Meet the Artist

Erik Wolken was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1961 and received his BA in geography from West Virginia University in1983. He spent the spring of 1988 studying furniture design with Chris Weiland at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and then spent the fall and winter of 88 /89 in the Program in Fine Woodworking at Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina. From 1989 to 1995 he worked as a cabinetmaker for Woodpecker Enterprises in Apex, NC. In 1995 he opened his own studio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and has been working on private commissions and showing his work nationally since.

Erik A. Wolken
Studio Furniture Maker
3315-c NC 54 West
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919.923.5772
e-mail

Resume
Education
1988-89 Program in Fine Woodworking, Haywood Community College, Clyde, NC
1988 Course Work in Furniture Design, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
1983 B.A. Geography, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

Exhibitions
1988 Juried Student Exhibit, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
1992 Invitational Show, North Carolina Crafts Gallery, Carrboro, NC
1993 Invitational Show, North Carolina Crafts Gallery, Carrboro, NC
1993 Invitational Show, Accipiter, Raleigh, NC
1997 Spotlight '97 Southeast Juried Exhibition, American Craft Council, Hickory, NC
1997 Gallery America's 1st Annual Furniture Exhibition, Carrboro, NC
1999 Invitational Show, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC
1999 Furniture 99: The Circle Unbroken, The Furniture Society, Smithville, TN
2000 Furniture as Art, Online Exhibition, www.Guild.com
2000 Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings Show, Philadelphia, PA
2000 Studio Furniture: A Fine Art Invitational, Memphis College of Art, Memphis, TN
2000 Seating: The Artists Perspective, Meredith Gallery, Baltimore, MD and the Elliott Museum, Stuart, FL
2000 C.O.U.C.H , Artspace, Raleigh, NC
2001 Anything With A Drawer, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ
2001 Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings Show, Philadelphia, PA
2001 Chair Show 4, Folk Art Center, Asheville, NC
2002 The Thursday Club, Peace College, Raleigh, NC
2003 Three person show, Gallery WDO , Charlotte, NC
2003 CraftHouston 2003:National, Houston Center For Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX
2004 Curv-iture, National touring show sponsored by the Furniture Society
2004 Invitational, Kipp Gallery at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana , Pa
2004 Emerging Artist Retrospective, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC
2005 Music Takes a Stand, Gallery Enigma, Essex, VT
2007 Functional + Extraordinary, an exhibition of works by Vivian Beer, Erik Wolken and
Paul. Freundt, Brenau University, Gainesville, Ga
2009 Dual Personalities, Grovewood Gallery , Asheville,

Honors and Awards
1988 Indiana Arts Council Award, Indiana, PA
1995 Workshop Scholarship, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass, CO
1997 Durham Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC
2001 Workshop Scholarship, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass, CO
2003 Award of Merit, CraftHouston2003: NATIONAL
2004 Artist in Residence, Indiana University of Pennsylvania –
2004 Collectors of Wood Art, Visiting Artist Grant
2005 Instructor, Society for Contemporary Craft Summer Program, Pittsburgh, PA

Publications
2001-2002 Portfolio December/January, American Craft
2001 Object Lessons: Beauty and Meaning in Art, Guild Publishing
2002 Commissions October/November, American Craft
2003 The Artfull Home, Guild Publishing
2005 Furniture Studio 3, The Furniture Society
2009 Studio Furniture Today’s leading woodworkers, Schiffer Publishing

In The Collection Of
Jane and Arthur Mason
Center for Turning and Furniture Design, Indiana , PA
Gregg Museum of Art and Design , Raleigh ,NC

Meet the Artist

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