The Susquehanna Photographic

York County craftsman Matthew Shober has done something that many aspire to do: he has followed his passion.

In his case, it’s the art of woodworking. And luckily for him, he’s good at it.

For the past 15 years, Matt has shown an interest and talent in making fine wooden furniture and goods. In recent years, he has perfected his craft and hopes to start a business in the coming months. Recently, Shober created a commissioned work for Mark and Lavonne Shermyer of SAA Architects in York. Last Sunday, they became the proud owners of two Chinese-inspired masterpieces:

While neither of us are furniture experts or pretend to know a lot about woodcraft, it was immediately clear that there are fewer and fewer artists crafting at Shober’s level. With so many folks opting for the bottom-dollar, dresser-in-a-box options from a big box store, it seems alien to see something like the behemothly HEAVY solid wood fixtures in Matt’s workspace. A hundred years ago, all furniture in houses were like this…and that’s a good thing.

While not 100% traditional, it’s easy to see the Asian influence in the cabinet and Tansu step chest. All of the door fixtures were specially imported from China to stay loyal to the cultural theme. The wood, black walnut, is one of the more coveted types for furniture use. The particular lumber used in this piece is just over twenty-five years old; Matt is proud of the fact that he got it from an “old man who has been doing this for longer than we’ve been alive."

Matt is quick to point out that he couldn’t have done this alone. Along with his wife Janeen, he is backed by an assistant, Jacob McKinley, and fellow York artist Pat Sells of Salvaging Creativity. Sells, who is known around the area for his excellent metal work, helped Matt with the hinges and bent work on both pieces.

While stepping gingerly around Shober’s workspace, it was clear that this wasn’t the clean, sterile environment of a manufactured furniture factory, and it certainly wasn’t the spacious and serene scene of an Amish craftsman’s shop. Matthew Shober is an artist. This was an artist’s den. The remnants of ideas past and projects finished lay around on the tables and floors. Motivational quotes were scribbled in marker all along the inside of the giant garage door. 

We wish the best to Matt as he continues the transition of making his passion synonymous with his occupation. We’ll continue to follow him as he gets further established, so be sure to check our Twitter regularly for more info.

For more information on Matthew Shober and his excellent work, contact him directly at mattshober@gmail.com.