A Murray woodworking artist has been selected as the Kentucky Arts Council’s featured artist for the months of September and October.
Wyatt Daglã Severs is from the area and studied woodworking at Murray State University, where he’s also taught and worked as a shop technician in wood. He maintains a studio in Murray.
Severs previously won an emerging artist award from the Kentucky Arts Council last year. He's been published in the book 500 Cabinets: A Showcase of Design & Craftsmanship as well as Woodworking magazine.
Severs' artist statement is below:
Woodworking to me is collaboration between the tree, modern tools and myself. There is a spirit alive and well in this trait as it has been passed down through countless generations and civilizations. There has been a great history of human accomplishment, failure, passion and belief documented in wood. The thing that intrigues me the most about wood is the way every tree is different and how it documents its experiences throughout its life. I am honored to have the privilege to use such a plant. My woodwork is representative of me as being aware of all the small things in life that create and make up the whole. My goal with every piece is to enhance the wood’s own natural beauty into a form that serves a function and is aesthetically pleasing. In my construction I enjoy fabricating many jigs to apply the versatility and endless capabilities of the machines. My most valued technique is the understanding that tools are simple functions and can easily be manipulated safely in many ways. If bolting the table saw to the ceiling works for you, good luck and wear your goggles.