Max Grossman Studio Tour

Are you curious about vintage tools and metal processes? Max Grossman, self-described glassblower, toolmaker, and garbageman has a passion for collecting and maintaining vintage tools and machinery. In his West Adams industrial studio, every machine you will see is at least 100 years old, with some being even older at 140! The studio includes but is not limited to: Hendey lathe, radial and camelback drills, planer and shaper, full blacksmith shop with power hammers, iron foundry, including a sand muller made from scratch—all for the intent of making tools for glassblowers. This will be an illuminating look into early metal working machinery and processes, plus Grossman’s own creative use of the devices. $20 fee for tour.

The tour has filled and was so popular we are considering a reprise. Please email rsvp@craftinamerica.org for the potential of being included in a repeat tour.

By attending this studio tour, participants agree to hereby release and discharge Craft in America and Max Grossman from any and all liability, claims, demands, or causes of action for injuries or damages arising out of participation in the studio tour.

Drop-in Metal Arts Demo and Tools Q&A with Blacksmith Heather McLarty

Blacksmith and Tools of the Trades curatorial consultant, Heather McLarty, will set up a mini studio in the Center and work on chasing and repousse between 1:00 and 4:00pm. Viewers will have a firsthand experience of seeing how she uses a chasing hammer with a distinct set of shaped tools to form a relief into metal. Heather will also be happy to answer questions about other metal working tools in the exhibition; she is a font of knowledge given her years of experience. Stop by to learn about the process and tools, and view the show with a metal arts expert around. 

Artist Talk: Boris Huang

Boris Huang shares about his initiation with the ancient craft of featherwork and his contemporary interpretations. Huang moved to Hawaii from his native Taiwan and came to fall in love with the tradition of Hawaiian featherwork: so much so he apprenticed with one of its contemporary masters, Mary Louise Kaleonahenahe Kekuewa.

This talk is presented in conjunction with the Craft in America Center exhibition, Feather Adornments: Boris Huang, on view January 18 through April 26, 2025.

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Artist Talk: Chris Maynard

Birds were always a part of Maynard’s childhood and he began working with feathers at age 12. Learn about the process Maynard has developed where he intricately carves feathers and arranges them into delicate compositions. His work highlights the patterns and colors of the feathers themselves.

Maynard is featured in the SCIENCE episode of Craft in America’s PBS documentary series.

This talk was presented in conjunction with the Craft in America Center exhibition, Chris Maynard: Soar, on view January 18 through April 26, 2025.

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Artist Talk: Erik and Martin Demaine

MIT artist-in-residence Martin Demaine and MIT computer science professor Erik Demaine present on their collaborative research and artwork based on folding. The father and son duo explore the principles and possibilities of folded paper for mathematical, scientific, and artistic applications. The Demaines are also featured in the upcoming Craft in America episode, SCIENCE.

This talk is presented in conjunction with the Craft in America Center exhibition, Erik and Martin Demaine: Puzzling with Paper, on view September 14, 2024 to January 4, 2025.

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Reading Craft: Architectural Pottery

Authors Daniel Chavkin, Jeffrey Head, and Jo Lauria discuss their contributions to their exhibition catalog, Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape, the first book to document the history of the groundbreaking company Architectural Pottery, tracing its critical influence on midcentury design and its enduring appeal today.

In 1950, pioneering entrepreneur Rita Lawrence and her husband, Max, founded Architectural Pottery with design partners John Follis and Rex Goode. The cutting-edge ceramic manufacturer received an immediate and enthusiastic reception. Their strikingly minimal ceramics embodied a shift from the ornamental to the essential; the planters became highly coveted in design circles, and appeared in houses by Richard Neutra, John Lautner, and the historic Case Study Houses. Featured in the first of MoMA’s Good Design exhibitions alongside now-iconic designs by Ray and Charles Eames, Alexander Girard, and George Nelson, Architectural Pottery’s refreshingly clean, exceedingly elegant pots and planters were soon ubiquitous in spaces that epitomized modern living.

This talk is presented in conjunction with the American Museum of Ceramic Art exhibition, Architectural Pottery: Ceramics for a Modern Landscape, on view August 17, 2024–March 2, 2025.

Buy the exhibition catalog
Take advantage of 20% off when using the discount code PHAIDON20

About the Authors

Daniel Chavkin is a photographer, collector, and researcher of all things modernist, and the author of Unseen Midcentury
Desert Modern.

