An exhibition at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s Messler Gallery highlights the innovative work of emerging artisans

On April 15, the exhibition Current Student Work opens at the Messler Gallery at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport. The exhibition spotlights artful, functional wood furnishings crafted by 12 participants in the school’s flagship Nine- month Comprehensive course. Some pieces, such as Jose Ramon Diaz Oldemburg’s New Century Desk and Jacob Wilson’s Casepiece, are exquisite in their Shaker-esque simplicity. Others make a strong statement. Yorgo Liapis’s Credenza, with its dramatic spotted paneling and paw-like feet, conjures a wild cat tucked into a crouch, while Devin Yaeger’s storage bench, aptly named Fire on the Grain, features an elaborately streaked, live-edge maple top. “It never ceases to amaze me how bold our students can be,” says Peter Korn, the Center’s executive director. “They jump right into projects that seasoned pros would shy away from, often with alarming success.” The exhibition runs until May 25. On the following pages, MH+D presents a preview.