Editor’s Miscellany: The Decider

I am honored to be serving as one of the judges for the Best in Show Awards at this year’s Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, coming up next week (Friday through Sunday, October 21–23, 2011).

Founded and ably produced by Karla Little, the annual event has for sixteen years now consistently been showing many of North America’s most talented and interesting makers of fine furniture, art, and crafts–always including, virtuously, both emerging and well-seasoned figures.

Along with the other judges (RISD Professor of Furniture Design John Dunnigan and Lynne McCormack, Director of the Department of Art, Culture and Tourism for the City of Providence) I’ll be making my way around the show floor on the 21st from roughly 10:00 a.m. to noon, checking out all the visual riches and attempting with all my might to weigh their relative merits. A pleasurable but daunting assignment, you might say.

So naturally I’ve been doing my homework in advance by checking out the show’s exhibitor list. Not surprisingly, there’s a big concentration of exhibitors from New England and, again not surprisingly, a number of them have been seen in past issues of New England Home. (A few others are currently scheduled for upcoming issues–and I expect after next week that list will get longer.) And during the course of my dutiful preparations I found a few savory tidbits that may just whet your appetite to visit next week and see more for yourself.

New Hampshire furniture maker Peter Sandback, whose chastely sumptuous work I most recently noted at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair back in May. (Peter was one of last year’s Providence best-in-show winners.)

Peter Sandback, Burl Coffee Table #23. Olive ash burl top,
white-painted maple base. Photo courtesy of Peter Sandback

Jiyoung Chung, painter, installation artist, and worker in the tradition of joomchi (a textured form of Korean handmade paper)

Jiyoung Chung, Whisper-Romance: His Voice. Handmade, hand-dyed joomchi paper with hand-ground Oriental ink and paper yarn (2008). Photo courtesy of Jiyoung Chung

Or check out this floor lamp from Mark Moore Design of Rochester, New York. (Mark was another best-in-show winner in 2010.)

Mark Moore, Ice Light (floor version). Hand-textured acrylic lenses on brushed-steel base. Photo courtesy of Mark Moore

Also represented will be Boston’s North Bennet Street School, imminently to be honored at this year’s New England Design Hall of Fame (more on that soon, be assured).

At any rate, if you’re looking for an excuse to make a day trip to Providence, this show would count as a good one. And if you happen to be there on Friday morning, please don’t be shy about saying hello when you see me.

Providence Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show, October 21–23, 2011. Hall A at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.