Beacon artist opens studio to beginners
Not too long ago, Beacon High School offered woodworking classes in a space now occupied by Rexhill Studio. An old sign outside one of the warren of rooms in the KuBe Art Center reads: “GO4 Wood Shop.”
Today, students can access a Construction Trade curriculum that includes some woodworking instruction through Dutchess BOCES. Two are enrolled.
Exemplifying the decline of practical manual arts education, studio co-owner Justin King attended the Oregon College of Art and Craft, which shuttered in 2019 after 112 years.
To fill the instructive void, King launched an eight-week introduction to the basics, Woodshop Beacon, which sold out fast and wrapped up on Wednesday (May 21).
“We have fewer places to do this kind of thing,” he says. “With YouTube and other videos, you’re starting in the middle and backtracking to the beginning, so this helps plug in the knowledge gap.”
The endgame for the class is a handmade square box, a task that requires several basic skills. A model jewel case that King created is shaped to near perfection, with seamless joints; the top tray nestles inside with zero wiggle room. Press a button in the back and out pops a hidden drawer.
“Boxes can be simple, but they require time, dedication and ability,” says King. The name Rexhill, incorporating the Latin word for his last name, harks to the family farm in Ohio. After making his way to Portland, he met his wife, Paula, who plays an instrumental role at the studio.
The couple drifted east with stopovers because there are lots of woodworkers in the Pacific Northwest and she grew up in New Jersey. In 2006, when they settled in Beacon, “it was pretty rough,” she says. “But you could feel a change in the air.”
Justin King’s first love is fine furniture, and he makes tables and credenzas with artistic and technical flair. The studio also devises custom installations in collaboration with architects, homeowners, contractors and interior designers.
For the Woodshop Beacon class, students began by “playing around with planing,” according to the curriculum. They progressed to joinery and working with machines, taking advantage of hands-on shop time on Saturday mornings.
Building the box requires choosing the type of wood and assembling, sanding and completing the project. “Even if a finished piece is functional, it is art because no two designs are alike,” says King, who worried about filling up seats and was comforted by the response.
Dylan Assael, a friend, jumped at the chance to attend. “I thought, ‘How great would it be to acquire this skill and level up my abilities?’ ” he says. Assael also took a sewing class and creates flags that mesh with the decor at boat and yacht clubs.
Though woodworking presents inherent danger, he faced his fears. “Those tools can maim and injure and that scares the shit out of me, so I’m glad to get instruction from a pro and keep my digits intact,” he says. “Sifting through videos is frustrating; it’s so much easier to talk to a human being and get instant feedback.”
Rexhill Studio is located at 211 Fishkill Ave., Suite GO1 & 4B, in Beacon. See rexhillstudio.com or call 503-490-7280.
