Category: Lost Art Press Storefront

This is a quick reminder that the storefront is closed today – our next open day will be June 13.

We’ll be using today to catch up on publishing projects and commission work (I have to build a crate to ship a chair). We might also scoot down to Crafts & Vines because Vic is smoking some wings.

We look forward to seeing you in June and hope to have a special day planned.

— Christopher Schwarz

This Saturday, Dec. 14, is the last open day for the Lost Art Press storefront until June 2020. So if you have wanted to visit us, please do stop by sometime between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Our address is 837 Willard St., Covington, Kentucky 41011.

We have lots going on that day:

• We would like to show you our clock. Ask to see the clock and we’ll take you back to the machine room. Note, you must be 21 or older to “see the clock.” We’ll also have cookies and other pastries on hand that you can eat with your glass of clock.
• At 2 p.m., John Kuntsman will give a demonstration of how to make breadboard ends. It’s a nice presentation – and there will be a free handout for everyone who attends.
• I have just completed another Irish Gibson chair (with a significant flaw). It is based on my research in Ireland. The chair sits well and is close to how the originals looked and sat.
• We have blemished holdfasts and books for sale for 50 percent of retail (cash only for blems).
• There’s a good chance we’ll get a surprise visit from one of our Lost Art Press authors (no, it’s not me).
• Plus we’ll all be here to answer your questions about woodworking or where you should eat.

As I mentioned above, this is the last open day until June 2020. Why? I am so far behind on our publishing schedule that I am cutting back on activities such as this until I can get caught up.

This might be a bummer for you. If so, I apologize. If you are ever passing through town and would like to buy a Lost Art Press book, please visit Downbound Books in the Northside neighborhood at 4139 Apple St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45223. Downbound carries (almost) our complete line.

See you Saturday!

— Christopher Schwarz

The Lost Art Press storefront will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and we welcome your questions, gripes and general company.

The special 2 p.m. lecture on Saturday will be on my favorite stick chairs from all over the world. I’ll also have a couple of my recent chairs on display plus a real honest-to-goodness antique Welsh stick chair for you to inspect.

If you are looking for other fun activities in Cincinnati this weekend, we recommend BLINK, an amazing and free artistic light festival scattered all over downtown that will spill into Covington this year. We’ve been watching the preparations all week, and this evening Lucy and I saw a dress rehearsal on the Roebling Bridge. It should be pretty amazing.

The Lost Art Press storefront is located in the heart of Covington’s Main Strasse Historic District, steps away from great food, drink and entertainment. Our address is 837 Willard St., Covington, KY 41011.

Families, pets and grumpy spouses are always welcome, too!

— Christopher Schwarz

The Lost Art Press storefront will be open – as per usual – on Oct. 12, and the topic of the day’s free lecture will be a (hopefully inspirational) look at my favorite stick chairs – and not just Welsh ones.

For the last 16 years I’ve collected photos from auctions and old books that guided my understanding of staked chairs and assisted me in designing my own versions. This presentation will tour the highlights of my image collection and will be an open forum for you to ask questions about the designs as well.

(Before you ask, I cannot post this presentation on the internet. Many of these images are copyrighted; publishing them would violate those copyrights. So if you want to see the pretty pictures, you’ll have to visit.)

The presentation will begin at 2 p.m. and will last about an hour.

We open our storefront to the public on the second Saturday of every month, and it runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Yes, we will sell you a book or a tool during that time, but most of our energy on those days is devoted to answering woodworking questions, demonstrating techniques and drinking coffee. You are welcome (even encouraged) to bring your family, your dog or any bit of woodworking you are struggling with.

We are located at 837 Willard St. in Covington, KY 41011.

Our neighborhood is also an outstanding place to eat brunch on that day. We recommend Otto’s, Commonwealth, Coppin’s and Libby’s (to name a few). We also recommend you stop by the Covington Farmer’s Market (9 a.m. to noon) at the approach to the Roebling Bridge. Great baked goods, salsa and produce.

— Christopher Schwarz

The Lost Art Press storefront will be open this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is your opportunity to talk with fellow woodworkers, ask any questions about the craft that have been bugging you and perhaps learn a new technique at the bench.

We also sell our full line of Lost Art Press books and will have a few Crucible Lump Hammers for sale (we’re working on a big batch this week). But as anyone will tell you, these open days are not about commerce for us. There is no hard sell or soft sell – not even a medium sell.

As always, there are lots of ongoing projects in the shop for you to examine.

• I am finishing work on a mule chest for the expansion of “The Anarchist’s Design Book.” This piece offers scads of storage and is quick to build with rabbets and nails.
• I should be building the exterior cases for the Nicholson Campaign Chest, which has been a six-month journey. The casework is done and finished.
• We should be in the midst of repairing and refinishing our front door. I cracked the glass while repairing a muntin. So…. new glass on the way. And the exterior needs a new coat of oil.
• Megan Fitzpatrick is finishing work on a book by Robert Wearing that should go to press next week. The book is on fixtures, jigs and appliances for handwork. You can come take a first look at the proofs if you like.
• Brendan Gaffney is off teaching at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking this week. He should be back on Saturday with a cabinet to show.

Come for the Woodworking, Stay for the Food
Many visitors to our shop also make a day of it and get lunch or brunch while in Covington. We have some bad news on that front. Main Street Tavern has closed. We are crushed. And so we offer this list of other great places to eat that you can walk to:

Otto’s: A fantastic brunch (you might want to make reservations just to be sure).

Coppin’s at Hotel Covington: The best eggs Benedict in town

Libby’s Southern Comfort: Crazy good fried chicken

Commonwealth: Very Kentucky (that’s a good thing).

Also worth seeing in town:

The Cincinnati Art Museum has an exhibit on the art of Burning Man that is getting rave reviews. The museum also has an impressive decorative arts collection and general admission is free.

The Contemporary Arts Center (the CAC) is also free and has three new exhibits opening Friday.

And The Cincinnati Museum Center is now reopened after its extensive and impressive renovation. You can lose an entire day here touring the multiple museums.

And don’t forget the regulars: The Newport Aquarium, the world-class Cincinnati Zoo, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the American Sign Museum, the Taft Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Fire Museum (to name a few).

— Christopher Schwarz