Brooklyn Collective Friday Night

Shop the new collection while enjoying cocktails and live music at the Brooklyn Collective Summer Event!

Friday, July 18th at 6:00 PM
Brooklyn Collective
212 Columbia Street , Brooklyn , NY

Rhombus Space -- New Gallery in Red Hook

www.rhombusspace.com

183 Lorraine Street

3rd Floor of the Art Spaces/Studio Complex
Red Hook

Jessica Campbell, YEAH NO TOTALLY, 

varying materials and size, 2012/2013

Poetry Slam exhibit (closed)

Ann Stewart, Tethering Corollaries II,
etching and aquatint on paper, 18 x 24"
Fine Lines exhibit (open Oct. 18)

Samuel Jablon, Poet Sculpture, variable 

dimensions, enamel on plywood, 2013

Poetry Slam exhibit (closed)

Katerina Lanfranco -- artist, curator and founder of Rhombus Space, in Red Hook -- is excited to be able to showcase and promote the work of artists whom she sees as truly contributing to the contemporary art dialogue. She opened Rhombus Space on September 20th of this year, and just wrapped up the space's first show, Poetry Slam, which closed Sunday, October 13. The show explored four artists' use of text in their visual art, and pieces included paintings, drawings, sculpture, installation and video. Featured artists were: damali abrams (lower case intentional), Jessica Campbell, Samuel Jablon, and Mwamba-Salim Wilson.

Lanfranco says that what gives Rhombus Space it's strength is "the dialogue that emerges from the grouping in each show", and invites people to not only focus on the individual artists and works, but on how they interact, how they compliment and inform each other.

Rhombus Space's forthcoming show, Fine Lines, is slated to open October 18, and aims to carry patrons "between familiar form and elegant abstraction" by exploring line as the primary artistic element and building block of the works shown. Featured artists will be Helen Dennis, Nils Folke Anderson, Jason Peters, and Ann Stewart, each of whom utilizes architectonic design and architectural references in their work, with the aim to bring the world of line and shape that is all around us into new and unexpected perspectives. Works will range from painting, drawing and printmaking to photography and sculpture.

Lanfranco is also hugely pleased to announce that the gallery will be participating in the Gowanus Open Studios event this weekend. The event is free, and will be open October 19 and 20, 12-5pm. Many of the other spaces and studios in the 183 Lorraine Street complex will be opening their doors for the event, so bring some snacks, some friends, yourself (or any combination thereof!) and enjoy some great hours of art absorption.

A few more teasers from Fine Lines:

Nils Anderson, Untitled, Acrylic on canvas, 7"x21"

Nils Anderson,Bench, Painted wood, 17"x13"x48"

Helen Dennis, Grand Central, NYC, photographic drawing, 40 x 48"

Jason Peters, untitled, silver ink on black paper, 11 by 11 by 16.5

Poetry Slam (closed)

September 20 -- October 13, 2013 

More information about this show and the artists can be found at:
http://rhombusspace.blogspot.com/2013/09/rhombus-space-presents-poetry-slam-w.html

Fine Lines
October 18 -- November 17, 2013
Reception: Friday October 18
6:00-8:00 PM
More information about this show and the artists can be found at:
http://rhombusspace.blogspot.com/2013/10/rhombus-space-presents-fine-lines.html

Gowanus Open Studios
October 19 -- 20, 1013
12:00-- 5:00 PM
More information about this event can be found at:
http://artsgowanus.org/gowanus-open-studios

Brooklyn Collective 9th Anniversary Party

The Brooklyn Collective on Columbia Street is celebrating their 9th anniversary with a party on Friday night! Welcome 40 new collections from local artists and enjoy complimentary cocktails, live music and raffle prizes. 

Friday, October 4, 6-10pm
Brooklyn Collective
212 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, NY

http://www.brooklyncollective.com/

Brooklyn Studio Tours June 1 and 2

Check out the fifth annual Brooklyn Studio Tours  in Red Hook and Carroll Gardens on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 from 12PM-6PM. View art in the artists' own studios or in a local business that supports the arts. 

