Summer 2023
BACK
FROM
THE BEACH
1936 N Second St.
Philadelphia, PA
Featuring the works of Rich Cali, Jim Olarte, Nick Lavecchia, Charlie Nutting, Keely Angel, Chris Pfeil, Scott Szgesky, Butch Sullivan, Kevin Mirsky, Dave Shoemaker, Jordan Kendall Parks, and Ben McBrien.
Past Shows
DOW-NA-SHOOR
August 11-22 2023
An exhibition of contemporary
Furniture, Photography,
Art and Craft
Featuring:
Alex Weinstein
Nick Lavecchia
Dave Shoemaker
Scott Szgesky
Butch Sullivan
Keely Angel
Kevin Mirsky
Jordan Parks
Sean O'Brien
Chris Pfiel
Ben McBrien
Mike Ball
Jim Olarte
Parlor Gallery
717 Cookman Ave
Asbury Park, NJ
2022
Dow-Na-Shoor
713 BANGS AVE. ASBURY PARK, NJ
I am Popping-Up in Asbury Park this mid-summer. from July 15th - August 15th I am displaying my work in collaboration with many of the artists that I have worked with or known over my 20 year path to discovering that I'm an Artist too. I've made some unique furniture and sculpture pieces from wood, metal and stone and am placing it in a setting amongst the Art and Artistry of my many talented friends. The name: Dow-na-shoor is a play on the hoagie mouth dialect of Kensington where I make all these wares inspired by my town & country lifestyle and where I hope to show them to you. It's my escape from the grime and heat of city for the hottest part of summer. In addition to furniture makers Leeward studio and Noevarra I have artists Mike Ball, Keith Greiman, Knifemaker Butch Sullivan and Ceramics by Felt&Fat all shoobies coming down from Philly. And all the way down from Maine my old friends Nick Lavecchia and Ty Williams sent some arts to bejewel the walls in the gallery. Every thing will be for sale with the art and larger items available for pick-up, shipping or local deliveries on or after aug. 15. open weds-sun 10-6pm COME SEE!
January 2022
Fairmount Haus Gallery
The Big News: I will be Displaying some of the furniture I have been making this year at the Fairmount House Gallery ( 206 Fairmount Avenue,Philadelphia, PA, 19123 ) Opening Reception Feb. 5 from 5-8pm
All the Pieces are built with an improvisational spirit from Refuse, Offcuts, Leftovers, and Trash. I spent most of the fall in a trance, watching from out of body, while my hands diligently created whatever whimsical item some inner voice commanded. No plans and very few measurements were utilized in the construction process while instead I picked from my hoard, let shit happen and fixed what didn't work out on first try. It was simultaneously cathartic and chaotic; frustrating and fulfilling. There was joy, there was grief and when all the dust settled I had over a dozen small tables, benches and stools built from wood, stone, steel and brass. All one of a kind experiments and prototypes that I never knew I wanted to make until they made themselves. I can't wait to show them to you!
YOU ARE WELCOME
February 2019
Simmons Coffee Table
My latest shape pays homage to one of the pioneers of hydrodynamic design. Bob Simmons was making surfboards in the 1940s, first from balsa wood and later foam and glass, with the single goal of going fast. He was riding twin fins before single fins became the norm and didn't return to the light until the fishes of the shortboard revolution more than a decade later. His square, wide highly foiled boards were more than 2 feet shorter than was the convention and incorporated sidecuts, a concept that is really only now gaining popularity amongst surfers/shapers. He was scooping concaves and foiling rails at a time when the other surfers were riding square edged Blake style "Kookboxes" and he seemed to possess an understanding of planing that was generations ahead of his time. A kindred spirit with a need to go fast and do it his way.
The white oak top is hand-shaped using power tools and is a literal take on the ubiquitous "Surfboard" style tables of the Mid-Century. The ash legs are thru-tennoned/wedged and blackened with iron.
This design is one i plan to repeat and expound upon. i just finished version 3 in Walnut and am planning version 4 with a magazine rack below. Feel free to contact to custom order.
