In this episode the last episode of 2024 a special treat, the first of our many recorded interviews from the Emma International Collaboration which took place in August of 2024. This conversation is with Michael Hosulak the brainchild behind Emma though he takes no credit for being founder. We talk about two of the many pieces Michael was involved …

In this episode, we are returning to our “Mind of a Maker” mini series with furniture maker and sculptor Ellie Richards, the idea behind the “Mind of a Maker” series, which is a new element inside the regular why make podcast is to talk to artists about the genesis and creation of a specific work, or body of work, in a sense, peeling back the onion…

In this episode of why make I talk with sculptor, furniture maker and educator Jack Larimore about how his background in landscape architecture. What led him down the path to discovering a love of design and eventually making furniture. Furthermore how a lack of a formal education In the arts really allowed him to explore sculptural ideas with few …

On this episode of Why Make we have Jim Roberts a percussionist, producer, artist and educator who resides in Chapel Hill NC. Jim plays the drum set, djembe, congas, and has many recordings under his belt. He has just finished a 17 year teaching stint at Elon University where he taught percussion and directed the Elon World Percussion Ensemble. Jim…

In this episode I talk about my first impressions of the Emma International collaboration, which took place on July 31 to August 8, 2024 in Big River Saskatchewan. If you need a little more background on Emma take a listen to What is Emma? Episode 59 of the podcast When I returned from Why Makes great adventure to Emma earlier this month, I knew I …

In Episode 62 of the Why Make Podcast we introduce the 1st in our Mind of a Maker series, a new part of the Why Make Podcast, with our guest Steve Fishman. Steve is a North Carolina printmaker and a painter in many mediums, as well as being skilled with pen and ink and the mighty pencil. He is also a teacher and someone who really knows how to thin…

Episode 61 of Why Make? is the conclusion of our conversation with Carrboro, NC musician Jonathan Byrd, who, along with being an award winning song writer is also a story teller, a poet, a photographer, a painter, a teacher and now a student in Physics at North Carolina State University. Enjoy Part Two of our wide open discussion on a host of topic…

On Episode 60 of Why Make? our guest is Jonathan Byrd a Carrboro, NC musician, who, along with being award winning song writer, is also a story teller extraordinaire, a poet, a photographer, a painter, a teacher and now a student in Physics. Erik has known Jonathan for a long time and has watched his career blossom over the years. After discovering…

I first heard about Emma Lake as it was formerly known, many years ago as this gathering of makers in the far reaches of northern Saskatchewan,Canada. I am not sure how I heard about it or in what context but I always remember it being presented as this other worldly event described with superlatives that somehow could not match reality. Furthermor…

As mentioned in the podcast here is a link to excellent book of images and essays from the Imagine Peace Now exhibition https://imaginepeacenow.org/supportus/product/i-m-a-g-i-n-e-peace-now-publication/Why Make által

On Episode 57 of Why Make? we talk with Brad Reed Nelson, a Glenwood Springs, Colorado woodworker, furniture maker and product designer creating magical pieces made from metal and wood. Brad, aka BRN, and his better half Ann, run Board by Design, a functional design company making such brightly colored amazingness as Knuckles, The Good Pot, Elefunc…

Episode 56 of Why Make? is a conversation 50 years in the making! Erik sits down sit with his childhood friend, the amazing metalsmith, jeweler, sculptor and teacher Boris Bally. Erik last saw Boris sometime in 1974 when they were 12 years old. Originally, like Erik, from Pittsburgh, Boris now resides and works in Providence RI. A maker from the ea…

In Episode 55 of the Why Make? podcast we talk with Mia Hall, a maker, former educator and current executive director of the Penland School of Craft, one of the oldest and most prestigious craft schools in America. After growing up in Sweden Mia moved to northern California at the age of 18 and explored for the next 10 years. When a close friend be…

Retired educator, jeweler and metalsmith extraordinaire Bob Ebendorf joins us on episode 54 of the Why Make podcast. Originally from Topeka Kansas, Bob was a star football player and wrestler in high school who had the choice of a big time college athletic scholarship or attending art school. Lucky for us he made the right choice! After spending hi…

Welcome to Episode 53 of Why Make? On this episode we talk with Robert F. Lyon, a woodturner, artist and educator who lives and works in the Columbia, SC area. Literally climbing the walls with handmade ladders as a small child, the sky was the limit, as Robert explored model rockets and building theater sets, before landing in art school for colle…

In Episode 52 of Why Make? we talk with Katie Thompson, an artist, writer, creative consultant and instructor based in the Low Country outside of Charleston, SC. Katie wears many hats including being a disabled mother of two, and wife and partner to fine furniture maker Joseph Thompson. Katie has a passion for people and sharing their stories, and …