Many studios in the neighborhood will open their doors and businesses like Brooklyn Collective, Margaret Palca Bakes, and Clayworks are participating. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Restore Red Hook and Pietro’s Fight, which raises funds to find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy. 

For more information:

Brooklyn Studio Tours
http://brooklynstudiotours.com

Shop Red Hook!

Help Red Hook get through a tough winter of recovery by doing your holiday gift shopping below the Battery Tunnel. Most of the neighborhood's unique shops and eateries have reopened for business. Here are just a few of my favorites. Add your recommendations below in the comments. 

Red Hook wine store Botta Di Vino offers free gift wrapping and special offers, some of which include free glassware, 10% case discounts and 5% discounts on 6 bottles. Gift certificates can be ordered over the phone and shipped to you. They also offer free delivery on most case sales.
357 Van Brunt Street
www.bottadivino.net

Shopping Metal and Thread is like exploring a mysterious gallery of jewelry and art. All the work here is handmade from metal, thread, felt, leather, gemstones, and whatever else these artists feel they can turn into something unique and unusual. They'll wrap your purchases in vintage reusable bags, and they are including a pair of drop earrings with each purchase, while supplies last. They post specials at facebook.com/metalandthread, and you can donate to help them rebuild their workshop at http://www.gofundme.com/rebuild-metal-and-thread.
398 Van Brunt Street
http://metalthread.com

Next door is Foxy and Winston, one of my go-to gift shops. I love their whimsical bags, children's clothing, and unique greeting cards. While you're there, say hi to Miss Hope the Beagle, who watches over the store. 

392 Van Brunt Street

http://foxyandwinston.com/

Across the street, Baked is back at it, serving up their delectable cakes, bars, pies, and cookies. How about one of those Baked t-shirts or cookbooks for the aspiring chef in your life?

359 Van Brunt Street

http://bakednyc.com/

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie was flooded by three feet of water but they are open to the public again for pie purchases. They're also fundraising at http://www.gofundme.com/1ire9o to repair the damage to their building and equipment. 
204 Van Dyke Street, Pier 41
http://stevesauthentic.com/


Also hard hit but open again is Flickinger Glassworks, who have one-of-a-kind enameled tableware and lighting. 
204-207 Van Dyke Street, Pier 41http://www.flickingerglassworks.com/

If you are looking for a gift for a dancer or a fan of dance, consider a donation to Cora Studio in their name. Cora Studio offers pay-what-you-can dance classes and rehearsal space rentals. Their electrical system was damaged and they lost thousands in income after the storm.  
201 Richards Street between Coffey and Van Dyke Streets
http://www.coradance.com/

Lots of bars and restaurants are open too! One of my favorites, Hope and Anchor, will write up a gift certificate for your friend who loves a hearty meal and breakfast any time of day.  
347 Van Brunt Street
http://www.hopeandanchorredhook.com/

Spring Classes and Children's Summer Clay Camp at Clayworks

Clayworks on Columbia Street says it's time to register for their Spring Session.

Come join us..... make some pots..... & have some fun with clay!!

WHEEL/HANDBUILDING CLASSES
Monday 10 am to 1 pm 4/16 thru 6/25 (no class 5/28)
Wednesday 7 pm to 10 pm 4/18 thru 6/20
Thursday 7 pm to 10 pm 4/19 thru 6/21
Saturday 10 am to 1 pm 4/21 thru 6/30 (no class 5/26)

SCULPTURE CLASS
Monday 7 pm to 10 pm 5/14 thru 7/23 (no class 5/28)

$320 for 10 week session includes open studio time, clay and use of our glazes.

To register or for more information about our classes and studio call 917 428 3128 or visit our website www.clayworksoncolumbia.org


And they'll have a new summer daycamp! Read on...

