Proudly DMT salutes Marlborough Woodworker Michael Kowalski
Finalist in national “Fine Woodworkers Under 30” exhibition
08/10/2011
Michael Kowalski, a Marlborough craftsman, has been named a finalist in a national woodworker’s exhibition co-produced by Fine Woodworking magazine and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. As a sponsor of the “Regeneration: Fine Woodworkers Under 30” exhibition, DMT Diamond Machining Technology gave Kowalski a DuoSharp Bench Stone. For 35 years, DMT has manufactured top quality diamond sharpening tools at its Marlborough facility. Kowalski says he never knew his favorite sharpening company was located right down the street from his home.
“I first bought a fine-grit DMT sharpener as an all-purpose stone about four years ago, and it’s held up well. After that, I purchased some non-DMT waterstones in finer grits,” said Kowalski. “I’ve been excited using my new DMT DuoSharp diamond sharpener because it also has a finer grit, but it produces a sharper edge more quickly and easily than the other stones. With the DMT stone, I can quickly restore even a damaged edge, bring it to a keen sharpness and, with a quick wipe of the stone, be back to my work.”
For the exhibition, Kowalski crafted a stunning dining table for eight that he says was truly a labor of love. He used a board of waterfall bubinga wood given to him by his wife as a wedding gift.
“After she gave me the board I was thinking I’d make a table, but it was a big project and I never got started until I saw the notice about the exhibition in Fine Woodworking magazine.” Kowalski says he spent 120 hours working on the table—incorporating curly white oak he salvaged from his yard to fill out the design. “I was happy with the way it turned out and was thrilled to learn I was picked as a finalist,” he said.
“DMT has sponsored several juried exhibitions at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship over the past few years,” said DMT President Mark Brandon. “We are especially excited about sponsoring this one because it showcases and introduces the next generation of woodworkers and furniture builders.”
For his day job, Kowalski works designing footwear at New Balance, but he says woodworking has always been a hobby and sometimes a part-time job.
“During college I did some carpentry work during summer break and then progressed into furniture and fine woodworking. My brother is an architect and occasionally he would ask me to build custom cabinets for his projects, plus I make things for my own house,” Kowalski said. “But this was one of the most complex things I’ve ever done.”
The gallery show featuring Kowalski’s table and works from 21 other finalists from the “Regeneration: Fine Woodworkers Under 30” exhibition will open to the public on September 16, 2011 at the Messler Gallery in Rockport, Maine.
“We are grateful to DMT and our other corporate sponsors for helping to give this exhibition national reach and impact. More than 240 pieces were submitted and much of the work was fabulous,” said Victoria Allport, manager of the Messler Gallery.
About Regeneration: Fine Woodworkers Under 30:
Regeneration: Fine Woodworkers Under 30 is a juried exhibition co-produced by Fine Woodworking and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. The purpose of this show is to encourage the growth of the next generation of woodworkers and advance the careers of those with exceptional promise. The jury reviewed 587 images by 150 entrants to select 22 outstanding objects for the exhibition. Winning entries are shown below. Jurors include: John Dunnigan, professor at the Rhode Island School of Design; Garrett Hack, Contributing Editor for Fine Woodworking; Anissa Kapsales, Associate Editor for Fine Woodworking; and Bill Hunter, Studio Wood Artist.
