Today we’d like to introduce you to Pete Schlebecker.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 1984 I was asked to build a butsudan, which is a Japanese Buddhist altar. I had been practicing Buddhism already for about 10 years and had been dabbling in woodworking for a few years as well. After the first one, more people within the Buddhist community began to ask for my services and I became a professional woodworker, learning more about woodworking on the run as my business grew. I also began to do other kinds of woodwork, including custom cabinetry and sculptural furniture. In 1989, a museum show called “New American Furniture” came to Washington, D.C, (where I am originally from). This show blew my mind as to the sculptural possibilities of furniture. Many of the artists in the show I noticed had a connection to the Rhode Island School of Design, and I made a determination that someday I would go there and get my Master of Fine Arts degree. Fast forward to 2002; I had been a professional woodworker for 18 years and I finally was able to fulfill my dream of going to RISD. I got my first job after grad school at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine where I was the staff instructor and facilities manager. I taught for 7 years and had many great experiences there. When our son graduated from high school, my wife and I decided to leave Maine. I joined a start-up furniture design company in New York City and was there for 6 years. New York is an amazing place for anyone who is creative. Two years ago, my wife and I decided to move to San Diego because my wife had inherited part of a condo in Hillcrest and we wanted to see our son more often because he lives in Los Angeles. After living with heavy winters in the northeast, San Diego is a welcome reprieve. Now I teach woodworking as an adjunct professor at Palomar College in San Marcos, and I still design and make butsudans and other furniture. I have also started a new furniture design production company called Woodsy Furniture with my future son-in-law.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Woodworking and furniture design is a labor of love and was not always the most profitable labor, especially in my early years. I appreciate my wife so much for helping to support our family and especially while I was in Grad school for two years. Maine was a tough place to live, especially for my wife; the culture is such that it is difficult to get to know people there and the winters are long. There is also a lack of diversity there and we were not near a major city. Seven years was as much as we could bear to live there. I was fortunate to have a good salary in New York because the cost of living there is very high. When we first moved to San Diego 2 years ago, I was suffering from very painful arthritis in my ankle and so a year ago I took the time during the Covid lockdown to have surgery and recover. At the beginning of this year, I joined Maketory, a great co-working shop in Miramar as a place to make furniture, I started to teach at Palomar College, and we started Woodsy Furniture.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make high-end furniture out of wood, but I also use other materials. I specialize in doing curved and veneer work, and I have a niche business making Buddhist altars called Butsudans. I am the only person in the United States making Butsudans at the highest level, and my designs are unique. There are Japanese manufacturers of butsudans, but the styles are traditional and they use a lot of plastic parts and fake wood. I am also known as a fun teacher of woodworking and I enjoy seeing people take their first steps in the craft. I am most proud of having earned an MFA in furniture design from the Rhode Island School of Design, which I did in my mid-40s. It wasn’t easy to go back to school after 20 years and also having the responsibilities of a family.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I would like to say that much of my good fortune, wisdom, and success has come from my Buddhist practice of SGI-USA Buddhism for the past 46 years. It has enabled me to have self-confidence, the courage to face all obstacles, to never give up, and to have caring relationships with other people. Most importantly I have been able to find mentors in woodworking and especially my mentor in life, Daisaku Ikeda.
Contact Info:
- Email: pete.schlebecker@gmail.com
- Website: peterschlebecker.com, woodsyfurniture.com
