Liam Curd likes to let the wood guide him when crafting his woodworking creations. The 21-year-old Hailey resident has been a woodworker for years, and knew after he graduated from The Sage School in 2021 that he wanted to make a career out of the craft.
“I had a neighbor ask me, ‘So you play with sawdust and glue all day?’” Curd said, laughing. “The part I love most is I knew I didn’t want to work at something I disliked. I get to play and be creative at something I enjoy the most.”
Curd will be one of dozens of artists demonstrating their skills and showing off their studio spaces during the upcoming Artist Studio Tour of the Wood River Valley this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23-24, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be art for sale at each location and time to discuss techniques and inspiration with the artists. The tour is free and open to everyone.
“The studio tour is so fun because people come specifically to our space to talk about the process and are interested in what the artist has going on,” Curd said.
Curd got an early start in designing and building. He only wanted Legos, cardboard boxes and duct tape for Christmas and his birthdays. When he turned 13, he was building 15,000-piece Lego sets and his parents told him he needed to channel his creativity into woodworking or welding, so he chose woodworking.
“I got a lathe and started making pens, then made bats for myself and my high school baseball team,” he said. “Then I started making bowls.”
While he was attending The Sage School, he was enrolled in an independent study each week, during which he learned about various topics, including welding and using drones for search and rescue. But he decided he just wanted to spend the time at home woodworking.
“Last year I did three art shows, and this year I’ve already done seven,” Curd said. “In between I am getting stock ready and trying to gauge what people will like best.”
Cindy Kirk, another artist who will show off her craft during the tour, was once trying to find a bag to wear but just couldn’t find one that worked. They either had too many studs or zippers or the logo was too big.
“I am a seamstress by trade, and I wanted an unlined leather bag,” Kirk said. “I couldn’t find anything I liked, so I just decided to make one myself.”
That was back in 2012. Now, she not only makes the bags but sells them in mountain towns across the West. She will provide a demonstration when people visit her studio for the artist tour.
“I love the artist tour and am amazed at people’s genuine interest in how we work,” Kirk said. “It’s great to share my craft.”
Kirk said she starts to get an itch if she is not at her studio for a few days. She and her fellow seamstress, Larsen Peterson, can create 300 to 350 bags per year.
“The art of creating is what does it for me,” she said. “I love being in my studio. It’s a total Zen thing.”
Kirk also says her creations are meant to be worn, and often the bags look better after some wear.
A map of studio locations and profiles of all participating artists can be found at artiststudiotour.com. Information can also be found on pages 10-11 of this newspaper edition. 