Jeffrey Head is a writer specializing in architecture and design, and is author of several books.

Jo Lauria is a Los Angeles-based curator, writer, and educator, as well as coauthor of Master of the Midcentury: The
Architecture of William F. Cody, also published by Monacelli.

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Artist Talk: Lorraine Bubar

Papercut artist Lorraine Bubar talks about how she was inspired to transition from painting and animation to the long-standing tradition of papercut. As an avid world traveler, Bubar noticed that paper cutting was a global and timeless practice. She felt that it was the perfect outlet to convey the intricate and ordered natural beauty she observed on her travels. 

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition, Lorraine Bubar: Papercut Perspectives on view September 14, 2024–January 4, 2025.

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Artist Talk: Martin Alexander and Lauren Verdugo

On the occasion of the exhibition, Building Blocks: Process & Wood, Los Angeles-based artists Martin Alexander and Lauren Verdugo talk about their work and their shared interests in materiality, reconceptions of functionality, and expressions of identity. Both artists were filmed for the Craft Video Dictionary.

Martin Alexander Hernandez is a multidisciplinary sculptor and woodworker. He graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a BFA in Woodworking in 2018. Shortly after this, he opened his studio practice, Martin Alexander Studio, in Los Angeles, California. Since then, he has produced sculptural work and designed furniture utilizing both his personal studio and wood shops throughout the Los Angeles area. He has also honed his skills by apprenticing under a variety of artists and furniture studios.   

Hernandez’s work fuses traditional craft techniques with a conceptual design approach. He is interested in material sustainability, often producing sculptural work with found materials. He currently serves as the shop tech at Allied Woodshop in Los Angeles.

Lauren Verdugo is a Southern California-based artist, woodworker, and furniture designer. Verdugo began their formal training in 2016 by apprenticing with master woodworker Larry White, whom they met through an internship at the Sam and Alfreda Maloof foundation. They went on to complete their BA in Applied Design at San Diego State University in 2021, and are currently enrolled in the Wood MFA program at California State University, Long Beach.

Verdugo’s designs emphasize the unique attributes of their source material, including history, meaning, and physical features. Minimalist forms are punctuated by playful decorative elements. Verdugo rhythmically juxtaposes hard and soft lines, heavy and light features, resulting in works which appear sturdy, yet distinctly energetic. In addition to their multimedia arts practice, they teach wood workshops at the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation in Alta Loma, California and at Allied Woodshop in Los Angeles.

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Artist Talk: Larry White

Woodworking artist Larry White talks about his development with Sam Maloof and his ensuing decades-long practice in both woodworking and art. Learn about his stream-of-consciousness creative process and how his inspiration comes from a wide range of sources.

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Artist Talk: Reuben Foat and Ryan Taber

On the occasion of the exhibition, Building Blocks: Process & Wood, Los Angeles-based artists Reuben Foat and Ryan Taber will talk about their shared interest in reconsidering historic furniture processes and their perspectives on furniture education approaches and opportunities. Both artists were consulted for the Craft Video Dictionary.

Reuben Foat is a furniture designer and sculptor who is recognized for his traditional and technological approach to furniture. Finding inspiration in both old and new approaches to making, Foat creates much of his work using technologies like computer-aided-design and computer-aided-manufacturing.

Foat was raised in Mukwonago, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin where he received a BS in Art and learned furniture design. Foat then took on several positions as a cabinet maker, furniture restorer, and furniture designer before attending San Diego State University where he received his MFA with a concentration in furniture design and digital fabrication. Foat currently works out of his studio in Long Beach, California, while serving as a professor and chair of the Woodworking Department at Cerritos College.

Ryan Taber is an artist, woodworker, and educator. Since 2015, he has served as head of the Wood program at the School of Art at California State University, Long Beach. The program has continued to evolve under Taber’s leadership, emphasizing sustainability and critical thinking at every step in the creative process. 

Taber’s art practice is discursive, drawing on painting, photography, sculpture and furniture making. Each piece utilizes an intricate web of historical references to interrogate notions of art and visual culture. The work considers historical shifts in social perspectives on objecthood and materiality, which is reflected in the CSULB Wood program’s initiative to up cycle wood from nearby dead trees in order to reduce the industrially produced materials used by students. The challenges inherent in working with imperfect, recycled wood encourage Taber’s students to continuously problem solve and maintain an ongoing dialogue with their materials.

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