Wood Panel: A Conversation on Woodworking, Design, and Craft

with Mark Macek and artists

Artist Raul De Lara was first introduced to woodworking through his father’s architectural workshop in Mexico and his grandfather’s tools—early influences that rooted his practice in craft and cultural memory. While an undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin, a formative wood design class with Mark Macek, further shaped his precise and technically rigorous approach to woodworking.

Austin is home to generations of master woodworkers, craftsmen, and artists pushing the material possibilities of wood in their work. For this panel, we're excited to welcome members from this vibrant community to reflect on their backgrounds, practices, and evolving relationships to the medium.

Stay tuned for the full lineup of participating speakers.

Programmed in conjunction with HOST: Raul De Lara.
 
General Admission | Free for Members
Tickets coming soon. Date subject to change.
 

About the artists

Mark Macek designs and builds furniture under the name Mace Furniture Company. The firm specializes in custom made, one-off projects for residences, businesses, schools, and religious institutions. In 1990, Mark earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, and afterwards apprenticed with master craftsman Louis Fry. Macek Furniture Company launched production lines at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), in 2005 and 2006. Mark has built furniture in collaboration with Anderson Wise Architects, Larry Speck, Miro Rivera, Alterstudio, Pollen Architects, Furman Keil, Paul Lamb, Page, Gensler, Dutch artist Maarten Baas, and the National Football League. Mark has taught woodworking and furniture design at UT Austin, School of Archi- tecture, since the fall of 2006. In 2013, the Texas Society of Architects awarded. Mark the Artisan Honor Award for a career of making and mentorship.