Stay Tuned...
BUILT for SPEED
January 2019
NEW WORK...
I believe I'm outside the box with this one, a commissioned dining table for clients in the windy city. I happened to be working on a curved railing (post to follow) in my studio during their visit and this base idea jumped out of my skull when asked what the base for a 9'x 5' oval top might look like.
I named this one the "Cow-catcher" since i thought the curved base pedestals resemble the grill on the front of an olde time steam engine (to me anyway). The base is built from Ash and Steel and the top is burnt Ash with brass patches and butterfly.
Its a scary place, this area outside my box, fraught with insecurity and self doubt. There are few references to compare my design with and many opportunities to lose motivation over the course of the build. I almost lost a thumb to my jointer whilst making this one. I am super thankful to the clients for their belief in my vision and ability to see outside the box, and proud to deliver something this unique.
The shape of folk to come
December 2018
Hospitality Work
Farmhaus
sld design
for
I was commissioned by Philadelphia Based firm, SLD design, to build two unique multi-use tables for the JDV Revival Hotel in Baltimore, MD. The first table was a live edge walnut table top for the private dining room of one of the suites. Chris from SLD had sourced the vintage chrome Eames conference table bases which makes for a really rad mash-up of mass-production meets organic free form style.
The second table table is one of my own design and it serves as a conference / dining table in the common area. This one i called "the Scout". (you can see detailed studio photos of it below in an older post) The Scout is one of my favorite objects that I've been granted the grace to build. I love that it can be scaled from a coffee table up through a 10' (or beyond) conference table using the same interlocking joinery and be shipped flat to be assembled by the owner. Sort of like IKEA but an Heirloom quality piece and not garbage...
November 2018
Nostalgia...
WOOD - n - WAVES
Back in Oct. of 2017, with the help of the "American St Dream Team", i transformed the formerly condemned back room in the shop space i rent into a showroom/gallery. we hosted a rad party on a gorgeous night in Kensington and exhibited a show titled "Wood-N-Waves", a collection of cerebral, surf-centric photography framed in a variety of exceptional off-cuts from the shop. We even had a little surf vid projecting on the walls outside, a foreign site in this neck of the woods. I am really proud of what were able to do with the space with some paint, scrap wood and elbow grease and perpetually disappointed that i can never get it together to host more events in the spot. thank you @aframetrestles for documenting the high life we were livin' just about a year back.
Sept 2018
HEWN...
After two years of silence I am finally allowed to show the results of a collaboration with Anthropologie for a display of an in store wellness concept thingy. I helped design and built, with the help of the "American Street Dream Team", three "Huts" (as we came to call them) as a prototype store-within-a-store area for body, health and wellness what-not. Farmhaus was commissioned to create a light weight, knock-down-able, flat-packable display that assembles into a free-standing structure 16'L x 8'W x 10'H with open gable ends and a door in the center. I used a series of woven inter-locking half-lap joints and brass plated RTA hardware as well as all-thread and morticed pipes as a ridge-pole to create a structure from reclaimed pine that is capable of supporting floating shelves and displays. My shop is still splattered in all 9 shades of hombre Pink-wash that was ultimately the chosen finish.
For me this project was a challenge to translate the whimsy of visual concept into a functional object while navigating both my personal design ideas (read EGO) and the visions and expectations of the other designers. It ended far from where it started but it was Loved when it was done. I've been informed there are 15 of these Hewn shops nationwide with 110 to roll out by holiday. I am only responsible for the prototypes but...
IF CREDIT'S WHAT MATTERS I'LL TAKE CREDIT!
farmhaus for Anthropologie
August 2018
PONG!
