About Sharon

Sharon C. Mehrman is an artisan woodworker and historian of material culture, historic woodworking trades, tools, and technology. Her furniture has been juried into museum exhibitions and fine craft shows. She was awarded Grand Prize in Popular Woodworking Magazine’s Woodworking Excellence Awards for The Thread Chest, a custom designed piece commissioned by a private collector.

Artist's Statement

My furniture tells the story of my process; like the decisions that I make while designing, and the marks that I leave with my chisels. Richness and beauty in my work is achieved by accentuating the depth of the natural grain of the wood. I spend hours choosing the boards for each commission from sustainably harvested wood. It is important to support responsible forestry to ensure that woodworking has a viable future. A world without fine woodworking would be a dull one indeed. I take great pride in creating well-crafted pieces with my hands to last for generations.

Designer

My evolution into furniture making began with graphic design and sign making. In 1988, I graduated from Parsons School of Design with a BFA in graphic design. Shortly after, I began my woodworking career handcrafting signs for businesses on Nantucket Island. I am primarily a self-taught woodworker. As an artist and designer, I was trained to look to the past for inspiration.

Artisan

I earned my Master Furniture Maker certificate from Hill Institute in Florence, Massachusetts, where I learned traditional furniture making techniques such as hand-cutting mortise & tenon and dovetail joinery, veneering, and carving. I use historical research to inform my furniture designs and handcraft each piece to create unique designs to meet the specific needs of each client. I believe that things in our lives have more meaning when we know the people who make them, and that it is more beneficial for our society to buy fewer things of higher quality than to buy an abundance of low-quality “disposable” items. When we live in a way that is less wasteful, we can sustain a healthful way of life, conserve our planetary resources, simplify our lives, and have a huge global impact for generations to come.

Educator

I am the Direc­tor of the Master Furni­ture Program at Hill Insti­tute in Florence, Mass­a­chu­setts where I teach woodworking and furniture making classes. My teaching philosophy is to ensure that students from all skill levels develop confidence in their creativity and self-sufficiency in their woodworking skills, while understanding the safe operation of all equipment and machinery. I support creative problem solving and believe that spatial aptitude is a versatile skill developed through hands-on experience.

Historian

My Master’s of Design and Grad­u­ate Certifi­cate in Public History from the Univer­sity of Mass­a­chu­setts Amherst complement over 30 years’ of prac­ti­cal expe­ri­ence as a designer and wood­worker which influence my interpretation of material culture and historic manuscripts. My research is ongoing. I study woodworking methodologies from the seventeenth century to the twentieth, with a focus on the transition from handwork to machine-based work in the nineteenth century. I use archives and collections throughout New England and the northern east coast, including my work as a fellow at Winterthur Library & Museum in Delaware.

PRESS

  • “Art of Home Design.” Boston Spirit Magazine, January/February 2022
  • “Featured Member.” The Furniture Society, July 12-18, 2021
  • “Harvesting History.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, September 12, 2020
  • “Made on Main, and Made Again in Florence.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, Special Section, June, 20, 2019
  • “Woodworking Excellence.” Popular Woodworking Magazine, November 2015
  • “Sharon Mehrman, winner of 2015 Woodworking Excellence Award.” (SoundCloud) WHMP Radio Interview on the Bill Newman Show, October 5, 2015
  • “ID a Personal Profile.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, Hampshire Life, January 23, 2015
  • Hepplewhite Card Table by Sharon C. Mehrman used to illustrate “Curves in the Craft Tradition,” Figure 2.3.8, in George R. Walker and Jim Tolpin, By Hand & Eye (Fort Mitchell: Lost Art Press, 2013), 80.
  • “Show Stoppers: Furniture & Home Furnishings.” Paradise City Fall Show Guide, 2012
  • “HOMEmade.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, Hampshire Life, October 7, 2011
  • “Window Shopping.” Preview Massachusetts, May 2011
  • “This Twist is a Crafty Place to Shop.” The Republican, Pioneer Valley Life, May 7, 2011
  • “Show Spotlight.” Paradise City Fall Show Guide, 2010
  • “ID a Personal Profile.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, Hampshire Life, October 1-7, 2010
Copyright Sharon C. Mehrman 2022. All Rights Reserved.