IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and now Chicago comprise the growing roster of the famed Carpenters Workshop Gallery (CWG)’s global presence. Founded in 2006 by two childhood friends, Loïc Le Godard and Julien Lombrail, the firm was aptly named for the space it first inhabited in Chelsea, London. Realizing collectors had a similar passion for obtaining a one-of-a-kind chair as they would a one-of-a-kind painting, the two men sought that sweet spot of where form and function become a work of art. Their success at blending practicality with provenance has created an international community of coveted artists and avid collectors.

The recent introduction of Betsy Beierle to lead CWG’s Midwest initiative as Senior Sales Associate, along with Ashlee Harrison, as CWG’s Director of the Americas, brings a host of possibilities for fresh ideas and local ventures. With a team of approximately 120 worldwide at CWG, the duo is eager to make tracks in uncharted territory. “People in Chicago like to see an investment here to know that we are really committed,” says Beierle, referencing CWG’s debut this past April at EXPO Chicago. “We used our booth and involvement as an opportunity to present some of our greatest hits.” Those included bronze works by the late Virgil Abloh, a Rockford, Illinois high school classmate of Beierle. Abloh’s Venice series’ gold-tone metal seating seems to sink into the ground evoking a message to not sit idly by as rising sea levels threaten the environment. “It was really a full circle moment for me because back in 2015, I suggested the inclusion of Abloh’s work to EXPO Director and President Tony Karman, so to have that highlighted again here and this time at the main entrance in a solo presentation was gratifying and moving,” says Beierle.

Also occupying center stage at EXPO Chicago were works by the well-known artist Ingrid Donat, CWG’s proprietor Lombrail’s mother and the original inspiration behind his drive to work with artists. These bronze sculptures featuring intricate shapes and motifs also function as furniture such as tables and case pieces intended for actual use. Abloh and Donat serve as just two examples of the personal links between creators, curators, and connoisseurs that sets CWG apart from other dealers and galleries.

While Harrison began her career in fashion, her professional path soon led to positions as Marketing Director for the Decoration & Design Building in New York and Design Center of the Americas prior to becoming Director of External Relations for Design Miami. “My grandfather was an architect in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where I was raised. In this area, there was a heightened awareness of mid-century furniture design because the great designers George Nakashima and Paul Evans had workshops and studios there. So, you might say that design was innate in my upbringing,” she observes. Harrison’s first encounter with CWG at Design Miami was serendipitous because at the time she was starting a consulting business to address a lack of exposure for European galleries in the United States. The now prominent stand-alone locations in Los Angeles and New York are evidence of her successful efforts to build and widen CWG’s national reach.

Beierle’s stints at Pace Gallery in their London and New York outposts and experience as Director of Fairs proved to be the perfect foundation for her current role. When Beierle returned home to the Chicago region, she worked with Carrie Secrist Gallery and then Rhona Hoffman Gallery Ltd. This background afforded her a familiarity with area institutions, organizations, and artists; a familiarity that plays an important role in a bold agenda for CWG. The swift progression of this directive is further illustrated by CWG’s representation at the 2023 Lake Forest Showhouse’s living room through participating interior design firm, Vincere Ltd.

CWG’s representation of Steven Haulenbeek is another example of the gallery’s commitment to area artists. The Chicago-based Haulenbeek is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an industrial designer who previously worked as a furniture designer for Holly Hunt. Haulenbeek’s studio is where he creates what is called “Ice-Cast Bronze,” an homage to the city’s cold climate. There are small and large tables, mirrors, and screens of myriad textures and tones. Adorning a wall, the pieces are transformed into fine art; placed in a room, the pieces are durable and useful. Like temperatures and seasons, there is movement and change depending on how an individual needs or wants to interact with a work. “It’s all about the dialogue at CWG,” comments Beierle, “for people in the know and for people who want to know more. If you are coming to us, then you are obviously looking for something special.”

For more information, visit carpentersworkshopgallery.com.