The long awaited conversation on Why Make? Podcast with artist and maker Aspen Golaan.Why Make? Productions által

On this episode of Why Make? we talk with Kimberly Winkle, an arts administrator full time teacher and artist. Kim is a Professor of Art and the Director of the School of Art, Craft & Design at Tennessee Technological University’s Appalachian Center for Craft. A native of Oklahoma Kim holds a Bachelor of Fine Art in Ceramics from the University of …

Why Make Podcast, Wendy Maruyama Episode Part II Transcript Time Code 00:00 Robb Helmkamp Hello and welcome to Why Make, where we talk to makers from different disciplines about what inspires them to make.With your hosts Robb Helmkamp and. Erik Wolken Erik Wolken. If you would like to learn more about the makers we interview on Why Make please go o…

Why Make Podcast, Wendy Maruyama Episode Part 1 Transcript Time Code 00:00 Robb Helmkamp Hello and welcome to Why Make, where we talk to makers from different disciplines about what inspires them to make.With your hosts Robb Helmkamp and, Erik Wolken Erik Wolken. If you would like to learn more about the makers we interview on Why Make please go ou…

On this episode of Why Make we talk with James McNabb a woodworker and artist who grew up in Montville, NJ overlooking New York City. James grew up in a family that was very supportive of his creative endeavors, his mother being a teacher and father a carpenter. Early experiences taking woodworking classes in middle and high school led him to pursu…

On this episode of Why Make? we resume our conversation with Melanie Falick an independent writer, editor, creative consultant and lifelong maker who lives in the Hudson Valley in New York. We continue talking about the creation of her book Making a Life: Working by Hand and Discovering the Life You Are Meant to Live and also find out more about wo…

Why Make Episode 46, Part 1. a podcast conversation with Melanie Falick, an independent writer, editor, creative consultant and lifelong maker . You can find out more about Melanie at melaniefalick.com and on her Instagram or pick up a copy of Making a Life at great retailers like Indiebound Portrait photo by Christine Ashburn. Making photos by Rin…

In this Bonus Make with Zeke Leonard we get into the nitty gritty of the relationship between making objects and musical instruments and being a musician or just making wonderful noises.Why Make által

On this episode we talk with Zeke Leonard, a Syracuse, NY based educator, designer, musician and maker. Born in Charleston, SC Zeke started out early, getting involved in community theater while growing up in Winston Salem, NC. His interest in acting and set design & construction led him to a degree in Set Design at the NC School of the Arts. Zeke …

Episode 43 of Why Make? is a Bonus make? We talk with Tom Loeser about the time he spent with Tommy Simpson in 1981 during a 10 day chair making workshop at the now defunct Boston University Program in Artisanry. Tom talks about Tommy’s ability to tell a story through a narrative and his exceptional quality and speed as both a maker and woodworker.…

On Episode 42 of Why Make? we talk with Tom Loeser, an educator, furniture maker, and box maker who recently retired as the head of the Furniture Design and Woodworking program at UW-Madison where he has taught since 1991. Tom designs and builds one-of-a-kind, functional and dysfunctional, objects that are often carved and painted. His work is prim…

On Episode 41 of Why Make? we talk with Christopher Schwarz, a furniture maker, educator, writer and publisher who lives and works from a storefront in Covington, KY. Schwarz is one of the founders and the editor of Lost Art Press, which publishes numerous, high quality books, including the Anarchists Tool Chest, on hand tool woodworking. In 2019, …

Building sandcastles on the beaches of Massachusetts is the perfect way to start a life long love with making which Mark Del Guidice continues to this day. In Episode 40 of Why Make? we talk with Mark about growing up in a working class family which may have been short on experiences in the arts, but, was long on nurturing and probably at the heart…

It’s been a minute since you have heard from us, but, we promise we are working on more Why Make? episodes! Most importantly though we are working on finishing our short documentary on the artist, Tommy Simpson. Take the time to relax and listen to Episode 38 of Why Make? during which we talk with Tommy about his amazing life as a maker.…

This episode is a special edition of sorts where we actually talk about the process of making instead of getting all existential like we usually do… and although this is definitely not a “tool talk” it is more of a How Make! than a Why Make? this time around! On Episode 39 of Why Make? we talk with Karen Ernst a maker and educator, who is currently…

Welcome to the 2021 holiday episode of Why Make. For the end of our third season we have something extra special in store for you… a conversation with one of the groundbreaking artists of the modern studio furniture movement, Tommy Simpson. Tommy’s work has a whimsical bent, but that belies a serious approach to making for someone who has created a…

