Adam Goss

Name of School
Cleveland Institute of Art

Expected Graduation Date:
05/10/2022

Faculty Nominator
Kathy Buszkiewicz

Reason for Faculty Nomination
“I have worked with Adam Goss as one of my majors for 3 years. He is an OUTSTANDING craftsman who used wood, metal, stone and concrete in functional objects. Adam will not tolerate anything less than impeccable. Details of furniture handles, legs or trim are well designed and integrated metal elements. His woods are void of endangered species as well as derived from environmentally conscious sources and locally harvested in and around Amish country. What stands out is Adam’s integrity to material usage, work ethic, design sensibility and use of materials to create an awareness of good design in functional art. When he completes a piece, all jaws drop.

I have taught a Recycling/Eco course for 39 years and am highly endorsing Mr. Goss and his abilities. Sharing his work and ideas with the public in artistic and practical realms is making the world a better place.”

Please provide a brief description of your art or medium.
Furniture and functional objects made from locally sourced hardwoods, salvaged materials, and metalwork

Is your artwork handmade by you? If not, please explain
I handmake everything I possibly can for each piece, with the exception of some hardware, like screws and nuts.

Are all or some of the components locally sourced?
I source my hardwood from a local Amish lumber mill, Byler’s Kiln Drying. Salvaged materials, like the slate chalkboard in my Science Altar, are sourced from local salvage yards.

Artist’s Statement:
I choose to make my work out of only high-quality, durable materials that, with the proper care, will last more than a lifetime. The mass-produced, disposable furniture pieces that exist today get destroyed and thrown out quickly not only because the materials they are made from are not durable, but also because their design is bland and unengaging, so owners do not take the proper care to treat the pieces with respect. I design my pieces with the intent of doing something unique and engaging to foster greater attraction to the work. Working primarily in wood, I am conscious of the damage caused by deforestation and the exportation of exotic hardwoods to makers across the world. Instead, I work exclusively with native, locally sourced hardwoods. I incorporate other materials, such as metals, concrete, and stone into my work, and when appropriate use salvaged and scrap materials.

How you will use the Fellowship funds if you are chosen as the winner.
If selected as the Fellowship recipient, I will use the funds to attend a workshop on sustainable treehouse design at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Vermont. After taking the course, I will purchase a few mature, large-scale bonsai trees and other necessary materials to create a series of miniature treehouses built in the branches of the living bonsais. Elements of these treehouses, designed in different architectural styles, will be removable pieces that become wearable jewelry pieces, each treehouse containing a matching set of jewelry. Once completed, I will exhibit the treehouses either in gallery shows alongside other artists’ works, or in a solo show. Any remaining funds will be put towards tools and disposables to aid in the construction of these pieces.