Our new Clay Camp is designed to provide children and young teens with fun and
creative clay projects. They will learn to construct several clay projects, to color
and glaze them and to learn how to turn mud into magic. No prior pottery or clay
experience is required. Our ceramic art instructors are experiences artists and
teachers who will work with all the children to help them have a meaningful and
fun experience.

Camp sessions are a week long --- from Monday to Thursday --- and are either
morning or afternoons. The cost of one session, which includes all materials,
instruction, tools and firing, is $240. For a second child in one family, the cost is
$200.

Our sessions are as follows:

Session 1: July 23 - July 26 10 am to 1 pm (ages 6 - 10)
Session 2: July 30 - August 2 10 am to 1 pm (ages 6 - 10)
Session 3: August 6 - August 9 10 am to 1 pm (ages 6 - 10)
Session 4: August 6 - August 9 1 pm to 4 pm (ages 10 - 15) --- Teen
wheel camp

For more information or to register your child please call or email
info@clayworksoncolumbia.org


Clayworks on Columbia, Inc.
195 Columbia Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231-1402
718-694-9540

The Brooklyn Collective Spring Fling - May 6

The Brooklyn Collective Spring Fling!

Please join us as we celebrate over 30 new collections

by local artists and designers

Complimentary cocktails will be served throughout the evening

along with a surprise musical performance!

Friday, May 6th

212 Columbia Street

(between Union and Sackett)

6pm-10pm

Featured Artists

Patricia Jo Peacock, Catherine Lauigan, Little Sea Monsters, Sara Pfau, Noble Savage Vintage, Michael Murray, Designerica, Brooklyn Bowls, Thimali Kodikara, Beautiful Brooklyn Birds, Vigilism, GIRLFAUXPAS, Lightexture, The Royal Creature, Papertopias, In The Seam, Alexandra Batsford, Design and Labor, Lewis Henry Nicholas, Twig Terrariums, Sunghee Bang, Rachel Goldberg, Kate Hockstein, Catherine Hnatov, elle s'appelle, AshiDashi, Near Modern Disaster, Pippi Hepburn, Jess Yam, Stella Saves the Day, Courtney P. Hewitt, and Sovereign Beck

For further info please visit www.brooklyncollective.com

New at WORK

SPACIAL SMARTS

NEW PAINTINGS and SCULPTURES by KRISTINE TAYLOR

OPENING APRIL 29th, 7 - 10PM
ARTISTS TALK MAY 1st @ 6PM

WORK Gallery presents Spatial Smarts, a solo exhibition encompassing over 6 years of the paintings, drawings, and sculptures by the artist Kristine Taylor. In this extensive and varied body of abstract work, Taylor portrays scenarios of control and release arising from short and intense physical, psychological, and emotional events. Taylor, a former competitive diver and Southern California native, draws on these potent memories of athletic performance, the peculiarities of southwestern space and light, architectural features and the SoCal lifestyle to create an artistic vocabulary that is both poetically gestural and cooly diagrammatic.

Valentine's at The Brooklyn Collective - Feb 11

The Brooklyn Collective Valentine's Event

Please join us for a special Valentine's celebration!

Shop for unique gifts for your sweetie

Over 20 collections by local artists and designers

Complimentary cocktails will be served throughout the evening

along with a special musical performance by Blanche Blanche Blanche

Friday, February 11th

212 Columbia Street

(between Union and Sackett)

7pm-11pm

Featured Artists

Niccole Ugay, Michael Murray, Thimali Kodikara, Beautiful Brooklyn Birds, Edelweiss by Sarah, GIRLFAUXPAS, Lightexture, Plane Jane Project, Skye Fraser, Abbie Zuidema, In The Seam, Alexandra Batsford, Design and Labor, Lewis Henry Nicholas, Twig Terrariums, Sunghee Bang, Rachel Goldberg, Stephen Merola, Catherine Hnatov, elle s'appelle, AshiDashi, Near Modern Disaster, Nancy Waller Handbags, Jess Yam, Sovereign Beck, Courtney P. Hewitt

