Wood Design Hosts 21st Annual Exhibition

On March 7, the Wood Design Exhibition opening was held in the Fine Arts Building Rotunda from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approximately 45 student works were displayed on walls, tables and shelves – products of the Basic Wood Design and subsequent Wood Design and Techniques classes, including anything made after last year’s exhibition. 

The wood design exhibition began 24 years ago, when Ed Felton, wood design instructor and wood studio manager, and Jeff Johnson, adjunct wood design professor, first came to SUNY New Paltz and saw how such an event could be beneficial for the department. 

The works scattered through the rotunda looked nothing short of professional-grade, embellished with striking curves, spikes, stains and carvings all clearly meticulously crafted. “90% of what Ed and I are going to hear tonight is ‘we can’t believe this is mostly a basic student class’ … [their work] is really very ambitious and extraordinary,” said Johnson. 

Every piece of wood was made unique by some extension of each student’s imagination. The assignments that encouraged the works on display all began with a big, solid hunk of wood. Students were asked to create a piece based on the concept of memory, then a container relating to their first project and finally construct a free-standing horizontal surface. 

“We do a group study review so they can get feedback on their ideas, and then start narrowing down to develop a few of them further … participating in that process for each other helps them to develop their aesthetic and their sensibilities.” As noted by Johnson, “I think hardly any of our students go on to be woodworkers professionally. But from a creative point of view, they learn a lot of transferable skills in terms of design, problem solving, [and] craftsmanship.”

The wood department has never had a BFA program, thesis events nor sales to show off the work coming out of the wood studio to the New Paltz community. That’s why this exhibition is so important. As Felton noted, “[the opening is] a really well attended, exciting event … there’s a whole layer of community people who come, because it’s been so consistent every year at the same time.” 

There are a plethora of reasons that not having a BFA program actually enhances what the wood studio can facilitate. Where art education or visual arts majors might feel less prioritized in some of the studios that cater more towards BFA and MFA students, in the wood studio, “there’s this culture of mutual support and ownership over things … For those few students who discover it, that’s their place,” Felton said. 

As the interview with Felton and Johnson was coming to a close, Emma McGrath, a Basic Wood Design student, joined the conversation. When asked about her experience taking wood design classes, she looked straight at Johnson and joked “Ed’s pretty easy going.” Everyone laughed. That feeling of lightness and warmth circulated the entire room and in every interaction between Felton, Johnson and their students. 

A sentiment repeated by both students and professors was just how much time and effort went into each of the pieces. At the opening, Wood Design and Techniques student Lily Hagan said, “It’s really rewarding seeing [my pieces] knowing how much time I spent on [them].” Whether a functional item or a small decorative carving, the care put into everything on display guarantees that each piece has potential to be passed on for generations. 

The Wood Design Exhibition will remain on display in the rotunda March 10-12 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and March 13 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.