HIGH POINT, N.C., April 8, 2015 – High Point University students are making the community their classroom for a semester by documenting the area’s furniture workforce.
A service learning photography class led by Benita VanWinkle, assistant professor of art, is embracing the Piedmont Triad’s heritage in furniture manufacturing by photographing the individuals who build furniture in and around High Point. These furniture artisans will be the sole focus of their final project, titled “Out of the Woodwork.”
“I want these students to see what the city of High Point is really about,” says VanWinkle. “I want to emphasize that High Point is still the furniture capital of the world and that there are incredible people that have amazing skills and talents right here in our community. We may not appreciate that unless we actually see it.”
The students have gone to various furniture factories, such as Braxton Culler, Baker Furniture and Edward Ferrell/Lewis Mittman Furniture to see first-hand what the factory workers are making. They have learned about how furniture is made, sold and distributed by talking to the workers, the owners and performing research. They also learned about the economy and culture of the industry.
“We have been able to see the entire process of making furniture from putting together the frames to painting the finished product,” says HPU student Brittany McClure. “It is very rewarding to be able to go out into the community and actually see what is happening in the furniture industry. Having the opportunity to document and see all of the hard work they put in to make a beautiful piece of furniture is very special.”
At the end of the course the students will put their work on display in the High Point Museum. It will also be housed in an archive that will be available to the public for research and reference, and the images will be shared with the Furniture Hall of Fame.