Turning Craft Into a Career
This column is named “HeARTbeat” to reflect its purpose — telling the stories of artists who pour their hearts into their handmade work. Over the years, most of the artists featured have been unique, successful, and have enjoyed long careers.
Yet we all know vast numbers of artists who are just beginning, working every day with zeal and commitment to become so great at their craft that it becomes a lifetime business. Meet one of these artists — Noah “Noble” Peters — a talented, young woodturner from Bixby, Oklahoma.
Naturally, I was immediately curious about how Noah earned the moniker “Noble.” When asked, he chuckled and replied that as a youngster attending church, children were often given an inspirational name to “improve their behavior.” What a genius strategy, and in his case, it worked!
When he was just 11 years old, Noah discovered woodturning and almost instantly became obsessed with it. A few years later, as a high school senior isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to spend most of his free time practicing his craft.
In 2021, he discovered the Northeastern Oklahoma Woodturners Association, and this professional organization had a significant impact on his work. He decided to resign from his job and become a business owner making the wood products he loves.
The wood Noah uses is locally sourced, coming from trees that have come down due to safety concerns, storms, or age, hence his business name, Reforged Wood. That name reinforces the sustainable nature of his craft.
Using a wood lathe, he handmakes many utility items, such as salad bowls, rolling pins, and salt and pepper mills for the kitchen. However, many of his bowls are so lovely that his customers use them for display and home décor.
The wood he uses is harvested from trees that include maple, walnut, and oak. From tree to finished piece, Reforged Wood takes the wood through every step of the process. Every piece is crafted to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing to bring joy to everyday life, as well as to special occasions. You can see his work at reforgedwood.com.
Until recently, Noah sold his goods locally and at art fairs and festivals across the country. When I was interviewing him for this piece, he was on his way to Nashville, Tennessee, and said he had a full schedule of shows right up to Christmas.
However, he also realizes that to grow his business exponentially, he needs to get his work into shops and galleries across the country. This February, he is exhibiting at his first wholesale trade show — MADE Our Show (madeourshow.com) — in Baltimore.
This all-wholesale show is open to buyers from galleries, shops, and museum stores across the country. All the exhibitors are artists who make their products in North America, so they are not competing with manufactured or foreign goods.
The show also provides in-depth coaching for emerging or first-time exhibitors. Noah is creating wholesale pricing, printed materials, and a new indoor sales booth.
For most artists, the jump from retail to wholesale has a steep learning curve. However, Noah is so competent in his craft that his work is exceptional, and he is excited to see how it is received by experienced store buyers.
Like most artists, he will continue to do art fairs but likely not as many, hence less traveling and time away from his studio. He is exploring selling wholesale online to make it easy for stores to order from him throughout the year. This is an exciting time for Noah, and we wish him a noble success!
Diane Sulg is executive director of CRAFT and founder & co-chair of American Craft Week (ACW). She is a handmade advocate who provides valuable information in her one-day seminars at wholesale shows throughout the United States. She can be reached at dianesulg@gmail.com.