Newsletter

Jim Widess - The Extraordinary Talent On Gilman Street

A Little Background...
The Caning Shop, located in Berkley, CA, is known for its knowledgable staff, fine furniture restoration services and as a major supplier of gourd, caning and basketry supplies and craft books. At its helm is Jim Widess, a man who loves his work, his staff and most of all, his customers.

Jim has been in business since 1969, starting like many entrepreneurs in a shop in his garage. A year later he moved to a small store front and did cane and wicker furniture restoration. If a new skill was required, he figured it out.

Ten years later the building sold and The Caning Shop moved to their present location which was much larger. Jim expanded the business and began to sell caning supplies to the local market.

One day a fellow named Bruce Miller walked through the door and said that he wanted to write a book on caning because the available information was scanty. Jim and Bruce talked and Jim showed him some of the photos of restored furniture he had done over the years. It was decided on the spot that they would co-write the book together.

They sent 12 photographs and an outline to Van Nostrand Reinhold. Immediately a contract came back and The Caner's Handbook, which has sold over 75,000 copies and still sells 1500 to 2000 copies a year, was born.

In the late 80's, Jim noticed that some basketmakers were incorporating gourds into their work. What an art form! Jim added gourds and supplies to his already large product line and his newly scheduled gourd workshops were always full.

A Historic Meeting
In 1990 Jim attended Convergence (Handweavers Guild of America) in San Jose and this is where he first met Ginger Summit, a loom weaver in the Bay area. Little did they realize at the time that this was a historic meeting and that they would end up writing many books together.

Two years later, at the Handweaver's Convention in San Rafael, a mutual friend told Jim about a woman he knew who wanted to write a book on gourd art and crafting. This piqued Jim's interest and he
commented on how he would love to meet her. Within minutes Ginger Summit was standing in his booth and after a short conversation they agreed to co-author the book. Jim contacted Lark with the proposal and they got the contract.

What was amazing to Jim and Ginger when they did their first book was the variety of techniques they saw when they solicited hundreds of artists to send in photos and then pieces to photograph. Their goal was to have as many artists as possible showing what they do with the techniques Jim and Ginger wanted to describe. They didn't want it to be a single author/artist type of book.

Jim and Ginger are constantly pleased as the quality of the crafting matures and new techniques develop. In a nutshell you can do anything and everything with a gourd! Since this first book Ginger Summit and Jim Widess have co-authored many books including The Complete Book of Gourd Carving, Making Gourd Dolls and Spirit Figures and Making Musical Instruments. Their latest is Gourds + Fibres, an excellent reference and art book for weavers, basketmakers, jewelry makers and gourd crafters.

Jim has written numerous books on his own as well including Gourd Pyrography, Chair Caning and Make Hawaiian Musical Instruments.

Trends and The Economy
When asked about trends and the economy, Jim is quick to point out that the economy has been the biggest influence on his business. He states that in order to remain successful, businesses must modify the way they do things during rough times.

At The Caning Shop it wasn't that long ago that scheduled classes were the norm but when things got tough in CA, classes were not filling up. Now Jim has an open studio 3 afternoons a week where anyone can go and play with the materials and tools. Customers can learn on their own with Jim and his staff being available for consultation and questions about caning, basketry and gourd crafting.

As far as the craft market is concerned Jim believes it will continue to grow as long as the economy continues to brighten. As addictive and trendy texting, internet searches and computer games are, Jim thinks that our minds and bodies need the skills and creative exercises that doing crafts afford us. With so many jobs which require hours behind the computer people are looking for other outlets to feel in charge. Furthermore he reasons, if we can show others how much fun gourd work is, it's not an expensive hobby to invest in.

On A Personal Front
"I am married to a fantastic woman named Sher. For years Sher wanted to go to Hawaii but being a mountain guy I just couldn't imagine what I would do on a beach. Finally I realized that Sher deserved to go where she wanted to go so off we went. She found a coconut palm weaver to teach me basketry so I was happy and since that time we've been at least 14 times."

"Hawaii has been good to us. We have a 23 year old son Andy, because we went to Hawaii. And I've written four Hawaiian craft books to return the wonderful Aloha that Hawaii gave us."

"At home I spend time keeping our koi pond crystal clean. I am also learning to raise cymbidiums to keep Sher in flowers for her paintings and drawings. And I am a great reader, usually having 2 books on the go at the same time. When asked what my favorite book is I can't help but answer, 'My last book is my favorite!'"

Upcoming Shows and Festivals
The Caning Shop will be at the Wuetz Gourd Festival in Casa Grande, AZ February 1 - 3, 2013
http://wuertzfarm.com/Annual_Gourd_Festival.html//

In June 2013 they will be at the Valley Center Gourd Show outside of Escondido, CA.

CeCe Thomas represents The Caning Shop at the Gourd Festivals in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Alabama. The Caning Shop is also represented at the Pacific Northwest Gourd Show in Ellenburg, WA in July, 2013.

To learn more about The Caning Shop and to view its extensive catalogue click here:
http://www.caning.com/

If you ever get a chance to stop at The Caning Shop please do. It is fascinating just in itself. Make sure to look for the guy with the big smile - that will be Jim Widess all set to bring you into his wonderful world of crafting.

Thanks Jim, It has been a real pleasure. If we ever get to Berkley we will be sure to drop by. All the best in 2013.
Carolyn and Linda