By Amy Krzanik We’ve all been there. Whether it was the three-drawer dresser in your first apartment that never made it to your second apartment because the front of it ripped right off (true story), or the shirt you wore only once because it completely changed shape, size and style after a trip through the washing machine, the old adage “you get what you pay for" rings truer and truer every year. [Artisans and handcrafters are reading this and shaking their heads, mouthing “I told you so."] The reasons for this trend are fairly simple: cheap materials + cheap labor = maximum profit. “For years furniture was made very well," explains Jim Law, owner of Undermountain Jointers and president of the Berkshire Woodworkers Guild, “but new companies began making it cheaper and cheaper, because if it lasts for only a year or two, they’ll always have a market." Members of The Guild, which will hold its 17th annual Fine Woodwork Show at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge on Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, know this all too well. Law considers part of the group’s job to be educating consumers about the benefits of buying fine furniture. “Our custom furniture will be tomorrow’s antiques," he says. “If you price out how many store-bought items you need to buy [and re-buy] in your lifetime, it’s cheaper to have something custom made." Part of the yearly show for the Guild’s artisans involves not just exhibiting their wares, but talking to potential customers, showing them what is involved with custom work, pointing out how the wood grains match and how the different parts interlock for a perfect fit. “This is what being a furniture maker is all about," says Law, “creating something both beautiful and functional."
The Guild, a 40-member-strong group of professional woodworkers who live and practice in the vicinity of the Berkshires, Columbia County and surrounding areas, formed as a way for those in the trade to share knowledge and tools. Members run the gamut from sculptors to stump grinders and everything in between. Its website is a helpful tool to find a local artisan skilled in making you a musical instrument; kitchen cabinets; cooking utensils; indoor, outdoor and garden furniture, a boat or an entire home. Throughout the weekend, artisans will be offering woodworking and tool-sharpening demonstrations. A silent auction will benefit the Guild’s Scholarship Fund, which supports young adults who seek to make woodworking, architecture or a related field their life’s work. Law says the Fund began five years ago as a way to honor members who have passed away, and to encourage future generations of professional craftspeople. Additionally, a handful of Guild members have contributed work to the BBG’s Benched exhibition, which can be seen throughout the gardens. New this year, the Guild will host a reception on Friday, July 15 from 6-8 p.m. for industry professionals (designers, architects, builders) to meet and mingle with its members. Admission to the show is $5, but paid visitors to the Garden and BBG members can attend the show for $3. Attendees of the event can receive $2 off of entrance to the garden. The Berkshire Woodworkers Guild Fine Woodwork Showat the Berkshire Botanical Garden 5 W. Stockbridge Rd. (Route 102), Stockbridge, MA Saturday & Sunday, July 16 & 17 from 9 a.m. -- 5 p.m.
