APPRENTICESHIP SUMMARY

This wood based apprenticeship will focus on building a fully functional and finely crafted solid body electric guitar. The instruction will focus on several important aspects of luthiery – Developing technical skills that assure high quality, creating accurate patterns that will allow for repeatability in small scale production, and strengthening Gracie’s artistic vision and voice. Jim and Gracie will accomplish these goals through 100 hours of one-on-one training at Jim’s studio in Burnham, Maine.

MENTOR

Jim Macdonald (Burnham, ME)

Jim Macdonald creates custom guitars, furniture, art, and portraits featuring marquetry and inlay in Burnham, ME. In addition to his own projects, Jim collaborates with luthiers and furniture makers as a marquetry specialist. His work has been commissioned by Gibson Guitar’s Custom Shop and Hinckley Yachts. In 2018, his Allman Brothers tribute guitar entered the collection of their Big House Museum in Macon, GA. Recent gallery shows include the traveling exhibition “Out of Bounds: The Art of Croquet,” and “Marquetry Today” at the “Wonders in Wood” inlay and marquetry conference at the Winterthur Museum.

“Teaching has become a regular and enjoyable aspect of my career in craft. Usually I am leading weeklong workshops involving 8-12 students, so the opportunity to spend an extended period of time with Gracie, my apprentice, is very appealing. The deep dive possible with the one-on-one nature of the Craft Apprenticeship Program will enrich us both.” – Jim Macdonald

APPRENTICE

Gracie Karl (Portland, ME)

Gracie Karl is currently attending Maine College of Art & Design in Portland, Maine, with an intended graduation of May 2024. Her work focuses on relationships and connection, representing those connections through objects. She has been exploring the communal nature of music through instruments such as the Appalachian dulcimer. Her work uses imagery of hearts and mirrored shapes reminiscent of playing cards, in reference to the card and tabletop games that have been avenues for connection in her life.

“I reached out to Maine Craft to pair me with a luthier in the area, and after meeting Jim and learning about his work I thought we would be a good fit and would work well together. This would be a new experience for me, moving from a classroom setting into a one-on-one learning experience where I will have direct instruction in the skills and inside knowledge I need to pursue this career.” – Gracie Karl