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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW New van would help family's future stay bright ... The crayfish invasion ... Mail Tribune 100, Dec. 13, 1915 ... New van would help family's future stay bright ... The crayfish invasion ... Mail Tribune 100, Dec. 13, 1915 ... VISUAL ART Siskiyou Woodcraft Guild present 36th annual show Look for handcrafted furniture, turned bowls and more Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Nov. 26, 2015 at 8:30 AM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Nov. 26, 2015 at 8:30 AM » Social News For Morgan Pierce, going to the Siskiyou Woodcraft Guild's annual show as a kid was a life-altering experience. "I went to the show in fourth grade. I saw how cool it was," he says. "Then later I was lucky enough to be in it." Pierce, 34, has gone from making wood and rubber-band guns and swords as a boy to being a sought-after woodworker known for helping homeowners realize their dreams of having sustainably sourced and custom-built features. Along with 17 other local woodworkers, Pierce will display handcrafted furniture, carvings, turned bowls and more during the Siskiyou Woodcraft Guild's 36 Annual Harvest Show of Fine Woodworking from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27[ 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29 in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Great Hall, 70 E. Main St., Ashland. Admission is free. The show traditionally draws a crowd. Its opening day on Friday coincides with Ashland's annual Christmas parade, which kicks off at 5 p.m. and is followed by the Grand Illumination of thousands of downtown holiday lights. "We're glad the community supports us and we're able to keep doing the show over and over," Pierce says. "It's another Ashland tradition. We love having people come by with questions. Everyone in the guild is so open to talking to people. If people have ideas, they can come and pick our brains and talk to us." Pierce says guild members were welcoming to him when he first joined the group. "I joined the guild 10 years ago. I was one of the youngest guys who was a serious woodworker," he says. A self-described Navy brat who traveled widely with his Naval officer father, Pierce moved to the Rogue Valley with his parents in 1991 and settled on a farm on the outskirts of Ashland. He spent time away, serving in the Navy and running a bar, but returned to the valley and his lifelong love of woodworking. Marked by hop trellises, wandering free-range chickens and a friendly dog, the farm is now home to Pierce, his wife and daughters, his parents and his brother. He often teams with other up-and-coming artisans, including local blacksmiths who can make metal legs, hinges and other accents for his furniture. "People keep telling us we're the next generation. It's definitely a nice compliment," he says. Standing in a shop filled with tools and wood on his family's farm, Pierce knows the story behind every piece of wood that goes into his pieces. "A lot of my work is sustainable," he says, holding a polished black walnut sink that resembles marble with its whorls and sheen. "I got burls from a walnut farm in California and made this one into a sink. A man was going to burn them. I pulled them out." He crafted a bed for a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified home from reclaimed posts and beams from barns. The trees for the wood were originally harvested in the 1700s, he estimates. "The beams came to me with hand-hewn sides. They look rough, but they're smooth from wear and tear over the years," he says. Pierce made a mahogany table with a wood inlay monarch butterfly design — a nod to the monarchs that frequent the hops farm. Another table was made from a tree near Jacksonville that grew and encased a barbed wire fence. A stain from the metal streaks the wood, which is marked with holes from the barbs. Pierce also sources wood from urban trees that have to be cut in Oregon and Washington because they are in danger of falling down or are causing other problems, like heaving up paved roads with their roots. At the Siskiyou Woodcraft Guild Show, he says people will be able to see the wide variety of wood local artisans use, as well as the inspiring, eye-opening furniture, bowls and sculpture they create. He's hoping parents and grandparents will bring kids along — providing inspiration for future woodworkers. "We need young people to be involved," he says. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Nov. 26, 2015 at 8:30 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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