Shop Maine Craft presents…
Living Design by Terra Flora
featuring fine furniture by Kit Clark
On View: July 26 – August 30, 2024 at the Center for Maine Craft.
Shop Maine Craft presents LIVING DESIGN by TERRA FLORA, an exhibition featuring vertical gardens by Cheryl Tyler of Terra Flora with fine furniture by Kit Clark. On view from July 26 to August 30, 2024 at the Center for Maine Craft, this unique display integrates fine furniture with vibrant living garden installations. Inspired by the natural beauty of Maine’s landscapes, visit the Center to view this harmonious blend of functional furniture and botanical artistry.
Terra Flora
Inspire etymology: Latin inspirare “to breathe or blow into”, which comes from the word spirare, meaning “to breathe.
Biophilia: Humans innate desire to connect to nature.
The interconnectedness between plants and people is something I have intuitively understood my whole life. Nature is where I have always gone to find healing and to get grounded. Inspired by walks along the Maine coast and in the woods, I work with living plants and preserved moss to create a lush, verdant environment
inside. Plants do more than remove toxins from the air and provide humidity to a space, they also have psychological and healing benefits, bringing well-being, breath and joy. Humans co-evolved with flora and we have always needed them for our survival. We share a symbiotic relationship in our breath cycle, so it’s no wonder that we are drawn to gardens, indoors or outside. As someone who spends hours a week caring for and talking to hundreds of plants, when I pause and get close, I am still awed by the unique patterns and colors of the foliage or the unexpected blossom. I invite you to get close too – lean into the botanical beauty, and breathe!
Having spent many reflective moments looking out the window onto an expansive, monochromatic winter-scape, I have been comforted by the vibrancy and warmth the plants in my home and studio provide.
Cheryl Tyler of TerraFlora designs green walls; both vertical gardens with living plants and moss-scapes using preserved moss and other organic materials. She loves that her job allows her to work with plants & people and believes that bringing nature inside is not only good for the interior environment, but good for the soul.
You can contact her with questions or to set up a visit to her Brunswick studio at www.terrafloramaine.com
Kit Clark Furniture
I’m a furniture maker, a designer, a builder and an ever aspiring artist. Presently, I focus on building everything from traditional to modern furniture, Sam Maloof style rocking chairs and one-of-a-kind pieces. I am inspired by the fluid forms of nature in my approach to design.
Kit Clark is a distinguished fine furniture maker based in North Yarmouth, Maine. His craftsmanship spans a range of styles, from traditional to modern, including Sam Maloof-inspired rocking chairs and unique custom pieces. Kit’s journey into furniture making began during his pursuit of an Associate’s Degree in Forestry at the University of New Hampshire. A transformative “source to finish” course taught him the complete process from timber harvesting to final product.
Furthering his education at Montana State University, Kit spent summers constructing a cabin for himself and apprenticing as a horse logger and carpenter under the guidance of his uncle, a master carpenter and equestrian. These experiences deepened his passion for fine furniture and led him to an intensive furniture and design program at The Penland School of Crafts.
After completing the program, Kit opened his own studio and undertook several apprenticeships with renowned furniture makers. In the spring of 2016, he and his family relocated to North Yarmouth, Maine, nestled in the hills northwest of Portland, where Kit continues to craft fine furniture.
Kit invites those interested in his work to schedule an appointment or reach out with questions, ideas, or photos of their living spaces.
Visit the Center for Maine Craft:
288 Lewiston Rd West Gardiner, ME 04345
Open Daily, 9am – 6pm
(207)588-0021
center@shopmainecraft.com