The ‘Super Bowl’ of bowl making 

By Ron Beeber, Contributing Writer

PENTWATER — Maybe the word “teaching” should be added to the Pentwater Artisan Learning Center’s name because that’s what some members enjoy the most from belonging to it.  

Barry Freed is one. He retired to Pentwater four years ago, moving from Lansing where he worked at — and then became part owner of — a trade show decorating company. 

Judy French learns the craft from Barry.

“I had 200 employees, and taught many how to make displays in our workshop,” said Barry. “After moving to Pentwater, I didn’t join the artisan center right away because I have enough tools at home. But then my neighbors needed to replace some wood spindles on the porch of their historic home, but couldn’t find any that matched. I wanted to help, but didn’t have a lathe. So I joined the artisan center so I could use one of theirs. I made 10 spindles, and found that I really liked the camaraderie and the safety of working here, rather than working at home, alone.”

The PALC had four lathes, but they weren’t used much.  “As a kid living in the country, I had used a lathe. We didn’t buy our baseball bats — we made them out of mostly oak.  I occasionally made bowls out of pieces of firewood.”  

At the artisan center, Barry started making segmented bowls, and curious members came over to see what the lathe could do. Now, all the lathes are often being used at one time, and someone recently donated a fifth lathe because of all the demand.    

“I’ve so far taught more than 40 adult members and Pentwater school students to make bowls on lathes,” he said. “I love to see people realize what they can make out of little scraps of wood.”

One day, a member came to Barry saying that she wanted to make a wood bar, but didn’t know anything about running the needed woodworking tools. “I suggested that she first learn to make a bowl because she’d have to use most every machine we have. She enjoyed the process so much that she now only makes bowls when working with wood.”

There are quite a few steps in the process of making a segmented bowl after one decides its purpose, and what kinds of wood to use to achieve contrasting colors. It could be a combination of walnut, maple, mahogany, cherry, hickory or oak. Wood is then cut into strips, and then into “segments.” One then glues together 16 segments to make a ring, and then five or six rings are then glued together to make a bowl. That’s about 100 segment pieces in each typical bowl. Most of the wood for bowls is left over from other PALC members’ projects, and ends up in the center’s scrap bin.      

Barry proudly showed several bowls that a Pentwater School student made and are to be included in the artisan center’s fundraiser during Pentwater’s Fall Festival Arts, Crafts and Antiques Fair Sept. 28 and 29 on the Village Green. Each year, PALC members work for hours creating various metal, wood, pottery, ceramic, painted, glass, weaving, basket making, sewing and jewelry pieces that they donate to the center, to be sold for its support. 

This summer, Barry has mentored an Austin, Texas, woman who’s visiting Pentwater for a month with her family. “I love the artisan center! “ said Judy French. “We do ceramics in Austin, but I watched Barry make a bowl.  He taught me how to make one that I’m gonna take home and use as a salad bowl. I’m now working on my second bowl.” 

Betty Pleva of Pentwater once asked Barry if he could repair her husband’s childhood toboggan, which Gary’s friend had crashed into a tree. She wanted it to be a Christmas gift. “I said it wasn’t salvageable, and suggested we cut it up into pieces that she’d make into a bowl. I took photos of her working on every step of the process. She compiled the photos into a book that she gave to Gary with the bowl. After Christmas, Gary told me that he couldn’t stop crying after Betty surprised him.”   

 Barry gets the most out of his PALC membership by teaching school students. He mentored one Hart student on Saturdays for many months after the boy’s father asked if there was a way for his son to learn handiwork skills.  “It’s rewarding. The coolest thing is when they get done, look at what they made, and say ‘wow, this turned out nice!’ About three or four times a year, Pentwater Public Schools’ art teacher Carrie Jeruzal comes over with an idea for how PALC members can help with a student project. We always get five or six other artisan center members who step up as mentors.”

PALC follows the inspirational quote: “A good education can change anyone. A good teacher can change everything.”

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