Shop locally: Waterfront Mercantile on Columbia St

THE WATERFRONT MERCANTILE

A gift shop of winter wonders

OPENING SOIREE

prosecco, nibbles and hand crafted goods

Thursday december 16th, 6-9 pm

and shop on

Friday 12/17 & Saturday 12/18, 12-8 pm

Featuring

floral gifts from denise fasanello

luminaries from adam frank

printed textiles from lotta jansdotter

paper goods from sesame letterpress

home made sweets from nine cakes

jewelry from bonbon oiseau

children’s knits from eye spy baby

ceramic goods from paula greif

203 Columbia Street (btw Degraw and Sackett Streets)

Brooklyn, NY

Holiday Event at the Brooklyn Collective - Fri, Dec 3rd

The Brooklyn Collective Holiday Event

Come celebrate the holidays with us!

Shop for unique gifts from over 30 collections

by local artists and designers!

Complimentary cocktails will be served throughout the evening

PLUS! A special musical performance!

Friday, December 3rd

212 Columbia Street

(between Union and Sackett)

7pm-11pm

Featured Artists

Niccole Ugay, Akiko Kato, Sara Krugman, Corvus Noir, Amperstance, GIRLFAUXPAS, Lightexture, Plane Jane Project, Skye Fraser, Abbie Zuidema, In The Seam, Jenny Belin, Alexandra Batsford, Design and Labor, Lewis Henry Nicholas, Ink and Joy, Twig Terrariums, Sunghee Bang, LanVy, Rachel Goldberg, Jasmine Golestaneh, Stephen Merola, Oh Clementine, Mina Georgescu, Catherine Hnatov, elle s'appelle, AshiDashi, Near Modern Disaster, Nancy Waller Handbags, Patrice Yourdon, Jess Yam, Courtney P. Hewitt

For further info please visit www.brooklyncollective.com

Image courtesy of Jasmine Golestaneh

This Sunday: Pop Up Shop at ArtsCetera! on Smith Street

On Sunday, November 7th, from 11am to 6 pm, ArtsCeteraʼs child-centric Cobble Hill studio will transform into a weekend storefront market for holiday shopping, featuring goods from a diverse group of local artisans and entrepreneurs.

Many of the designers who will be featured throughout the season come from the local Etsy community and The {NewNew}, a vibrant collective of indie Etsy artisans in the NY Metro area.

With handmade clothing for men, women and children, jewelry, accessories and items for the home and well-being, as well as books, CDs and gifts for kids, the Pop-Up Shop will run Saturdays and Sundays through December 19th. Each weekend will feature both new and returning vendors, so shoppers will always find something fresh to see at the Pop-Up Shop. Each weekendʼs line-up will be posted at ArtsCetera's website.

The opening includes refreshments, a child-friendly area so kids can play while parents shop and a raffle of gifts donated from our vendors to benefit ArtsCeteraʼs Neighborhood Arts Partner, The Early Childhood Programs of the Lutheran Family Health Centers.

Vendors:
Overall Baby - Reinventing the look of childrenʼs overalls
Jenny Kim, owner

Kataplin - Whimsical and Unique Clothes for Kids, Babies and Adults
Luciana Toyos Gambarino, owner

Lio & Linn - Unique and stylish Jewelry & Home accessories
Masumi Hyashi, owner

Nordea Soaperie - Handmade soap and body essentials
Nordea McKoy, owner

Elements for Inspired Living - One-off fashion accessories and unique decorative items for the home
Cynthia Black, owner,

Barefoot Books - Award-winning childrenʼs books, CDs and Gifts
Robin Muskin and Jessie Barker, Brooklyn Reps

Weʼre also grateful to local businesses for their donated goods for opening day, including:
Denise Fasanello Floral Design for lovely floral arrangements, and Betsy Thorleifson of Nine Cakes for a bounty of their delicious mini-cupcakes.


