Brett Hesser '81, Owner of Hesser Handcrafted
This year’s group project is a timber frame shelter, which includes the signature Meeting House truss. Alumnus Peter Bugler ‘83, a professional timber framer from Pennsylvania, delivered the milled timbers, loaned some of his traditional tools, and helped train the class in timber framing techniques. garden, and the towers at Preuss Field. This year’s project is a timber frame shelter to be placed near the campus drive on the sidewalk leading to the Athletic Center. After the group project, students complete one “box project” on their own, where they develop detailed threedimensional drawings that accurately depict dimensions and joinery, then size and cut wood with the proper tools/equipment, assemble the pieces of their project, and apply finishes. Unfortunately, woodworking has been taken away from many schools, either because of lack of funding or because of liability. Thankfully, this course continues to be well-supported at SSFS; the woodworking shop even has a permanent home in the Performing Art Center, where students can continue to develop their creativity and pass on the tradition of this well-respected craft. The author, SSFS parent and public relations consultant Sarah Margolis, learned woodworking at Westtown School from Andy Buckman.
Spring 2011
Brett Hesser ’81 traces his passion for woodworking back to a moment in a Moore Hall dorm room in September 1980. “I went upstairs to visit a friend and saw a nightstand he had built in woodshop. It was just a nightstand, but it spoke to me.” Hesser enrolled in woodshop and sought out former faculty member, Dick Schauffler, for after-hours instruction. Brett was hooked. Now as owner Brett with his handcrafted bench that is displayed in the Mingei Museum in San of Hesser Handcrafted, he has Diego, CA. become a leading furniture designer and craftsman in the Southern California area. His pieces can be found in the homes of Bill Cosby and Steven Spielberg, as well as in the Mingei International Museum in San Diego. His work has won numerous awards and has been featured in local and national publications. Although only at SSFS for a short time, Hesser feels it was one of the most influential times of his life. He went on to attend the Leeds Design Workshop in East Hampton, MA, and moved to San Diego, CA, to apprentice with Ron Montbleau of Montbleau & Associates. Throughout his career, he often reflects on the “wholesomeness and simplicity” of Quaker principles and the value of a quiet mind while crafting his art. In 1993, Hesser felt he had established his skills enough to sustain himself as a solo artist, and he opened Hesser Handcrafted. “I love that what I do for a living—it gives evidence to my life. Artists get to leave something tangible behind, and I feel that has a social value to it worth more than money,” says Hesser. Specializing in Far Eastern furniture, he utilizes exotic materials and inlays of the Art Deco period in his pieces. Hesser also specializes in using veneers of exotic wood to create his work. “Woodworking is one of the only art forms that has a finite supply of materials. Using veneers is socially the right thing to do because of the environmental impact.” In the future, he hopes to continue working on custom pieces for interior designers and he hopes to do more pieces from his own designs. “I know I am on the right path in my life because I am as happy today as a successful woodworker as I was when I was an unknown artist and building my career.” (Profile by Mary Mazzuca, Director of Alumni Affairs)
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