November 2019 Featured artist: Squirrel Hill Design
We’re pleased to close out the year with our final featured artist: Jono Benoit and Erin Cridlebaugh of Squirrel Hill Design!
We at Squirrel Hill Design and Craft create highly accurate, one-of-a-kind topographic maps out of thin sheets of cherry and maple wood. Erin is the Cartographer and cuts out each layer of wood individually before stacking them by hand to reveal the true-to-life elevation of the landscape. Jono is the Framer and uses acid-free, archival quality materials in all of his framing practices and techniques. Most of our work features popular New York locations, but we have also created a number of custom pieces depicting locations from the San Francisco Bay to Lake Vattern Sweden and everywhere in between.
We moved from the Northeast to Olympia, Washington in 2012 so that Erin could study at the Evergreen State College - a college that emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary studies. While studying woodworking, she spent a great deal of time in the woodshop creating a gallery show, photographing work, and delving into the history of Woodcraft. Evergreen is where she made her very FIRST topographic map which features Crater Lake. The day after graduation, Erin and Jono left the Pacific Northwest and took an incredible roadtrip through California, the Southwest, and New Orleans before returning to Jono’s hometown - ROCHESTER, NY!
We really love living in Rochester’s Public Market District. Not only are we close to the Neighborhood of the Arts, but right outside our front door, the street is full of ROC gems like Rohrbach Brewery, Boxcar Doughnuts, and of course the Rochester Public Market. We try to hit the market at least once a week to pick-up some local fare - fresh produce along with a loaf of our favorite bread from Flour City Bakery.