I am very excited to invite you all to check it out, as I embark on a new adventure thanks to Robin and Nanette!!

Upcoming Cora Dance events for October and November

Cora Dance has some very interesting and exciting programming planned for the next couple of months! Go check them out to celebrate local talent while also supporting a great cause (Cora offers pay-what-you-can dance classes to the community).

Here are the details and descriptions of upcoming events, according to their most recent email blast:

Cora Dance has two exciting events for the month of October-
First, an informal performance in Coffey Park!
Tuesday-Wednesday
October 5-6, (Raindate, Thursday October 7)
Cora Dance presents Prey

The center of the green space in Coffey Park
50 Dwight St
Red Hook, Brooklyn
FREE

Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance presents informal performances of excerpts from the company's latest work-in-progress “Prey” in Coffey Park. Cora is building this eerie and elegant piece to travel over a mile through the diverse landscape of Red Hook at twilight into nighttime, meandering from the urban forest that is Coffey Park to the streets, playgrounds, shop windows and waterfront areas of the neighborhood... lit by the audience. For these informal showings, the company will present two sections, discuss the process and take audience members on a guided tour of the intended list of sites where the work will fully premiere in October 2011.

Prey is being developed through the support of a generous gift from Robert and Mary Beth Aberlin; through the 2008 Artist-in-Residence program of BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange; through the artist residency program of Vermont Performance Lab, with assistance from Marlboro College; and through the support of the 92nd Street Y.


Next, a fun fundraising afternoon for families! • Saturday, October 30, 2-4pm
Storytelling and Facepainting Bake Sale
The Cora Studio
201 Richards Street, Buzzer #5, Studio 205,
Red Hook, Brooklyn
Suggested Donation $10 per family or Pay-What-You-Can.

Join Cora for this fundraising afternoon at the Cora Studio, complete with
facepainting and storytelling with reknowned artist Robin Bady. Bake sale
and proceeds from door go to fund the Pay-What-You Can dance programs
offered by Cora School for Dance to the Red Hook Community.


AND- Stay tuned for next month's "A Little Something From Cora" , a showcase on November 13 which highlights the choreographic work of the dancers of Shannon Hummel/ Cora Dance and teachers of Cora School for Dance. Set in the cabaret stage of Rocky Sullivan's, an Irish bar complete with darts, pool tables, and Guinness on tap, this eclectic night of mini works highlights the diversity of styles and expressive range of the collaborators of Cora Dance. Rocky Sullivan's is located at 34 Van Dyke Street (at Dwight Street) in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Show begins at 8pm. There is a $10 donation or Pay-What-You-Can.

The Brooklyn Collective 's Grand Re-Opening - 10.01.10

The Brooklyn Collective Grand Re-Opening Event

Please join us to celebrate our brand new 1500 square foot location

More artists and designers than ever before!

Over 30 brand new collections!

Friday, October 1st

212 Columbia Street

(between Union and Sackett)

7pm-11pm

Featured Artists

Melangerie, Plane Jane Project, Lauren Simkin Berke, Jenny Belin, Alexandra Batsford, Design and Labor, Sam Phillips, Lewis Henry Nicholas, Ink and Joy, Twig Terrariums, Sunghee Bang, LanVy, Rachel Goldberg, SKT Ceramics, Brooklyn Pottery, Oh Clementine, Lauren Denitzio, Mina Georgescu, Munstre, Catherine Hnatov, J.Cravata,
elle s'appelle, AshiDashi, Near Modern Disaster, Johnny Sparks, Nancy Waller Handbags, Whimsiology, Patrice Yourdon, Jess Yam, Courtney P. Hewitt

Complimentary cocktails will be served throughout the evening

PLUS! A surprise musical performance!

