Chuck Bender - Woodworking

A Unique Tour of the Yale Furniture Study with Patricia Kane: William & Mary Furniture
2025-04-04 09:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, 249 Spencer St, Manchester, CT, 06040, United States
Many of you have expressed the desire to accompany CVSW director Bob Van Dyke on one of his frequent visits to the Yale University Art Gallery’s Hume American Furniture Study Center in West Haven, CT. The Furniture Study is an 18K sq. ft facility that houses over 1300 pieces of furniture, clocks, and wooden objects. Particularly strong in colonial and Federal furniture, mainly from the Mabel Brady Garvan Collection, the Furniture Study also contains tool displays that unpack craft processes, as well as a collection of about 200 pieces of contemporary turned-wood and related sculpture.
Building on the overwhelming success of our first two “up close” seminars with Patricia Kane, Friends of American Arts Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Art Gallery, this time we will be examining the Furniture Study’s extensive collection of William & Mary Period furniture. These pieces are the precursor to the later Queen Anne & Chippendale styles and are really the bridge between the earlier 17th century “joined chests” and early 18th century furniture which began relying on dovetail joinery. In this new seminar Pat will be joined by Chuck Bender, 2022 SAPFM Cartouche Award recipient. Chuck has made countless William & Mary pieces and will offer many insights into the how & why of the construction techniques. As always, Pat’s extensive knowledge of the sociological background of the period coupled with her extensive knowledge & interest in construction details- and how they relate to later furniture styles, ensures that we will have a unique and fascinating look into this important furniture style.
Sign up today. We are limiting this tour to 8 participants.
As an added bonus, after Pat’s presentation, Furniture Study Manager Eric Litke and CVSW Director Bob Van Dyke will lead an informal tour of American furniture on view in the Yale Art Gallery downtown. After lunch (on your own) we will meet in the Gallery lobby at 1:30 and check out more of Yale’s excellent collection.
Hope you can make it.
Tuition: $ 90.00 (over half of the proceeds will be donated to the Yale Art Gallery’s American Decorative Arts Department)
Friday, April 4, 9:30am – 12:00pm
9:15: Meet at the Yale Furniture Study entrance, 900 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT

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