Furniture Masters, Prison Outreach Program, Woodworkers Exhibition

From April 4 to June 20, the League of NH Craftsmen is hosting an exhibition of fine, handcrafted furniture that spotlights the artistry and craftsmanship of New Hampshire’s finest woodworkers from the New Hampshire Furniture Masters (NHFM), the Guild of NH Woodworkers, and the League. A unique aspect of this exhibition is that is features the work of inmates who have been trained in the NHFM’s Prison Outreach Program. (A list of all participants appears at the end of this release.) Visitors will see 65 handcrafted wood pieces that are designed and built to last for generations, including tables, cabinets, chests, vases, clocks, bowls, jewelry boxes, spoon sets, music stands and more. Much of the furniture on display is available for purchase. 

The exhibition is on display at The Gallery at the League of NH Craftsmen Headquarters on 49 S. Main Street in Concord, NH. The Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, with extended hours on Thursdays until 7:00 pm, and Saturday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

The public will be able to meet and speak with the participating craftspeople during the opening reception on Friday, April 4 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. In celebration of the gifts that trees give us, there will be a maple tasting event during the reception, courtesy of Fuller’s Sugarhouse in Lancaster. Since 1972, the Fuller family has been producing high-quality, award winning New Hampshire maple syrup, maple cream, and maple candy.

“It is a thrill to host an exhibition that encompasses the broadest view of the craftspeople who are working with wood in New Hampshire,” said League Executive Director Susie Lowe-Stockwell. “Many of the League’s juried members are also members of the Furniture Masters, the Guild, and the Prison Outreach program. Two of the inmates from the Prison Outreach Program, whose work is in the exhibition, are juried members of the League, having gone through our rigorous jury process. One in particular, Eric Grant, has won awards for his technique and skill at the League’s Annual Craftsmen’s Fair.”

The NHFM Prison Outreach Program provides inmates who are involved in the New Hampshire State Prison’s Prison Hobby Craft Shop with training in the finer aspects of furniture making. The finished pieces are then auctioned or sold to benefit local charities. Master woodworkers Terry Moore and Jon Brooks, both members of the NHFM and the League, established the program in 2000 after touring the hobby craft shop. Since that time, NHFM members have been conducting woodworking seminars every other month to prison inmates. Some of the furniture created by the inmates is featured in the NHFM’s annual auction and exhibition. The inmates agree to donate some of the proceeds from any sale to a charity of their choice. Over the years, thousands of dollars have been raised for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and local charities.

About the League of NH Craftsmen

The League of NH Craftsmen is a non-profit, craft education organization. Its mission is to encourage, nurture and promote the creation, use and preservation of fine contemporary and traditional craft through the inspiration and education of artists and the broader community. The League represents the signature of excellence in fine craft, through the work of its juried members, and its rigorous standards for self-expression, vision, and quality craftsmanship.

The League of NH Craftsmen is supported in part by a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. This exhibition is made possible with the support of The Lincoln Financial Foundation. The Gallery has been made possible through the generosity of Concord Orthopaedics.

For more information about the New Hampshire Furniture Masters, Furniture Masters Prison Outreach Program, and the Guild of NH Woodworkers exhibition, the Gallery, or the League of NH Craftsmen, call 603-224-3375, email nhleague@nhcrafts.org, or visit the League’s website at nhcrafts.org.

Participants in New Hampshire Furniture Masters, Furniture Masters Prison Outreach Program, and the Guild of NH Woodworkers Exhibition

Guild of NH Woodworks Participants

Amherst, NH: Jim Seroskie   

Barrington, NH: David Foote

Bow, NH: Bob Couch

Canterbury, NH: Claude Dupuis*     

Center Barnstead, NH: Owain Harris           

Concord, NH: Norm Minor   

Goffstown, NH: Brian Vaillancourt   

Grantham, NH: Bob Katz      

Hooksett, NH: Bill Taylor      

Manchester, NH: Peter Breu,

  Marcel Durette, Stan Paras

Merrimack, NH: Michael Gregowske,

  Al Saffron    

New London, NH: Peter Bloch*

Northwood, NH: Bob LaCivita          

Nottingham, NH: Steve Costain        

Plymouth, NH: Liz Hallen      

Rollinsford, NH: Lynn Szymanski       

Strafford, NH: Les Huckins   

Stratham, NH:  Roger Myers

Sunapee, NH: Gary Canning 

Warner, NH: Ted Blachly*

Andover, MA: Ron Pouliot    

Merrimack, MA: Michael Moore                

Wilmington, MA: Bill Frost*

South Berwick, ME: Jeff Lind*          

New Hampshire Furniture Masters Participants

Canterbury, NH: Thomas McLaughlin

Wilmot, NH: Terry Moore*

New Hampshire Furniture Masters 
Prison Outreach Program Participants

Eric Grant*,  Eric Windhurst, 
Paul Mancini*, Jason Carroll, 
Michael Martel, Guido Boldini, 
Paul Langdon, Jeremy Morrison, 
Gary Fecteau, William Szepanski, 
Robin Knight, David Boutwell, 
Robert Demeritt, Kyle Russman, 
Timothy Logsdon, Eric Jelenieski, 
Allen Eason

*League of NH Craftsmen members

Submitted by the League of NH Craftsmen.