“Everyday Heirlooms,” an exhibition of exceptional, functional products in wood, will open at the Messler Gallery in Rockport on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. The opening reception will be held from 5-7 p.m., and the public is encouraged to attend. The exhibition runs through January 7, 2026. 

“Everyday Heirlooms” celebrates beautifully crafted objects that blend function with thoughtful design. On display is a wide range of work, from small-batch pieces by contemporary independent makers to products from companies both large and small.

"You'll also find iconic designs by modern masters such as Tage Frid," said the Gallery.

Curated by Heide Martin of Heide Martin Design Studio (Rockland) and Annie Quigley, Editor-in-Chief of Remodelista.com, “Everyday Heirlooms” highlights items that achieve beauty through purpose-driven design and conscientious construction. The collection includes everything from combs and baskets to coat racks, mirrors, and lamps—an international survey of exceptional, functional wooden products made to last, and an antidote to today’s culture of cheap materials and disposable goods. 

“Heide and Annie have curated an exhibition of remarkable scope, assembling works from ten countries around the world to showcase the countless ways this seemingly humble material can be transformed into objects that are both deeply expressive and beautifully functional,” said Executive Director Matt Hoggle.

Companies, designers, and makers represented in “Everyday Heirlooms” include Aino & Alvar Aalto by Design Within Reach (Finland), Stephen Burks for Berea College (Kentucky, USA), Frank E. Cummings III (California, USA), Charles & Ray Eames by Design Within Reach (California, USA), Wharton Esherick (Pennsylvania, USA), Tage Frid (Danish-born, Rhode Island, USA), Aspen Golann (New Hampshire, USA), HOKUTO59 (Japan), Hans-Agne Jakobsson by Yamagiwa (Sweden), Joop Duyn & Sons (Ireland), Nickey Kehoe (Kentucky, USA), Kaare Klint by Carl Hansen & Søn (Denmark), lorenz+kaz by Colé Italia (Germany), Adam Markowitz Design (Australia), Nomon (Spain), Brian Persico (New York, USA), Jens Quistgaard (Denmark), Man Ray by Design Within Reach (Philadelphia, USA), Michael Robbins (New York, USA), Osamu Sassa (Maine, USA), Natalie Shook (New York, USA), Takahashi McGil (England), Charles Thompson (Massachusetts, USA), and We Do Wood (Denmark).

Messler Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The gallery is located on the campus of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, at the corner of Route 90 and Mill Street in Rockport, Maine. After the opening, the exhibition will be on view at the Center’s website, www.woodschool.org.

The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship is a nonprofit, year-round school that offers courses in furniture making and related arts such as carving and woodturning. For more information, please call 207-594-5611 or e-mail victoria@woodschool.org or visit our website at www.woodschool.org.