Gary Rogowoski and graduates of his Northwest Woodworking Studio Mastery Program held a fundraising chair auction to benefit the Sisters of the Road Café (sistersoftheroad.org), a restaurant for the homeless of Portland, Ore. The goal was to create a unique chair from a common premise: Imagine you found a chair on the side of the road and fixed it up. Rogowski and his assistant milled the beech frames and the laminated back rests, cut the slip tenons, and shipped sets of four legs, six rails, and a back rest to his students across the country. “Chairs by the Roadside” featured 18 chairs, half of which were sold during the event, raising more than $10,000.

Woodworker: Marty Douglas
“I chose to pursue function over whimsy with my chair. I carved the solid sapele seat to mimic upholstery and the carving on the back rest and front rail provides subtle texture.”