As a master woodworker, Chuck Lakin has gifted countless hours, materials and expertise to WindowDressers towards the development and innovation of our unique assembly process. If you have participated in one of our Community Workshops, you know how many custom jigs are used to streamline the process of assembling our inserts. We have Chuck’s generosity and expertise to thank!

Recently, Chuck applied and was awarded to take on Clifford Pettitt as an apprentice through the Craft Apprentice Program, a competitive program where both mentor and apprentice are funded for 100 hours of one-on-one in-studio learning. Congratulations to Chuck and Clifford for this honor. Chuck’s craft is a great resource to our community, and this program facilitates the sharing of that knowledge. Read more about the program below, from the Craft Apprentice Program’s award announcement:

“The Craft Apprentice Program began in 2016 to provide an in-studio educational opportunity for apprentices who demonstrate a commitment to further their abilities as craft artists; they accomplish this through a significant relationship with a master artist.

Applicants apply jointly, providing clear goals, a plan for how goals will be achieved, and a budget for the apprentice’s honorarium. Both must also submit resumes and images of current work. The apprenticeship is centered on the apprentice’s goals for their studio practice and craft career over 100 hours of one-on-one in-studio learning with a master craft artist result in meeting those goals. Both master and apprentice are awarded funding. To close the program, all artists participate in an alumni gathering and a public exhibition of works created during the apprenticeship period. The 2020 exhibition will take place at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, with a public opening reception sponsored by Maine Home & Design on October 2, 5-7pm.

Clifford Pettitt of Fairfield, ME will apprentice with Master Woodworker Chuck Lakin of Waterville, ME. Clifford and Chuck share an interest in giving back to the community and helping people access resources to meet their needs. Among other pursuits, Chuck achieves this by educating people about alternative end-of-life arrangements and building and selling his “green” coffins. His interest in green coffins is both environmental and to provide an affordable alternative to mainstream coffins. The apprenticeship will be centered on teaching Clifford to construct and customize green coffins while building on his ability to estimate project costs and provide quotes to clients, learn about woodworking tools and shop maintenance.

Chuck says of the opportunity: I was 26 before I discovered woodworking, and it’s been an important part of my life ever since. I love making things but am indifferent to paperwork, so I earned money as a reference librarian at Colby College until I retired twelve years ago (headwork) and made things out of wood in most of my free time (handwork). I have done over a thousand projects that can be seen in homes and non-profits in and around my home of Waterville. My intention is to make simple, functional and graceful objects. It won’t be long before I’ll age out of woodworking so I am delighted to be able to pass on to Cliff the benefit of what I’ve learned.”