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2016 Ames Area Studio Tour: Our Headquarters - Worldly Goods

10/5/2016

The 2016 Ames Area Studio Tour will be Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 9 from noon to 4 p.m. Over the next few weeks we'll introduce you to our artists and attempt to give you a small glimpse of what you might see when you visit their studios. We hope you are able to join us!
Find more information here.

Worldly Goods - Studio Tour Headquarters [223 Main St., Ames]
A non-profit, fair-trade store, operated by volunteers

Right on Main Street, Worldly Goods will serve as the headquarters for the Ames Area Studio Tour. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to help visitors navigate the event, from understanding how a studio tour works to knowing just exactly where to go. They will also have treats!

Worldly Goods appreciates the Studio Tour for being a great way to showcase local artists while helping people to meet and have real conversations with artists.

While on the Studio Tour, take time to check out the store. Worldly Goods is a fair-trade shop that promotes fair trade income and fair trade practices. Visitors can learn the stories of the stores’ artisans, whose works are sold in the store. The items you find there represent all sorts of art with a very international flair.

Don’t be afraid to stop by and ask any questions you may have!

Learn more about Worldly Goods and the Ames Area Studio Tour by visiting our website, here.

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2016 Ames Area Studio Tour: Meet the Artist - Brendan Zimmermann

10/2/2016

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Brendan Zimmerman [1593 Xavier Ave., Ames]

Brendan Zimmermann started woodworking when he was only 5 or 6 years old with his grandfather. They loved trying to make small wooden boats together, and though the boats would always sink, his passion for woodworking stuck with him.

Brendan originally came from Solon, Iowa and went to college at Iowa State, graduating with a BS in general business. Although the degree had nothing to do with woodworking, it helped quite a bit as Brendan started his own business, Stone House Woodworking.

Before Brendan’s career in woodworking, he was a computer modeler. This computer modeling taught him a lot about how things fit together and how best to build things. Even now, to be more precise, he designs most things he builds on the computer before cutting the lumber.

Brendan’s woodworking consists of simple lines and subtle curves. He likes to look to architecture and nature to inspire aspects of his furniture, especially color and grain. He also enjoys looking to other furniture makers and artists. Using design cues from them is great way to stay relevant and expand his work.

Brendan believes his success is a result of his confidence in his craftsmanship. To be a truly gifted woodworker, you have to try to improve each day and not just be content with the pieces you’re able to make today. A slight sense of dissatisfaction and constant need to improve drives your craft.

Brendan’s favorite project continues to be a set of chairs he did when he first tried producing furniture. He loves this project because after making the chairs he could finally call himself a furniture maker, a proud moment for him.

The Studio Tour guests visiting Stone House Woodworking can expect sawdust on the floor and cold beer if they’d like. Brendan hopes the guests will be interested in the process, in tooling, in the materials, and in the methods that make woodworking so unique. He hopes guests gain a real understanding of the time and effort these projects take.

To learn more about Brendan Zimmermann, Stone House Working and the Ames Area Studio Tour please click, here.

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2016 Ames Area Studio Tour: Our Headquarters - Worldly Goods

2016 Ames Area Studio Tour: Meet the Artist - Brendan Zimmermann﻿

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2016 Ames Area Studio Tour: Meet the Artist - Brendan Zimmermann