Bill Shea and Kerri Dwyer-Shea, artists
This holiday season, Grovewood Gallery invites visitors to do more than admire fine craft—they can actually play with it.
Top of Their Game: Handcrafted Games by Master Makers, on view Saturday, November 14, through Thursday, December 31, brings together handcrafted board games, tabletop games, puzzles and other interactive works by artists and craftspeople from across the country. Designed to be touched, played and shared, the pieces explore the intersection of craftsmanship, design and play. An opening reception will be held November 14, from 2–5 p.m.
Bill Shea and Kerri Dwyer-Shea of Legacy Boards create one-of-a-kind backgammon and chess boards and tables made with live-edge slab wood and hand-cut leather playing surfaces. The business began with a board Bill made for his own family after he and his four sons outgrew an old travel backgammon set. The first attempt was scrapped, but the second became the board he and Kerri still use.
“When we tried using live-edge wood, it became apparent that the wild asymmetry of a tree combined with the stunning geometry of a backgammon or chess board would be our mark-in-trade,” Shea says.
The couple collaborates throughout the process, from hunting for raw slabs to imagining what each piece might become as the wood is refined. Because the finished pieces are games as well as works of art, durability matters. The Sheas have seen their boards put to the test during tournament play, including days-long stretches of intensive use. “
That functionality also serves a larger purpose. The Sheas see games as a way for families and friends to spend time together and for traditions to move from one generation to another. Shea grew up in a family in which his mother taught all five children to play, and the tradition now extends to 16 children in the next generation.
“Our pieces are truly functional art—an accent piece to any room décor or home, but more importantly, a focal point where family and friends will gather and engage and, hopefully, pass their Legacy Board on to the next generation,” Shea says.
Furniture maker Sean McKenzie’s work can be traced back to a memorable piece in his childhood home. “Growing up, we had a coffee table tic-tac-toe board and I noticed how much people like playing with it, especially at parties,” says McKenzie.
His walnut-and-maple chess table featured in Top of Their Game is accompanied by two steam-bent walnut wishbone chairs. The table legs are cut on a bandsaw and shaped by hand, while the chairs are made through a combination of table saw and bandsaw work and steam-bent laminations formed with jigs. For McKenzie, a chess table has to be functional whether a match is underway or not.
“You want to have a visually pleasing piece that will draw people over, if not to play, then just to take a closer look,” McKenzie says. “Whether it is a game or a piece of furniture or a combination of both, you want people to be moved emotionally. As an artist that is your job; you shoot for people to love it or hate it. I hope, especially with games, that [the piece] gets passed on in the family and holds great memories.”
Grovewood Village is located at 111 Grovewood Road, adjacent to and below the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free parking is available onsite. To learn more, visit Grovewood.com or call 828.253.7651.
