Woodworker Stacey Meineke explores the colorways and pattern play of wood in her art and furniture exhibition, Against the Grain.

Stacey’s interest in woodworking started from the practical (and aesthetic) need for grown-up furniture in a shared dining room littered with ramen-filled storage tubs. She took a woodworking class through Otis College of Art and Design and confidently told the instructor she would build a credenza as her first-ever project, to which he replied, “No. That's too much for a beginner.” 

Never one to listen to the words “no” or “too much,” Stacey stubbornly power[tool]ed on, panting and wheezing all the way up the steep learning curve, silently—and almost tearfully—admitting he was right. Nevertheless, she persisted, and now has a beautiful credenza. That she will be buried in. Beneath a tombstone that reads, “Her perfectionism finally got the best of her.”

While the credenza solved one area of clutter in her apartment, it made another with a pile of leftover walnut scraps. In true artist form, Stacey said, “I can make something with these!” and thus began her 11-year journey down the woodhoarder’s *rabbet* hole, filled with countless unfinished projects.

Come view the furniture and art she managed to complete at Studio 203, Saturdays and Sundays 3–7 p.m., July 29 through August 6. Opening reception Saturday, July 29, 3–7 p.m.