A Day in the Craftsman House

Transcription

1 A Day in the Craftsman House The Arts in Saint Petersburg Elizabeth Sellers 1 April 2010 E N C S 1 0

2 Upon arrival, I am standing on a beautiful wrap-around porch laid with Cuban tile and accented with lattice work and comfortable porch swings. Through the wall of windows I can see blown glass pieces hanging from the ceiling, catching the afternoon s sunlight at just the right angle and allowing the colors to starburst through the room inside. Already, I can tell that there is more to this gallery than meets the eye. I am visiting the Craftsman House, a unique space in Saint Petersburg that is an art studio, a gallery and a café, all under the roof of a meticulously designed and restored 1918 craftsman bungalow. The Craftsman House is a fully renovated bungalow that is on the historic registry, located in the Grand Central District of Historic Kenwood at 2955 Central Avenue. The house itself is a showcase of intricate architecture, masonry and woodwork, and the artwork displayed inside is simply an extension of this beauty and attention to detail. Owned by local residents Joseph and Stephanie Schorr, the Craftsman House is not to be confused with the Florida Craftsmen Gallery located one mile east on Central Avenue. While both galleries display the works of some of the same local artists, there is one major difference between them. While the Florida Craftsmen is actually a non-profit artists guild that any artist in Florida can join, the Craftsman House is a privately owned gallery and studio whose owners choose which artists to showcase and market. They feature fine American craft artwork (Craftsmanhousegallery.com) from more than 300 local and national artists who make blown glass, pottery, furniture, turned wood, and even jewelry and handbags. 2

3 The first area of the Craftsman House is the gallery itself, which is really every room of the bungalow, including the living and dining rooms with their beautiful stone fireplace and original built-ins. Even the hardwood floors accentuate the artwork that is found in every corner of every room. Right now, the gallery is Tea set by Ryan Greenbeck featuring a Teapot Exhibit, so the front room is displaying a lot of functional wares, referring to usable items like bowls, plates and mugs. Although there are several teapots already on display, the official opening of the exhibit happens on Mother s Day, following a champagne brunch. The glasswork placed around the gallery is especially breathtaking, and includes hand-blown pieces from around the country. From the tiny perfume bottles and glass pendants to the huge centerpieces, every piece is uniquely detailed and full of color and texture. It is obvious that these pieces are made by artisans and masters of their craft. I am beginning to understand what fine American craft art really means. In addition to clay pottery and glasswork, the gallery is full of beautiful woodworking pieces, like the simple yet elegant turned bowl shown here. A turned bowl is made by cutting a log into a solid block of wood, then placing it on a lathe, which turns the block on an axis while an artist chips or sands away at it, similar to the way a slab of clay is spun on a potter s wheel and molded. Once complete, the bowl dries for 3-6 weeks; then it is sanded, branded, dyed and lacquered, resulting in a beautiful and smooth piece of turned wood. Another example of practical woodworking is the display of handmade mailboxes, made by a small group of woodworkers that make up the company Custom Woodcrafting. Each mailbox is handcrafted from Honduran Mahogany, which has been used for generations in the building of fine yachts because of its natural beauty and ability to withstand the elements. After carving and joining with waterproof glue, these mailboxes are 3

