syzmanski, Kim Winkle, Richard Ford and former program instructor, Wendy Maruyama. Enjoy this exciting Bonus Make!⠀ View fullsize View fullsize Cory Robinson View fullsize Wendy Maruyama View fullsize Richard Ford View fullsize Russell Baldon View fullsize Barbara Holmes View fullsize Kim Winkle View fullsize Christine Lee View fullsize Mia Hall View fullsize Lyn Syzmanski Find out more about Cory and his work at www.coryrobinsonstudio.com and the Furniture Program at SDSU here www.sdsufurniture.org

On Episode 22 of Why Make? we talk with Cory Robinson, an artist and educator, who teaches at the Herron School of the Arts in Indianapolis Indiana. Cory grew up in small town Indiana and after traveling and schooling in other parts of the world returned to his alma mater to become an educator. Robinson’s work encompasses painting, sculpture, furniture and design. In this episode we discuss what it means to be a Studio Furniture Maker and the impact of Collectable Design on the practice of furniture making. Please hang out with us on this episode as we get nerdy discussing with Cory about how the art history and furniture world’s coexist. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Find out more about Cory and his work at www.coryrobinsonstudio.com

Sylvie Rosenthal is a Madison, Wisconsin based artist and educator. She maintains a studio practice making commission furniture, work for online sales, and fantastic genre challenging sculpture dealing with the intersecting flight patterns of the histories of trade, hybridity, materiality, queer theory, and the natural world. On Episode 21 of Why Make? we discuss her fascinating 2018 show at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee called “House Of Risk” and the implications of taking risks in ones work. We also talk about the way in which Sylvie seeks to put multiple layers of understanding and interpretation in her work but ultimately leaves it to the viewer to determine meaning.Take a chance, roll the dice and join us for the next hour as we discuss risk with Sylvie Rosenthal! Find out more about Sylvie and her work at www.sylvierosenthal.com

Straight from the editing room workbench we are continuing with our newest feature in the Why Make? Bonus Make! These are pieces and parts from our initial conversation with Adrien Segal that didn’t make the final cut of Episode 19 but still make for some very compelling discussion about her life and artwork.Please enjoy Episode 20, our second Bonus Make! We talk with Adrien about her time spent as an ‘artist at sea’ aboard the RV Falkor off the coast of Fiji and some of her other geographically inspired adventuring. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Find out more about Adrien and her work at www.adriensegal.com Why make? happenings Sign up with your name and email address to receive news and updates about the Why Make? podcast First Name Last Name Email Address Sign Up Thank you!