Join us for a conversation with Mark Sfirri, co-curator of the exhibition Daring Design: The Impact of Three Women on Wharton Esherick’s Craft. This exhibition, which is on view at the Michener through February 6, explores the significant impact of three women—Helene Fischer (1879-1970), Hanna Weil (1900-1985), and Marjorie Content (1895-1984)—on Esherick’s career and artistic development. Sfirri has been researching Esherick and the subjects of Daring Design for over fifteen years; this work has connected him with a vast spectrum of people, ideas, and objects that tell their stories. After a short presentation from Sfirri, we’ll learn more about his research and the role it’s played in shaping both Daring Design and his own artistic life. 

Mark Sfirri received his BFA and MFA in furniture design at Rhode Island School of Design.  His specialty is multi-axis spindle turning, an area that he has been exploring since the early 1990s. He has lectured and demonstrated his techniques throughout North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. His work is included in the permanent collection of twenty-eight public institutions. Sfirri is professor emeritus at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania where he ran the Fine Woodworking Program from 1981 to 2017.  He has received two national awards:  the “Distinguished Educator Award” in 2010 from the Renwick Alliance of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institutions and, in 2012, the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Collectors of Wood Art. Sfirri has been researching Wharton Esherick since 2006 and authored or co-authored eight articles about Esherick.  In addition to his role as co-curator for Daring Design, Sfirri served on the curatorial team for Wharton Esherick and the Birth of the American Modern, an exhibition and symposium held at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. 

This is a free online event; advance reservations are required. Please register below to receive instructions on how to join us! If able, please consider a $5 donation to support our ongoing programs. Donate HERE.

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We look forward to seeing you there!