In this episode of Bonus Make! we continue our conversation with Ellie Richards, a furniture designer, sculptor and teacher who is currently a resident artist at the Penland School of Crafts. We talk with Ellie about her project “The Highboy’s Understory: Deconstructing the Icon” in which she examines the Winterthur, Delaware Museum, Garden and Lib…

In Episode 36 Why Make? we talk with furniture designer, sculptor and teacher Ellie Richards who is currently a resident artist at the Penland School of Crafts in the mountains of Western North Carolina. After growing up in Pittsburgh, PA she attended the University of Dayton in Studio Art & Art Education program as an undergrad and Arizona State U…

In this episode of Bonus Make we talk with Katie Hudnall, about that most important of any artists tools, the sketchbook. As a tool for organizing your thoughts, a visual expression of your daily experiences or just a place to write down a shopping list next to a cool idea for a Rube Goldberg Machine, the sketchbook is a Swiss Army Knife for most a…

In Episode 34 of Why Make we talk with artist, woodworker and educator Katie Hudnall, currently living in Madison Wisconsin she is an assistant professor of art at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Katie began in the arts as someone who loved to draw and was able to morph her drawing language into a unique woodworking style, despite her admitte…

In Episode 33 of Why Make? we talk with furniture maker, sculptor, and educator, Andy Buck. Andy is currently a full professor in the School for American Crafts in the College of Art and Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has also taught at the Oregon College of Art & Craft, and given workshops at Anderson Ranch, Haystack, Penland …

Episode 32 of Why Make? is a Bonus Make! as we continue our conversation with Adam Manley and talk about his 2018 solo exhibition, Ordinary Rendition.Why Make? Podcast által

On Episode 31 of Why Make? we are joined by Adam Manley a San Diego, California based maker and educator. We talk with Adam about everything under the hot California sun including his large-scale sculpture and installations, his furniture and functional objects, and teaching San Diego State University as an assistant professor in their Furniture de…

Episode 30 of Why Make? is a Bonus Make! We discuss with Michael Puryear the evolution and creation of his Dan chair, his interpretation of a classic African low chair, which is now a part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.Why Make? Episode 30 által

On Episode 29 of Why Make? we talk with Michael Puryear a consummate New York based furniture maker with an elegant understated aesthetic. Please join us on one makers journey as we find out what inspires and motivates Michael Puryear.Why Make? Podcast Episode 29 által

On Episode 28 of the Why Make? podcast we talk with artist Maggie Sasso, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin based maker producing maritime influenced installation work. Maggie’s conceptual bodies of work examines material culture in relation to our collective past using comedy and levity to navigate through the harsh realities of modern life. Although Maggie h…

In Episode 27 of Why Make? we talk with filmmaker John Nakashima and discuss his new documentary George Nakashima, Woodworker about his uncle, George Nakashima John unfolds about the making of his new documentary, his life long relationship with his uncle George and the 20 year journey he has taken in making this stunning film. So grab a hand plane…

In Episode 26, our 2021 Season Introduction, we take a look back at the dumpster fire that was 2020 and the multitude of ways we were able stay healthy, talking and connected. We look back at about some of the wonderful conversations we had last year and also give a preview of the upcoming episodes planned for 2021. We also dig into a couple of the…

Episode 25 of Why Make? is a Bonus Make! as we talk with Greenville, SC artist Daniel Marinelli about creating the new landmark sign at Penland School of Craft. With butterflies in his stomach about creating his largest commission to date, Marinelli goes into detail about the design and fabrication of this incredible sign and the thrill of a job we…

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Why graduate school? Episode 23 of Why Make? is a Bonus Make! and we talk with artist and educator Cory Robinson about his decision to go to grad school at San Diego State University in their Furniture Design and Woodworking program and how he chose which school and program to attend. Continuing our conversation from Episode 22 we have an honest di…

On Episode 22 of Why Make? we talk with Cory Robinson, an artist and educator, who teaches at the Herron School of the Arts in Indianapolis Indiana. Cory grew up in small town Indiana and after traveling and schooling in other parts of the world returned to his alma mater to become an educator. Robinson’s work encompasses painting, sculpture, furni…

Sylvie Rosenthal is a Madison, Wisconsin based artist and educator. She maintains a studio practice making commission furniture, work for online sales, and fantastic genre challenging sculpture dealing with the intersecting flight patterns of the histories of trade, hybridity, materiality, queer theory, and the natural world. On Episode 21 of Why M…

Straight from the editing room workbench we are continuing with our newest feature in the Why Make? Bonus Make! These are pieces and parts from our initial conversation with Adrien Segal that didn’t make the final cut of Episode 19 but still make for some very compelling discussion about her life and artwork. Please enjoy Episode 20, our second Bon…