Woodworking / Furniture Design

Woodworking at Murray State provides a comprehensive education in the fundamental skills and techniques essential to the craft. Students learn about the material and its properties, then how to design with these in mind. Introductory classes focus on the safe use of tools and machinery while still challenging the student to design complex and meaningful objects. At more advanced levels (Wood III and up) classes are structured around sets of related joinery methods, which rotate through the curriculum on a four semester schedule. These are Seating and Upholstery, Cabinets and Casegoods, Plywood and Digital Technologies, and Bending and Laminating.

Facilities

Machinery available includes four table saws, 20” and 15” bandsaws, 16” and 8” jointers with Shelix heads, 22” planer with Shelix head, 25” Supermax drum sander, two drill presses, Felder horizontal slot mortiser, ShopBot Alpha CNC router with 4’ x 8’ x 6” cutting capacity, among many others. There is also an extensive tool crib covering hand tools and small portable machines.  Individual studio spaces are available to students enrolled in Wood II and up. The Woodshop has 4,250 square feet of studio space, with 24 hour access. Individual studio spaces are available to students enrolled in Wood II and up.

Woodworking Studio

Beginner Woodworking Lab Woodworking Studio

Advanced Student Studio

Advanced Woodworking Studio

Woodworking Faculty

Sarah Martin is an assistant professor in Furniture Design/Woodworking. She received her MFA from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and her BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Contact Information: Sarah Martin smartin32@murraystate.edu

Courses Offered 

  • ART 310 Introduction to Woodworking I (3)
    Introduction to woodworking materials, tools and processes. Properties of wood and safe shop practices are emphasized. Six hours per week. Prerequisite: ART 112 or permission of instructor.
  • ART 313 Woodworking II (3)
    Methods of construction and technique are taught with an emphasis on proficiency in machine use. Six hours per week. Prerequisite: ART 310 or permission of instructor.
  • ART 314 Woodworking III (3)
    Advanced problems in wood. Introduction to increasingly complex joinery methods with an emphasis on development of personal voice. Six hours per week. Prerequisite: ART 313 or permission of instructor. 
  • ART 413 Woodworking IV (3)
    Advanced problems in wood. Advanced construction methods are covered with an emphasis on understanding contemporary context. Six hours per week. Prerequisite: ART 314 or permission of instructor. 
  • ART 414 Woodworking V (3)
    Advanced problems in wood. Advanced construction methods are covered with an emphasis on understanding contemporary context. Six hours per week. Prerequisite: ART 413 or permission of instructor. 
  • ART 513 Woodworking VI (3)
    Advanced problems in wood. Advanced construction methods are covered with an emphasis on understanding contemporary context. Six hours per week. Prerequisite: ART 414 or permission of instructor. 
  • ART 514 Woodworking VII (3)
    Advanced problems in wood, directed study. Six hours per week. Prerequisite: ART 513 or permission of instructor.

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