Andy Glenn’s new ebook “Backwoods Chairmakers” has been a runaway hit – we’ve about blown by way of the primary press run after solely 3-1/2 months.

Not too long ago, Andy had the good thought to collect the chairmakers from his ebook at Berea Faculty so readers can meet these chairmakers, hear their tales, see their chairs and watch demonstrations of how they work.

We predict it’s an amazing thought, so we’re working with Berea Faculty Scholar Craft to carry the occasion on Sunday, June 2, on the faculty’s campus in Berea, Kentucky. Tickets will probably be $33, and attendance is capped at 200 folks.

The all-day occasion will function 13 Appalachian chairmakers from Andy’s ebook. We’ve requested every demonstrator to carry a few of their chairs so you may see the work in particular person. All of the chairs will probably be assembled in a gallery so that you can get pleasure from. We’ll even have 4 different “phases” going all day so that you can go to.

The Storytime Stage: The place chairmakers will share their tales of how they obtained into the craft and handle to maintain their enterprise afloat in a world full of mass-manufactured items.

The Turning Stage: A number of of the turners use lathes of their work and can exhibit how they make elements utilizing this machine.

The Shaping & Meeting Stage: Chairmakers will exhibit the methods they use to form posts & rungs and assemble the chairs.

The Greenwood Stage: Splitting, hewing and hickory bark demonstrations will happen on this outside space. 

Plus Andy will probably be there to signal books.

Ladderback chairs are lastly getting their second within the solar, and I hope you’ll make the drive to Berea this June to attend this outstanding occasion. There may be heaps to do and see in Central Kentucky, so it will be simple to make this a part of a fast weekend trip.

Heck, for the last word expertise, signal as much as make a chair with Andy at Pinecroft the week after the occasion (June 3-8). Or a category with Andy in hickory bark harvesting the day earlier than the occasion. I can not imagine there are nonetheless spots open for these lessons.

Extra particulars on the occasion and registration will come later this week.

Please observe that this isn’t a money-making enterprise. Berea Faculty Scholar Craft has donated the area for the occasion. The tickets cowl the honorariums for the chairmakers. 

— Christopher Schwarz

Locations close by Berea (or on the best way) that woodworkers and their households would love:

The Kentucky Artisan Middle in Berea
Shaker Village at Nice Hill in Harrodsburg
Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington
Museum of Appalachia in Anderson County, Tennessee
Ashland: The Henry Clay Property in Lexington
Many stops alongside the Bourbon Path
Excursions of Lexington’s superb horse farms