Chairs by the Roadside – Inspiring Design Challenge for Charity
There are many ways to help others in need, but doing through something you are passionate about always produces the best results. The Northwest Woodworking Studio recently combined a passion for design with aiding in the fight against hunger. Motivated by a passion for woodworking, the school was able to raise $10,000 for a local charity.
The Northwest Woodworking Studio held the “Chairs by the Roadside” auction on November 8, 2013 in an effort to raise money to support Sisters of the Road Cafe, a local charity in Portland, Oregon. Mentor students of the school were given the task of building and adapting a simple chair design by the school director, Gary Rogowski, to be sold at auction. The proceeds of the event benefited the Sisters of the Road Cafe, an organization dedicated to feeding the hungry in Portland.
“Chairs by the Roadside” was chosen by Rogowski as the project theme given to mentor students of the Northwest Woodworking Studio. The students took a simple chair design by Rogowski and were tasked with molding that starting point into their own creation. As Rogowski explained, “What I did was to design a Cafe chair with loose tenons. I milled the stock and cut all the joints. Then I shipped the chair parts out to our graduates all over the country. They built the chair and then painted, carved, and embellished their chair. Whatever they wanted to do.” The finished chairs were then auctioned off. Out of the original 18 chairs, over half of them sold raising more than $10,000 for Sisters of the Road Cafe.
The design challenge allowed the students to begin at a starting point, and expand that design to impart individualism and craftsmanship. Although the underlying form of each piece is the same, it’s difficult to imagine that they all started out identical. The students utilized a number of techniques and design elements to transform their chair into something totally unique. No part of the chair went untouched. From different leg tapers to seat types, each chair had it’s own flair.
Projects like these not only inspire me to practice and expand my design abilities. It is always good to step outside of the comfort zone and explore design to see where it can take you. Being able to help others out while doing something you love and expanding our talents is the icing on the cake!
To find out more about the event, you can head on over to the Northwest Woodworking Studio Facebook Page, and if you want to learn more about the studio or Gary Rogowski, head on over to the school’s website: NorthwestWoodworking.com.
