Commentary by Louis Amestoy/The Kerr County Lead
We stopped by the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center to see the annual Texas Furnituremakers Show, which has become a yearly tradition of the Amestoy household since moving to Kerrville. However, this year proved to be a controversial visit because we split on what should be in the Top Five — our favorites from the show. In the spirit of art, we strongly recommend this show, and it's a free visit to the KACC. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the show is not quite as large as it has been in the past, but there are still some marvelous pieces to appreciate. The show runs through Dec. 17.
5 Mid-Century Modern Desk
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Made by Leo Little of Austin
Value: $11,000
Little said his inspiration was nouveau designs of French and Belgian masters. What stands out is the arched structure, but Little added the sling leaf on top is flat-cut Cuban mahogany, which was cut in the 1970s.
4 Standing Desk
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Made by Asher and James Frailey of Weatherford
Value: $4,000
We're not going to lie — we used to think standing desks were idiotic. Then our lower back joined "men of a certain age" stage, and now we appreciate their purpose. From a form follows function, this is a gorgeous piece of functional working space. Our only deduction is for a wobbly drawer.
3 Creation Desk
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Made by Wayne Delyea of Granbury
Value: $9,500
This piece is a stunning achievement and appropriately named "Brazos De Dios" (The Arms of God). It has an inlay copy of Michaelangelo's Creation from the Sistine Chapel where God touches man. "I strive to build all furniture with meaning and I truly feel this piece checks a lot of the boxes I was trying to accomplish,'' Delyea wrote. The piece is made from Black Walnut, pecan trees, Cherry, Maple, Aspen and Burl Walnut. A drawer had an inlay of a mockingbird. Stunning.
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2 Bureau
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Made by M.L. Bolton of Belton
Value: $9,000
The more we looked at this, the more we appreciated this stunning work of functional art. In the show notes, Bolton said the work draws inspiration from the home-working environment caused by the coronavirus pandemic. "After researching many professionals who were forced from working from a traditional office setting to a home environment during the pandemic, their needs were incorporated into this design," Bolton wrote. With plenty of features for storage and filing, this bureau stands out.
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1 Maloof Chair
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Made by Mark Seay of Plano
Value: $5,500
Not only was this our favorite piece in the show, but it is, arguably, the best value. Anyone who tackles a chair inspired by noted artist and furniture maker Sam Maloof is worthy of celebration in our book. The curved rockers are some of the most technically challenging elements to solve for the maker. More than 20 years ago, we profiled a high school student who tackled a similar project — it was even a challenging technical achievement for the woodshop teacher. Seay pulls this off, and KACC Director Lanza Teague said it appeared the chair was on the brink of being sold. Maloof died in 2009, but his contributions are still being measured.
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