September 16, 2016
This symposium will examine historical and contemporary furniture production in light of the fundamental changes brought about by the digital age. Today, the field of studio furniture is changing rapidly to embrace digital technologies and marketplaces. The pressure to keep up with these advances can prevent artists and makers from reflecting on what this means for the craft. Presented jointly by the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery and the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation, this one-day symposium in celebration of Sam Maloof’s centennial birth year will examine historical and contemporary furniture production in light of the fundamental changes brought about by the digital age.
9:00 a.m. - Continental Breakfast
10:00 a.m. - Welcome
- Nora Atkinson, Lloyd Herman Curator at the Renwick Gallery, and Jim Rawitsch, Executive Director of the Maloof Foundation
10:15 a.m. - Keynote by Dr Michael J. Prokopow
11:00 a.m. - Paul Sacaridiz, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
11:45 a.m. - Witold Rybczynski, author Now I Sit Me Down
12:30—2:00 p.m. - Lunch Break
2:00 p.m. - Rapid Fire Artist Presentations
- Wendy Maruyama
- Vivian Beer
- Christy Oates
- Larry White (Maloof studio)
- Wendell Castle
- Uhuru Design LLC (Bill Hilgendorf and Jason Horvath)
3:45 p.m. - Artist Panel, Moderated by Glenn Adamson
4:30 p.m. - Question and Answer Session
4:45 p.m. - Final Summation with Glenn Adamson
5:30 p.m. - Closing Remarks, Nora Atkinson
Program made possible by the generous support of the James Renwick Alliance, the Windgate Foundation, and Woodcraft Supply.