2011 was a very exciting year with many new liturgical furniture commissions. We have just published our latest portfolio. To preview our portfolio press the arrow below. Please note the “view full screen” button in the lower right-hand corner of the window.
Request a copy….
Request a copy of our latest portfolio at this link: please send portfolio
Commissioning a new suite of custom church furniture or an individual liturgical piece, is not an inexpensive adventure. Custom furnishings are designed to meet the specific needs of the worshiping community and last for many decades, or generations, and thus have more value than mass produced furniture that is made solely for the budget conscious. Recently, I did some research on the web to collect a few new ideas to help communities brainstorm some new ways to raise necessary funding for new liturgical furniture. Here are 12 site that look promising:
Fundraising Tips @ www.usafundraising.com
Donations and Fundraisers for Your Church @ www.usafundraising.com
Church Community Fundraising @ www.usafundraising.com
Successful Church Fundraisers @ www.usafundraising.com
Church Fundraiser Ideas @ www.fundraiserhelp.com
Church Fund Raising @ www.fundraiserhelp.com
Fundraising Ideas for Churches @ www.all-unique-fundraising-ideas.com
Church Fundraising @ www.better-fundraising-ideas.com
Fundraising Ideas @ www.fundraiserinsight.org
Church Fundraising Ideas @ www.rewarding-fundraising-ideas.com
Church Fundraising Ideas @ www.ehow.com
Ideas for Churches to Make Money @ www.ehow.com
Remmert Studios will be attending the 2012 Southwest Liturgical Conference study week on January 24-27 in Dallas TX. 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the Southwest Liturgical Conference study week. We look forward to engaging with liturgists from around the country as they spend the week studying current liturgical trends. We will be highlighting our portfolio with much of our most recent work. We welcome the opportunity to make new friends and expand our presence in the southwestern states.
Work has commenced on an Ambry for the newly dedicated Immaculate Conception Parish in Morris IL. This is the final piece of a larger ensemble of liturgical furnishings that was installed in October. (click here to view) During the first week of November we selected premium pieces of stock from a stash of locally harvested black walnut. Due to the semi circular design of the top of the Ambry, it was decided that the body of the piece would be steam-bent. This is a labor intensive process that includes, making special bending jigs, steaming wood, and over 2 weeks of drying time. To view part of this process view the video below.
After the wood is bent around the jig it is clamped in securely and left to dry for two weeks
Steam-bent Walnut component for Ambry
The Immaculate Conception Parish Ambry
Conceptual Drawing of the Ambry
Recently, the hand carved detailing for the Cenacle commission was undertaken. Many pieces of the custom Sacred Furnishings for the new chapel incorporate a hand gouged texturing around the upper trim and lower base of the piece. This work of course is time consuming, however, it is very rewarding to watch the unique beauty of each piece unfold. The nature of hand chisel and gouge work can be very contemplative, and is often a time of practicing mindfulness and prayerful reflection. This hand-carved detailing is slowly adding a very organic look and feel to all of the furnishings.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9vSredfuw0]
Steve Remmert adding hand-carved details
As we pass the mid-way point in May, many of the pieces of custom church furniture for the Cenacle Sisters of Ronkonkoma NY are starting to take shape. This week I was reminded of a favorite Liturgical Hymn composed by Marty Haugen, “We are many parts, we are all one body”. As I survey the studio, it is gratifying to watch all of the “many parts” being assembled into the “one body”. I find this particularly meaningful in the design of the Altar. The Altar mensa is composed of several pieces all coming together to form a circle (actually oval). A beautiful and efficacious representation of our coming together as the Body of Christ. In the picture below master craftsman and Remmert Studios employee Jacob Aune prepares the 80 pieces that will form the Altar mensa apron.
Many Parts being assembled for Altar
Many of the pieces of church furniture for the new Cenacle chapel incorporate many circular forms. In the photos below Jacob uses the “hot pipe” method for bending small strips of cherry wood into round shapes. Strips of cherry are soaked in water and then gently wrapped around a steel pipe that is heated by a propane torch. The heat from the pipe loosens the wood fibers enough to become somewhat flexible. The wood then is clamped to a form until it cools and dries.
Bending wood for circular details of chapel furnishings
Completing a bend
This week we signed a contract with John Medwedeff of Medwedeff Forge and Design of Murphysboro IL. John is a renowned metal artisan in the world of metal sculpture. He is collaborating with us on the Cenacle project by creating some of the elements that will be incorporated in the custom liturgical furnishings. John will be fabricating the special bronze Chapel entry door handles, that have been designed to resemble the crosses worn by the Cenacle Sisters. He will also be adding his artistic flare to a flame sculpture for the lobby wall, as well as the candle stands, and some decorative accents for the Altar and the Ambo. He told me, however, that he was most anxious to get started on the bowl for the Holy Water Font. We are grateful that John has agreed to collaborate with us on these pieces and we anxiously await to bring the pieces together
John Medwedeff with scale model of current work
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/8147703]
Earlier this past week we enlisted the skill and expertise of a friend and fellow artisan to help us create some oval templates for the new altar. Ray Drazen, owner of R&P Enterprises is our local version of a modern-day Leonardo Di Vinci. Although his primary business is restoration of windows from historical buildings, he has a wide range of interests and as a result he has some very impressive machinery. He always very generously lends us a hand with our unique and custom designed pieces. Our relationship and networking with Ray allows us to utilize the accuracy of his Italian made Computer Numeric Controlled router.
Ray Drazen operating CNC router
In the short video clip below, the CNC router is cutting out templates that we will use to cut the Cherry for the Altar top and base.
Work continues on the new Altar and Ambo. Yesterday saw several new developments come together. The Altar and Ambo legs were rough cut out and dry fit together. Here we begin to see some of the final shape starting to reveal itself. The smell of the fresh cut cherry wood in the studio has an almost incense quality about it. It is one of my most favorite woods to use because of its aromatic properties. The spring tulips are in full bloom here, and I could not help but notice how much the Altar too looks like one of our new tulips beginning to unfurl.
Roughed out Altar legs
Ambo legs come together
To get a better sense of what the finished Altar and Ambo will look like when they are completed I am including a short screen shot of the concepts and some of the working drawings to help visualize the piece. The chapel design committee spent many months collaborating on the final designs. It is now quite exciting watching these very special and unique custom designs coming to life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqJn5ifLkzE
Below is a shot of one of the working drawings for the Altar. It shows the exploded view of all the pieces that will need to be fabricated and glued up to complete the finished piece
Exploded view of the Altar
Today is Good Friday and work has begun in earnest on the new Altar for the Cenacle Sister of Ronkonkoma NY. Being designers and fabricators of custom liturgical furnishings, creating symbolic meaning is important to what we do. I think it significant that the fabrication on the Altar would begin on Good Friday. In the video below, Remmert Studios employee, and master woodworker Jacob Aune makes a cut on one of the pedestal legs for the new Altar. Jacob created a special jig especially for this cut.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ISaKP5dxxM]
Here are the pedestal legs of the new Altar dry fit as Jacob prepares to transfer the pattern for their final organic shape