For further info please visit www.brooklyncollective.com

Brooklyn Studio Tours in Carroll Gardens and Red Hook - 5/22 and 5/23

On May 22nd and 23rd, artists throughout Carroll Gardens and Red Hook area will be opening their studios to the general public. You can print or download a map of all the studios here and make a day of walking through the neighborhoods, hopping from studio to studio, and meeting the artists in person.

Check out more details at the Brooklyn Studio Tours website here.

Drawing Blood opening at WORK - tomorrow 5/1

DRAWING BLOOD

May 1 – May 28, 2010
Opening Reception Saturday, May 1, 6-9pm

ERIC AYOTTE – ELIZA MYRIE – OWEN RUNDQUIST – KARIN STOTHART – BRIAN ZEGEER Curated by KATHLEEN SMITH

WORK gallery is on Union Street at the corner of Van Brunt.

Pickett Furniture: An artisan at Pier 41

While IKEA's blue box on the Brooklyn waterfront gets the most attention of any local furniture store, respect and attention should be given to the multitude of truly local designers that create their pieces by hand with thought, love, and care, using only the highest quality elements. Pickett Furniture, located at Pier 41 in Red Hook, is one such company. Check out our interview below with the owner, Jeremy Pickett, to find out his approach to furniture making and life in Red Hook and the Columbia Waterfront as a designer.

WoCS: How did you get into the furniture business?
PF: My first job in the furniture business was my first summer in college. I spent the summer living with my dad, who had arranged an entry level job at a local construction company. I think his plan was for me to learn the value of an education as a means of avoiding a life of manual labor. Ironically, it was that summer job and not my political science classes that have provided more job training. After college, I moved to Chicago and worked in several different positions within the music industry. This eventually led me to New York to start a music promotion company focusing on sending tour promotion and licensing in Japan. And to help pay my East Village apartment rent, I fell back on my hand skills and took a part time job working for a cabinet maker in Dumbo. Fast forward a couple years and I had grown disillusioned and tired of the music business (mainly being out at a club in Nebraska at 4:00 in the morning) and I knew I needed a second career. By this time, my wife and I were living in a townhouse in Chelsea that we owned and the building had several rental apartments that we were constantly fixing up and repairing DIY in our free time. And it came that I much preferred this work to my day job, so I found an apprenticeship with a cabinetmaking shop in Jersey City. At that stage, I could comprehend a Home Depot fix-it-yourself book, but I knew I needed to hone my skills if I wanted to make this a profession. And from Jersey City, I found work as a shop manager and designer in Greenpoint, which led to a job with furniture maker in Bushwick, which led to another furniture maker in Williamsburg. I was accumulating all this different experience and staying in the shops nights and weekends building personal projects for myself, because none of these shops wanted me to use chisels/hand planes, or pursue Japanese-style joinery. Rightfully so, when you are someone else's dime, my bosses wanted me to build whatever furniture I was assigned as quickly as possible. So learning to make 'slow' furniture (to borrow a phrase from the food industry) was something that was self-taught. A couple years ago, I finally had the resources to open my own shop (after we sold the Manhattan townhouse) and moved to Red Hook.

WoCS: What attracts you to working with wood and what is your favorite type?

PF: This is the part where I can start to sound like a hippy, so I will try to skim over the new age beliefs a bit and say I love working with natural materials from the earth. Spending my day looking at raw wood and slabs that came from the trees, smelling the wood as its cut (each species has its distinct scent) is a great escape right here in the middle of this urban environment we all live in. I love working with walnut. Walnut has great workability, by that I mean walnut sands easily and doesn't chip or splinter like some other species. Walnut also has great figure and I think it shows really well. I try to make all my showroom pieces out of walnut (although everything I make is available in any species a client requests).

