Marquetry in America

Marquetry in the United States has not reached the popularity nor the fervor that it has attained in Europe, particularly in England and France. One reason is that Americans are preoccupied with two things: technology and making money. Sometimes these go hand in hand. The handcrafts that were brought over from the old world are beginning to fade from the repertoire of a new generation of craftsmen. It is possible to learn marquetry, but at a price. Those that teach marquetry do so as a living or to supplement their income and that is the only reason they do it. Advancing marquetry might be in the back of their mind, but it is not their forte and they are less concerned with elevating the craft than making their free time profitable. You can not serve two masters. This begs the question – are we advancing marquetry by charging double and triple digit fees to learn this craft or is this exclusively an exercise in free enterprise. In England there are lots of marquetry clubs while in America only a handful exist. British marquetry clubs gather as a group and assemble in halls filled with tables. Men and women practice their marquetry during these meetings with the more experienced members helping those in need of instruction and all this without a fee. It is a beautiful sight. This is the way to advance marquetry, but it is not the American way. I will be teaching a free class this Fall on the “Basics of Marquetry” prior to the October meeting of the Lakeland Marquetry Club. It is my goal to make marquetry accessible to anyone with a desire and no expensive tools or special skills are needed. At a recent Woodworking Show our club signed up over seventy people who had an interest in learning marquetry. This was a class given by one of our members at a cost of over $100.00. In the end only a handful actually took the class. Talk about missed opportunities. What we need in America are instructors of marquetry truely interested in preserving and advancing the craft.