Award-winning professor talks about how to balance it all
RONALD PALMIERI
Issue date: 3/9/10 Section: Campus News
"There are two kinds of
artists," says Professor
Mark Sfirri of the woodworking
department,
"There are those who are
linear. They make a piece
of art, and the next one
isn't the same but it's very
similar but you can tell the
artist it came from if you
know the work. I'm not
that kind of artist."
Despite his humility, he
does great work. A member
of The Furniture Society
and The American Society
of Woodturning, Sfirri has
made his mark on woodworking
world. He is the
first teacher in the woodworking
medium to receive
The Distinguished
Educators Award by the
Renwick Alliance. Sfirri's
work is currently featured
in the Craft Branch of The
Smithsonian Museum of
American Art. He is humbled
to receive such an
honor which would usually
be reserved for the most
prestigious of private
schools.
Sfirri always had intentions
of being a teacher. When
he left college he was planning
on going into the profession
but didn't have the
right credentials when he
first stepped into the world.
He needed a job bad and
was able to get a good job
in the woodworking business.
It wasn't ideal for
him but it allowed him to
explore his art in a new
way. He was forced to find
the business aspect of his
art. "This is the art side.
Business is the other side
of the campus."
After a while in his trade
he became a manager over
several people in a studio.
He had several problems
with this. First of all he felt
uncomfortable having people
working underneath
him. He wanted to do all of
the work he could but his
employee's didn't always
feel the same.
Secondly, it was always a
hard thing doing art for
others instead of for him.
He calls himself "very
organized as far as artists
go", so he enjoyed getting
his work done quickly. He
was bothered if he became
back logged past six
months because any project
artists," says Professor
Mark Sfirri of the woodworking
department,
"There are those who are
linear. They make a piece
of art, and the next one
isn't the same but it's very
similar but you can tell the
artist it came from if you
know the work. I'm not
that kind of artist."
Despite his humility, he
does great work. A member
of The Furniture Society
and The American Society
of Woodturning, Sfirri has
made his mark on woodworking
world. He is the
first teacher in the woodworking
medium to receive
The Distinguished
Educators Award by the
Renwick Alliance. Sfirri's
work is currently featured
in the Craft Branch of The
Smithsonian Museum of
American Art. He is humbled
to receive such an
honor which would usually
be reserved for the most
prestigious of private
schools.
Sfirri always had intentions
of being a teacher. When
he left college he was planning
on going into the profession
but didn't have the
right credentials when he
first stepped into the world.
He needed a job bad and
was able to get a good job
in the woodworking business.
It wasn't ideal for
him but it allowed him to
explore his art in a new
way. He was forced to find
the business aspect of his
art. "This is the art side.
Business is the other side
of the campus."
After a while in his trade
he became a manager over
several people in a studio.
He had several problems
with this. First of all he felt
uncomfortable having people
working underneath
him. He wanted to do all of
the work he could but his
employee's didn't always
feel the same.
Secondly, it was always a
hard thing doing art for
others instead of for him.
He calls himself "very
organized as far as artists
go", so he enjoyed getting
his work done quickly. He
was bothered if he became
back logged past six
months because any project