WoCS: Where do you get your wood and other materials?
PF: This is the other reason I love working with walnut. All the walnut (and cherry) I use comes from a small family farm in Delaware, so whenever I make a new piece I get to drive two and a half hours south and hand select the walnut from a barn in the woods. I love the opportunity to get out on the road, walk the the woods and finding the lumber direct from the land that the trees had grown up on. I love being able to pass along the story onto clients, saying that I can almost pinpoint the exact location on this earth that their dining table or dresser came from. I had a special project last year where I built a kitchen for a loft renovation here in Red Hook and every single board in the kitchen came from the same tree. It's as if we are able to give the tree a second life. As I type some of this I am coming to the realization the Shel Silverstein book, The Giving Tree, my mother used to read to me when I was little has had a profound influence on my career.

WoCS: We notice on your site that you have a green philosophy. Could you summarize it for our readers?

PF: Our green philosophy is based on how to apply a sustainable lifestyle to our products. We aim to use local resources (lumber from the East Coast) and, again to borrow a phrase from the food industry, "farm to table" furniture. When we have used exotic species, such as teak, we have made sure our source of teak or mahogany comes from a responsible and sustainable supplier. Our studio line furniture is finished with oils and poly by hand vs. spray finishing that occurs in 95% of furniture manufacturing. When we make a product that requires a more commercial finish, we source our finishing to Surface Environment, a green spray finishing business in Bushwick. There are a few commercial spraying outfits in Brooklyn/Queens and a majority of this places use very potent lacquers, are poorly ventilated, and are just environmental hazards. Surface Environment are devoted to water-based finishes with low-voc outputs. And this is important as the kitchens/vanities/millwork in most homes are off gassing imperceptible toxins and using Surface Environment eliminates the majority of this risk to families. We also apply the term 'heirloom' green to our furniture as it is our hope the furniture we make is made and designed well enough that it is eventually passed along to future generations as an heirloom. I get really depressed whenever I see mass market furniture tossed onto the sidewalk when someone moves out of an apartment and the furniture is deemed to low quality to not be worth moving but simply replaced with more low quality furniture in the new apartment.

WoCS: How has this green philosophy served your business? Do you feel that people are drawn to your work because of it?

PF: I'm not sure of any particular case where I have had a client find me specifically because of our green approach, but I know clients are always appreciative of our methods after the fact once they have learned the extra steps we have taken into the manufacture of their furniture. I have a problem with a lot of mass market 'green' products as I feel many of these companies are a bit disingenuous. To me, having your furniture made in a factory in China, prepackaged in foam/cardboard/shrinkwrap and shipped to a warehouse in New Jersey and then trucked to your home via the ground shipping industry, is a far cry from being green, regardless if the Canadian Maple or Baltic Birch plywood (which first must be shipped to China) is glued together with low-formaldehyde glue. The offset of using low-voc glue pales in comparison to the pollution and oil used to get the product to market. But companies market new products like this as green just about every day.

WoCS: What is your favorite piece of furniture at home?

PF: A lot of our home furniture are antiques, and my favorite one of those may be the Japanese Altar table that we use as a media cabinet. Our television rests on top of it with the remote controls in the drawers. The only piece we have at home that I made is our coffee table. It used to seem like every time we had a guest over they would ask me if we had anything I had made and I would forever have to sheepishly say "no". Finally, I made a coffee table for ourselves.

WoCS: What are your primary sources of inspiration in making your pieces?

PF: I like the conflict/resolution in my designs of minimalism vs. traditional. I try to create minimal lines in the design and concept and then refer to Japanese carpentry and joinery and see how I can make these designs happen with just the strength of wood joints. George Nakashima is of course a major inspiration. I also love, love, love the furniture of Christian Liaigre. I like the work of the Los Angeles architects of the 30s and 40s - Schindler, Lautner, Nuetra, and Jones. I love the workmanship and the understated beauty of the Arts and Crafts movement. And I'm also influenced by my contemporaries here in New York in the present. I think we are lucky to work and live in a time when furniture design and manufacturing has such a strong local presence.

WoCS: If you could furnish the home of any famous person, who it would be and what would you design for them?

