Join us for Please, Please, Please, Philadelphia, a discussion about seating in the city featuring furniture designer-maker John Lutz, restoration expert and connoisseur of Early-American Furniture Chris Storb, and Emily Zilber, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Strategic Partnerships at the Wharton Esherick Museum. We’ll hear about the history and tie local made furniture to our current exhibition Tom Loeser: Please, Please, Please.
John Lutz is a woodworker, furniture designer, manager and educator. His work is highly influenced by the relationship between craftsperson and material through the process of producing the final product. Lutz’ career began with working in the industry for high end furniture, while also teaching at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Penland School of Crafts. He received his BFA in Woodworking and Furniture Design in 1984 from Rochester Institute of Technology. He soon after began working for Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers in Maine, where he spent over 18 years working with the company. John has been awarded design patents and Innovation design awards. He has lead several AIA lectures, taught certified courses to interior designers. Since 2008 John has been General Manager of George Nakashima Woodworkers, and continues to create his own works while focusing on the process of making traditional forms. In addition to his work John supports the wood community as Board Member for the Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia.
Christopher Storb has worked as furniture conservator for over 40 years. Most recently he worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from 2003 to 2019. His expertise is in the history of woodworking techniques, processes, and materials, coupled with the ability to share that expertise in a meaningful way with students and the general public. He has lectured and written widely on historic furniture and maintains the blog “In Proportion to the Trouble” where he examines all things regarding the arts and mysteries of woodcraft.
Emily Zilber is the Director of Curatorial Affairs and Strategic Partnerships at the Wharton Esherick Museum. She maintains an independent curatorial and consulting practice and is currently Guest Curator at the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum for the 2021 Renwick Invitational. She is adjunct faculty at Tyler School of Art and Architecture and speaks regularly on topics related to craft, design, and museum practice. Zilber was the first Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and has also held positions as Assistant Curator at Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum and Editor of Metalsmith and Metalsmith Tech. Zilber serves on the boards of trustees of the Center for Craft in Asheville, NC and CraftNOW Philadelphia, and is on the Collections Committee of the Center for Art in Wood.
This event is free to the public. The Center for Art in Wood interprets, nurtures, and champions creative engagement and expansion of art, craft, and design in wood to enhance the public’s understanding and appreciation of it. A suggested donation of $5 per person enables us to provide programs and exhibitions throughout the year.
Questions? Please contact Katie Sorenson, Senior Manager of Partnerships and Engagement at [email protected].