Done and dusted: Students from the class of 2015 at the Centre For Fine Woodworking in New Zealand can now deservedly take a seat as they prepare to exhibit their work.
26 Nov 2015
From Helen Gerry, Centre for Fine Woodworking, Nelson, New Zealand
The Centre for Fine Woodworking will celebrate the work of graduating students from the 32-week intensive Furniture Makers' Programme at the opening of their exhibition on December 4 at The Refinery Artspace in beautiful Nelson, New Zealand. The exhibition will run from December 5 to 18.

This small and intimate international school of furniture making, woodworking and design is a registered charity offering the highest level of tuition available in the country. The full time students this year have been taught by resident tutors John Shaw, Thorkild Hansen and David Haig, with the added treat of visiting tutor Brian Reid (below) who teaches at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine, USA.

Brian Reid comes with a great pedigree as he is an honours graduate of Parnham College in the UK where he studied under the renowned designer Sir John Makepeace and principal Robert Ingham, and is the fifth of only a total of eight Americans to have attended the distinguished programme. Brian enjoyed himself so much in New Zealand he has been convinced to return next year where he will teach the final term of the full time programme.

Above: Full-time CFW student, Lorraine Moss-Smith

Our new 8-week Beginners Intensive was a great success this year with students from every corner of the world attending. Students created a coopered cabinet and a steam bent chair amongst other smaller projects and under the guidance of tutor Thorkild Hansen were thrilled what they had achieved in such a short space of time.

Michael Fortune (shown above) returns for the third time to teach three masterclasses in February 2016 – 5 Ways to Form Wood, Jigmaking (Michael is the King of Jigs) and Waterfall Edge and he will be around in Nelson to join in the party to celebrate the school's tenth birthday. It's a very successful collaboration between the Perth Wood School in Western Australia and the CFW in New Zealand that make Michael's teaching in both countries possible. Michael with teach at the CFW from Jan 29 to Feb 12, and then at the Perth Wood School from Feb 15 to 27.
From 2016 the school will also offer acoustic, electric and classical guitar making courses.

The school's growing reputation now attracts world class tutors to teach short and full time courses and looks forward to the visit of David Upfill-Brown in 2017.