The Pieces Are Falling Into Place: 10 Years of Wooden Puzzles by Marc Tschida
By Hand Gallery
Exhibit Dates: February 3 – 26, 2023
Opening Reception: February 3rd from 5–8 pm
The Pieces Are Falling Into Place: 10 Years of Wooden Puzzles by Marc Tschida is presented at By Hand Gallery and features the hand-cut jigsaw puzzles of Marc Tschida with an opening reception on Friday, February 3rd, from 5–8 pm for Gallery Walk, Bloomington.
By Hand Gallery is presenting the work of its newest member, Marc Tschida whose hand, scroll-saw cut, wood puzzles have added a delightfully charming and playful addition to the arts and crafts represented by the gallery. The exhibit, The Pieces Are Falling Into Place: 10 Years of Wooden Puzzles by Marc Tschida, reveals the artist’s personal journey and exploration of the jigsaw puzzle. He began this crafting foray in 2013 with designs drawn from regional historical or geographical sources. His tourism lens proved to be a hit with the public, but Tschida expanded his scope and designed and cut intricately pieced icons drawn from popular culture. The mythological and sci fi creatures include dragons, unicorns, robots, and griffins cut of mixed cherry, oak, and walnut pieces and play a dual role as standing sculptures.
Over the past several years, I have finally begun to feel a little weary of working primarily as puzzle production line (though still handcrafted). Moving into 2023, and my tenth year as a puzzle maker, I am ready to branch out into creating more complex and sophisticated puzzles.
The Pieces Are Falling Into Place: 10 Years of Wooden Puzzles invites you to view a selection of representative puzzles from Tschida’s first to those that are still in progress. The newest include ornate mixed woods and multiple levels. Expanding on a playful nature, the exhibit will have some jigsaw puzzles for the public to interact with and deploy, will include one of Marc’s scroll saws and will also feature several handcrafted wooden jigsaw puzzles from some of the country’s most prominent and innovative puzzle makers from the artist’s personal collection.
Marc Tschida, a fixture working behind the scenes in the Bloomington performing arts community, began handcrafting wooden jigsaw puzzles in 2013. Though a self-taught woodworker, he has presented workshops on puzzle making across the state of Indiana, in New York, Massachusetts, and Alaska as well as teaching puzzle making class at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking. His work in included in the permanent collection of the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. He is a both an owner/member By Hand Gallery and the Brown County Craft Gallery. When not scrolling puzzles, Tschida is out in the community walking his dog Brady, working backstage at major events as a stagehand or working with the local youth theatre company, Stages Bloomington.
By Hand Gallery is a locally owned, cooperative gallery that currently has 12 artisan members. By Hand Gallery has been in the Bloomington community for over 30 years and has a reputation for selling art works that are of superior design and quality artisanship. Besides our cooperative members, there are over 70 artists who sell their work through By Hand Gallery.
The exhibit is free and open to the public.
WHERE:
By Hand Gallery, Inside Fountain Square Mall
101 W Kirkwood Ave, Suite 109
Bloomington, IN 47404
812.334.3255
Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00am – 5:30pm