Who knew that everyday furniture – chairs, tables, cupboards and the like—could rise to the level of art? Former City Councilman, Wallace Beall, seems to have had that in mind when he created the roughly 40 Piedmont/Shaker-style pieces in this one-man show at the Monroe Art Guild.Among the pieces on display are a graceful hunt board, an elegantly simple bed frame, an old-time chest, cleverly sculpted tables and cupboards aplenty and an intricately designed mirror. There are even rockers, benches and straight-backed chairs.
Beall delights in salvaging wood from old houses and buildings around the area. He strives to maintain the original finishes and paint whenever possible. Some of the furniture on display utilizes salvaged materials that date to 1815.Beall employs the same “hand technique” used by carpenters as far back as the 19th Century and before. For example, instead of applying a modern sander that could damage the original integrity of the wood, he uses hand tools to smooth and eliminate imperfections in the wood. The designs he chooses are inspired by Piedmont furniture that was built in the South in the 1800s.
Beall got into refinishing and repairing furniture when he bought the Oran Penland Antique Shop in 1974. His interest in finely crafted furniture eventually led to his making pieces of his own.The reception for “A Collection of Furniture by Wallace Beall” was held at the Art Guild building on Friday, September 12 from 6 pm – 8 pm. Winners of the Monroe Moments Photo Contest were announced at 7 pm. The show will run through October 30th.
Also on display is a Summer En Plein Aire Show by Bobbie Austin and Susan Pelham that is the result of the two artists capturing two different treatments of the same rural Walton County subjects – barns, fields and even pick-up trucks.