Way back in May of 2017 my great friends Phil & Jess Brown of Glide Surf Co. in Asbury Park, NJ commissioned a table for their beautiful shop on Bangs Ave. They gave me no design guidelines at all and offered only foam and resin as payment so
of course i went way overboard and made them the raddest folding store display/pong table that i could imagine. The table sits on Krenov sawhorse inspired trestles with dual sliding pull-out arms to support the top which folds long ways to be 30" when closed and 60" when open and the regulation 9'length. The top is made from Bleached Ash with a Walnut stringer. Details are too numerous to list. We threw a legendary party in the surf shop with a sudden death pong tourney to break it in and i'm pretty sure i had THE MOST fun! There is proof and some choice clips of the sweet summer swell that was running on delivery day in the vid by Chris Delarenzo. Next time you find yourself in AP, maybe stop in for a coffee at Volan before you challenge yr buds to some table tennis down the block! You can even send the wife around the corner to Red Moon so she doesn't have to watch you ogle the glass in the surf shop.
Greetings
from
Asbury park
June 2018
ANNOUNCEMENT
After nearly five years of good times and hard work the "American Street Dream Team" has disbanded.
John Geating has moved on to start his own Family furniture label with his multi-talented wife and has become a full time baby documentarian. Check them out at leewardfurniture.com
Tj McGlade went corporate and got bought out by the good folks at Quaker City Merchantile. you can find him at a south jersey shore bar slinging Shrubs and cracking wise.
That leaves lonely old me, toiling away in my workshop as happily and stress free as a malcontent can be.
As a one man shop for the first time in a long time i am learning the pace again and loving the challenge and freedom of doing it all myself. it's not without it's struggles and won't last forever but it's a great way for me to reconnect with what i'm doing and why i am doing it.
I am Stoked to have had the time together and love these men like Brothers. Cheers Boys! thanks for the great times.
May 2018
NEW WORK!!
April 2018
Recent Work...
November 2017
Farmhaus / Headland Collective present- WOOD & WAVES redux: A Photography Exhibition featuring the work of Tim Leopold / Jianca Lazarus / Matt Paul framed by Farmhaus
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 10th at The Asbury Park Yacht Club 5-?
We are so stoked to join forces with the Asbury Park Yacht Club and be given the opportunity to re-show the Wood & Waves exhibition that we put on here last month in Philly. We Framed 18 works from the 3 artists in a variety of gorgeous wood from our hoard. These collaborative pieces will be available for purchase in varying sizes & additions.
25% of sales will be donated to 2017 hurricane relief.
Special drinks will be on offer from the Asbury Park Yacht Club with a % being donated as well.
Doors open at 5:00PM Friday November 10th. The Exhibition will remain on view through Nov. 12th in conjunction with Relief in the Park, a city wide business fundraiser to support those affected by the 2017 hurricane season. Check your favorite local establishments for specific deals and events.
Previously...
Headland Collective & Farmhaus present - Wood & Waves: A photography exhibition framed in wood
Featuring: Tim Leopold, Matt Paul, and Jianca Lazarus
On Exhibit thru October 30th in the Farmhaus showroom
2137 N American st. Philadelphia PA 19122 (entrance on Phillip street)
Wood & Waves is an exhibition of pleasing and meditative oceanic photography surrounded in hand crafted wood frames. Farmhaus has built frames complementary to the 18 images brought to us by 3 amazing Photographers. Our goal is to combine our love of the ocean along with our love for great design and to showcase the two side by side here in Philadelphia. These collaborative pieces will be available for purchase in varying sizes & additions. by appointment or by chance daily 9-5
25% of sales will be donated to the Changing Tides Foundation to benefit Puerto Rico
Available for purchase online soon!
October 2017
BLACK CELEBRATION: a homecoming
This Summer I was given the opportunity to build and show a pile of new work at the Ann Coen Gallery in Surf City, NJ. I called the show
Black Celebration as both a wink at my love for the music of Depeche Mode and my current obsession with blackening or burning at least some part of everything i make. The show for me was a catharsis, a chance to bring form to the slabs and planks that have been leaned against the shop walls for too long. It was a chance to show my hometown friends and family what i have learned and developed over the past 12 years in Philadelphia.
check the shop for some leftovers!
