Bench/Coffee Table, 2019

John Haltom
Two slab, live edge walnut

20" - 22" W x 50" L x 16" H

About the Artist

This bench is handmade from two slabs of live edge Mississippi walnut. The walnut is mitered to create a continuous grain "waterfall" leg. Inside that miter are six floating tenons to strengthen the joint and ensure generations of use. Three hand-cut "butterfly" joints in matching walnut are located on the bench where natural cracks opened up during the drying process. These joints are both aesthetic and structural as they prevent the cracks from continuing.

The entire piece is finished with an Italian finish only recently made available in the southeast. This offers a satin sheen that's durable and can be cleaned with any household surface cleaner. There are felt leveler feet that protect a finished floor in your home or business.

John Haltom grew up in Mississippi, the middle of three brothers and an eighth-generation Mississippian. His grandfather and great-grandfather both owned lumber mills in southwest Mississippi. At the age of seven, Haltom began teaching himself how to handcraft solid wood longbows, and, at the age of sixteen, was admitted as the youngest ever member of the Mississippi Craftsmen's Guild, of which he is lifelong fellowship member.

After working for the US Forest Service in Colorado and Montana during college, Haltom moved to Seattle, Washington, and worked as a carpenter and a craftsman. While in Seattle, he met and married his wife, Katey. It didn't take long for the couple to decide to move back south with the dream of opening a small business, building heirloom furniture from local trees.

Today, Haltom and his wife own and operate Roxie Woodworks in Oxford, Mississippi.

"I look forward to work," Haltom said. "Creativity and hard, physical work drive me, and creative ideas challenge me. Each piece is a natural work of art, and my job is to reveal that art through the skills of my own hand."

Reminder to bidders:

Your contribution is tax deductible only to the extent that it exceeds the provided fair market value. Also, shipping can be arranged through the University Museum at the buyer's expense.