44. Crafting a Life
Arthur J. Stevens
Arthur J. Stevens, a woodworking artist, has loved “making stuff” since kindergarten. The shop that bears his name is a full service wood working and exhibit fabrication shop. Art designs and builds finely crafted furniture, exhibits and woodwork, specializing in bent laminate veneer and vacuum press marquetry.
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
At 18 or 19, hitchhiking from one kitchen job to another, a driver gave him a ride and then gave him a job with a construction company. In his early 20s he was a ski bum in the Colorado winters, then worked construction in summer, combining two of his loves.
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
Connecting with the American Craft Council Shows, the Philly Fine Furniture and Providence Fine Furniture Show in the early ’90s, Art says, “It was just interesting to see people making a living ‘making stuff’.” Seeing his work displayed alongside that of “people with actual qualifications was a fantastic experience.”
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
Creating a balance that offers maximum flexibility to be with his family is what Art calls, “My benefit package. I get to be more involved in everyone’s life because I have guilt-free flex time in my schedule.”
On His Bookshelf
The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworkers Reflections
by George Nakashima
Connecting With Arthur J. Stevens
Website:
Facebook:
facebook.com/pages/Arthur-J-Stevens-Fine-Furniture
