Master Artist: Jon Siegel, Wilmot | Apprentice: Colby Weyant, Franklin
Community Presentation: TBA
Community Presentation: TBA
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| Jon giving a demo at League Fair |
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| Banister back chairs, maple, rush seats |
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| Demo at League of NH Craftsman Fair |
“The development of furniture design for centuries has been
linked to woodturning. My specialty is spindle turning, the branch of woodturning
that produces the classical forms used in the early colonial period and
architectural applications such as Victorian porches…History is what I love
about New England, especially the Industrial Revolution—the mills and the old
machines. But even before that—300 years ago—Portsmouth was renowned for its
furniture. Today, great woodworking organizations like the New Hampshire
Furniture Masters Association and the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers have
brought about a woodworking Renaissance in our state.” - Jon Siegel, Master
Artist, Wood Turning
In 2014-2015 Siegel, a founder of the Guild of NH Woodworkers,
will work with Weyant on all aspects of learning the trade of woodturning. Weyant
is a high school student at Merrimack Valley High School where he has often
expanded on assignments from shop class at home. The team will cover tool
sharpening and maintenance, efficiently setting up a shop, geometry and angle
measurement, and principals of design. Siegel hopes Weyant will master basic
shapes such as the ball, bottle, cove, pommel and cinchure and be able to
duplicate designs to create multiples. Weyant will be demonstrating what he has
learned through the apprenticeship at Merrimack Valley High School’s Senior
Project Night.
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In 2014-2015 the NH State Council on the Arts awarded Traditional Arts
Apprenticeship Grants to 7 Master and Apprentice teams. Apprenticeship
grants help communities preserve their cultural heritage through
traditional crafts, music, and dance so that future generations can
continue to benefit from them. Apprenticeship grants fund a master
traditional artist to teach an experienced apprentice in one-to-one
sessions over a period of six to ten months. Nearly every state in the
US has an apprenticeship program that is supported by the National
Endowment for the Arts.
