Indianola 'modern maker' spotlighted on national PBS show

Monday, March 28, 2016
Jim Gaster shows television host Eric Gorges the beginning stages of a coopering project for a filming of the PBS TV show, "A Craftsman Legacy," at Gaster's Beaver Buckets near Indianola, Neb. (Courtesy photo)

DETROIT -- Detroit motorcycle builder and master metal shaper, Eric Gorges is a man on a mission. His goal: to seek out and spotlight the modern maker community, men and women who practice the lost art of making things by hand and to bring their stories to television. Since the successful launch of the national, public television show, A Craftsman's Legacy, two years ago, Gorges and his team have been on the road, filming on location around the U.S., uncovering and showcasing the stories of people who reject modern mass production and, instead, make their living with their own two hands.

He found one of those "modern makers" crafting some decidedly retro wooden containers, visiting Jim Gaster's "Beaver Buckets" shop near Indianola, Neb.

One of the very few remaining "coopers" not providing distilleries and wineries, Jim specializes in "white coopering," wooden buckets, washtubs, butter churns and other vintage household items.

He made his first bucket in 1989, and has personally authentic containers for numerous museums and movies such as 20th Century-Fox's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," as well as Universal's "Seabiscuit," "The Legend of Zorro and Warner Brothers "The Assassination of Jesse James" and "3:10 to Yuma."

A Craftsman's Legacy began airing on public television stations across the country in September 2014. Season two is airing in over 90 percent of U.S. markets and the show's third season is currently in production.

Born and raised in the Motor City, it's not surprising that Gorges feels most at home behind the wheel. Traveling the open road in his Ford F-150 truck, a tool just as important to a craftsman as his hands, he has spent the last 18 months searching out the best and brightest in the American artisan community. Gorges says, "We've gotten a tremendous response to the show. We are thrilled that so many people are as turned on and excited about a return to things made by hand as we are."

Season three of A Craftsman's Legacy, sponsored by the Ford Motor Co., will explore a range of timeless crafts, from tool making, to duck decoy carving, to the art of making fine chocolates. Episodes feature in-depth conversations with the artisans and plenty of hands-on learning, as Gorges takes on such challenges as making artisanal cheeses and learning to forge a suit of armor. Many of this season's featured emerging and established artisans were cast after being nominated by fellow craftsmen or friends and family on the show's website.

Over the course of 13 episodes, Gorges plays the role of apprentice, learning the necessary skills and techniques from the ground up. With genuine enthusiasm and a lighthearted playfulness, he shares his inexperience, failure, inspiration and the path to eventual success -- giving viewers a sense of the patience and expertise that must go into the painstaking work of the handcrafted object. "We are so excited to bring a new season to air. In a disposable, "get it when you want it" world, our craftsmen and women have important stories to tell," Gorges says. "I hope viewers will be inspired, entertained and reminded of the value of fine craftsmanship -- and I hope some will even be encouraged to try their own hand at it.

Gorges' journey from a comfortable corporate office to the dusty floors of a bike garage makes him uniquely qualified to host, A Craftsman's Legacy. Like his hometown of Detroit, Eric's story is one of repurposing and rebuilding. After a devastating health crisis in the late '90s, Eric, a self- confessed IT nerd, walked away from a lucrative, corporate career for good. At that period in his life, he knew three very simple things; he loved bikes, he loved working with his hands and he needed a job. He sought out Ron Fournier at Fournier Enterprises in Shelby Twp., one of the best metal shapers in the country, and eventually signed on as his apprentice. Starting in the business from the ground floor up, with Ron as his handcrafting guru, Eric started working on vintage cars and building "one of a kind" hot rods. In April of 1999, with years of building and design work under his belt, he decided to strike out on his own and Voodoo Choppers was born. (See his work at www.voodoochoppers.com.)

After years of building a reputation as one of the country's most respected motorcycle builders, Gorges began looking around for other like-minded craftspeople to connect with and share ideas. One thing that kept cropping up in their shared conversations was the notion that they were a "dying breed." According to Gorges, "I'm all for innovation and technology, but like most Americans, I really appreciate an object that took the time to imagine, design and create with two human hands. There is nothing like handcrafted work. It begs you to touch it, hold and admire it." Gorges thought that if there was a way to re-ignite an interest and an appreciation for making things by hand, the art of craftsmanship might make a comeback and A Craftsman's Legacy was born.

A Craftsman's Legacy is a Hammer in Hand production, brought to you by the Ford F-150. Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com

Visit the show's website for more information at www.craftsmanslegacy.com. Follow on FB or Twitter @CraftsmanLegacy.

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