4 finished with three coats of satin exterior urethane spar varnish with extra ultraviolet inhibitors. The result is a beautiful piece of functional art that compliments any home s exterior, and especially homes of the craftsman and bungalow style. In addition to the smaller pieces of pottery and woodworking, the Craftsman House also has a collection of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind furniture, including my favorite items, a beautiful wine rack, a vanity and the chess table pictured here. The center of the table actually lifts out by way of a tiny leather strap hidden in the corner of the chess board, and every inch of the table is meticulously shaped and hand painted. As with everything in the gallery, each piece of furniture is handmade with the utmost attention to detail, and most pieces take weeks or months to finish. Attached to the gallery and display area is the intimate café and coffee shop that is actually in the original, renovated kitchen of the bungalow. Here they serve espresso drinks, sandwiches, salads, sweets, cheese and fruit plates, and even gourmet beers and wines. They also sell local seasonal honey, which is a great way to combat seasonal allergies. According to my grandmother and aunt, self-proclaimed Queens of Home Remedies, a teaspoon per day of local honey can help more than a Claritin. A popular item on the menu is their original coffee drink, the Barack-a-Latte, which has espresso, steamed milk, white and dark chocolate, whipped cream, red and blue sprinkles. It is fantastic! Whatever your political affiliation, you are sure to enjoy this delightful combination; it is a bi-partisan favorite, and the owners call it Barack-a-diculous! The café tables are nestled in the enclosed interior porch, the exterior porch, and even under the pergola out in the front yard area. The menu items are made by the owners, who use organic and fair-trade Interior and Exterior Porches products whenever possible. In fact, on May 8, they are participating in the World s Largest Coffee Break on World Fair Trade Day, joining coffee shops around the world to try to break the record for the world s largest coffee break. Fair trade means that a company pays a fair price 4

5 to coffee farmers and encourages the use of environmentally friendly farming practices. One way to think globally and act locally is to buy fair trade products whenever possible. The third part of the Craftsman House is the carriage house, which has been converted into a pottery studio for use by co-owner Stephanie Schorr. Today, she is inside sitting at her potter s wheel, and visitors are allowed to peer inside and watch her working. Some days she sits at the potter s wheel; on others, she paints and glazes, and the really fun time to watch is when she fires up the kiln and heats a batch of original clay pieces. Stephanie creates a lot of functional wares like the ones describes earlier; most of the mugs on display at the café are her handiwork, and the menu items are even served on plates and bowls that she has made. The Craftsman House is open Monday through Saturday from 10AM 6PM, and on Sunday from 11AM 4PM; it is free to enter, and every piece of art on exhibit is also for sale, with clearly marked prices, unlike many fine art galleries that require visitors to inquire a sales person about prices. Pieces range in price from $6 for beautiful soaps and candles, all the way up to $5,000+ for the large, intricate pieces of furniture, so there is something here for everyone. In addition to the regular gallery hours and exhibits, the Craftsman House hosts a lot of different special events, like the monthly Downtown Arts Association Gallery Walk, sponsored by the Downtown Arts Association. On the second Saturday of each month, downtown art galleries extend their hours to 8:30PM and usually have a theme for the evening, or offer the chance to meet local artists whose works are on display. Anyone who wants to come can start at the Craftsman House and receive a list of participating galleries. The owners also host a concert series of well known folk artists, who play right in the gallery after all of the art is moved into the side rooms. Coming up soon is the Annual Elton John-a-Thon on April 4 th, which is a daylong event that pays tribute to Elton John, including special menu items and full costumes worn by all. A portion of the proceeds are 5

6 donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The Craftsman House also has a Loving Day Celebration that celebrates the landmark 1967 Supreme Court case that finally legalized interracial marriage in the U.S., as well as an Annual Pot Roast where visitors who purchase a bowl can fill it up with homemade pot roast; mugs and cups can be filled with complimentary coffee, tea or beer. For details on upcoming events, readers can visit their website at In conclusion, the Craftsman House is truly one of Saint Petersburg s hidden gems and is home to a unique gallery, studio and café that showcase art from over 300 fine American craft artists. It has been named by Creative Loafing as Best Art Gallery in the Tampa Bay region and is one of the places that makes Saint Petersburg one of America s top art destinations. After only one visit, it is easy to see why this gem is at the heart of the revitalization that is happening right now in Saint Pete s Grand Central District. 6

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8 Works Cited CraftsmanHouseGallery.com. The Craftsman House Web. 25 February < Ruttan, Howard. The Treadle Lathe FAQ. InTheWoodshop.org. 6 August Web. 3 March < Schorr, Joseph. Personal interview. 28 February Sherman, Chris. The Art and Craft of Food. TampaBay.com. The Saint Petersburg Times, 3 August Web. 28 February < 8