PF: One of the first jobs I had as an apprentice was installing some outdoor furniture and flower boxes for Billy Crystal. As you walked into his apartment, he had an antique woodworkers bench as an entry table and on it were a few yellowed baseballs. I assumed that these were priceless home run balls from Yankee history, such as Roger Maris' 61st homer or something. I never had to the nerve to ask him for fear he would think I would try to steal them. But I stared at them constantly while working in his apartment. I've made a few more pieces for celebrities over the years and the experience is generally pretty cool, especially if you are a fan of their art. If I could ring anyone up and make them my client, I think it would have to be Neil Young. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather meet. And it would have to be a chair. Our most personal relationships with furniture are with chairs.

WoCS: You recently participated in the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. Tell us a little about that and what the trade show side of the business is like for a furniture maker.
PF: The trade shows are great for business. It's the best way to introduce your product and have one on one conversations with potential clients. It's one thing to see images of your work on websites and quite another to touch and feel and sit in the furniture. Being that our showroom is in a second story warehouse on a pier out in Red Hook, its not the most accessible place for people to drop by. So the trade shows make it easier for me to reach new clients and run into and see old clients as well. It's nice for me because it provides a different environment than the one of seclusion that I have built for myself out here on the waterfront.

WoCS: What made you choose Red Hook as a location for your business?

PF: I hate to let the word get out, but Red Hook is the best place on earth. Seriously. When we left Manhattan, we rented an apartment in Carroll Gardens for awhile. I found a workshop to share just across the BQE on Van Brunt Street. When I lived in Manhattan, I was always doing the reverse commute working in Brooklyn and I've always wanted to be able to walk to work. That was the dream. I loved crossing the BQE n the mornings and entering the Columbia Street District into what I viewed as our secret neighborhood. Then last year, we moved into a larger workshop down on Pier 41 which allowed me to have a private office and showroom. It wasn't too long after moving to Carroll Gardens that we decided to buy an apartment in the Columbia Street District. We spend 90% of our time in the neighborhood now and I love the waterfront. I love feeling the breeze off the water, the sunsets, and the smell of the saltwater. When we lived in Chelsea we were surrounded by the subways and commuters and walking our dogs or pushing our baby's stroller became such a chore fighting the crowds on the sidewalk. We love were we are now with the wide open sidewalks and neighborly feel of the streets.

WoCS: What about the neighborhood is good for furniture makers and woodworkers in general? There are certainly a good number here.
PF: The zoning regulations certainly help. Manufacturing zones are shrinking all around us, especially over in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. The manufacturing in DUMBO has all but disappeared. Surprisingly, people don't like to live above or next to businesses that run loud machinery. And the lack of subway has helped keep the prices of real estate down. I've worked in a few different neighborhoods and this one is my favorite by far. I've also noticed that there isn't a sense of 'let's change this neighborhood into condos and bars scene'. I think maybe through natural selection that the residents of Red Hook are just cooler about manufacturing in their neighborhood. I can only guess, but I think a large portion of residents live and work in the neighborhood and there is a strong sense of self preservation to keeping the neighborhood the way it is and providing manufacturing jobs for local residents.
WoCS: What are your favorite hangouts in the area?
PF: Fairway! It's so convenient working right next door to the best grocery store in the city. We have lunch there a few times a week. Defonte's makes the best sandwiches hands down. We love the food options on our side of the highway. Hope and Anchor and Fort Defiance are other regular lunch spots. The savory pastries (especially the cauliflower turnover) at Baked are delicious. I love that Calexico opened up in the neighborhood and even more they seem to have a personal connection to the band, Calexico who are one of my favorites. One of these days I want to throw a Calexico themed party with Calexico catering and the band Calexico playing. When we don't feel like cooking, we order delivery regularly from Teeda and Kotobuki. And the Good Fork is great when we have a babysitter. I think the only food we travel across the BQE for is fresh fish from Fish Tails.