Artisan work, and the love for it, alive and well at Alameda Point Studios

"The synergy of about 30 local artisans working in close proximity in the Alameda Point Studios is practical and profoundly meaningful. Located at the decommissioned former Naval Air Station Alameda, Building 14 has become a 47,000-square-foot facility offering a space where furniture craftspeople, cabinetmakers, sculptors, a luthier (a maker of stringed musical instruments), a piano restoration expert, Lionel prewar trains guru, a tiny home builder and other artisans share large-scale machinery and volumes of knowledge gleaned from decades of hands-on practice."

"The greatest part is 30 different people, all with unique skills and histories, Frary said in a recent interview. We can ask each other for help and get it. I've learned from Adrien Segal, a fantastic sculptor, not just her woodworking practices but how she handles her business and decisions about what projects to do. That's the joy we're always learning."

Alameda Point Studios occupies Building 14 at the decommissioned Naval Air Station Alameda, a 47,000-square-foot facility hosting about 30 local artisans. Furniture craftspeople, cabinetmakers, sculptors, a luthier, a piano restorer, a Lionel prewar trains expert, a tiny home builder and others share large-scale machinery and decades of hands-on knowledge. Memberships include options for recent art and trade school graduates to access professional fabrication tools such as a 36-inch band saw, a wide belt sander, a spray booth and a heated drying room. Many artisans prioritize handmade work using recycled, found or reclaimed materials and local sources. JP Frary manages the facility while maintaining a practice there. Frary discovered his furniture-making path in his late 20s after office work and construction jobs, and he started going to the library to learn more.

Read at www.eastbaytimes.com