ABOUT JED

"Hometown talent on display at
Allentown Art Festival"

On June 8, John E. Donahue, (JED), of Springville received the Honorable Mention ribbon in his first appearance as an artist at the 45th Annual Allentown Art Festival in Buffalo. The beautiful weather drew a crowd for the show and Jed's tent was continuously packed with window shoppers as well as serious buyers.

When JED submitted a vase for competition, he wasn't sure what to expect. "After seeing the competition, I didn't expect to win," said JED. Considering this was JED's first appearance at Allentown, the fourth place ribbon was an encouraging sign for him.

For two years now, JED has been attending various art shows in the area with his unique display of hand-turned wooden pieces. The Allentown Art Festival was the largest show that JED has attended, boasting a record-breaking crowd of over 646,000 art enthusiasts.

JED just recently began displaying at art shows in the area, selling many of his pieces to customers who recognize the artistry of his craft. He is a member of the Western New York Wood Turners and of the American Association of Wood Turners.

Last year JED took Best of Show at the Colden Art Festival as well as First Place for a natural-edged maple vase. He also attended Octoberfest in Ellicottville, where it was suggested he apply to be accepted into the Allentown Art Festival in Buffalo.

While JED's reputation is spreading and he is enjoying his role as a wood turner, he has walked a long and sometimes difficult road to get to where he is now. Back in 1973, JED purchased 15 acres of land in Mortons Corners, a few miles west of the Village of Springville, New York, where he built a small cabin to reside in during the construction of his home. With a wife and daughter to provide for, JED put his knowledge of construction to work, building a three bedroom post-and-beam style home.

In 1978, JED Wood Products was established as JED ventured out in his own woodworking business making custom furniture. Unfortunately, he struggled to find the right clientele, that is, people willing to pay for the hours of skilled labor JED put into each piece he created.

Times were tough as JED tried to make ends meet and provide for his wife and now three children. But with creativity and ingenuity, he found ways to become self-sufficient. He purchased a dairy cow, a beefer, chickens and pigs, and JED's wife began planting vegetable gardens. Through hard work and determination, JED always found a way to make ends meet. He credits the hand of God on his life. "It seems that everything I put my hand to in life, God has blessed. I give Him all the credit."

When JED began his woodworking business, he built himself a barn with a wood shop in the upper level. As customers came to look for furniture, they were most impressed with the barn JED built and he began to take orders for these old-fashioned-looking post and beam barns. By the mid 1980s, JED had his own construction crew and "JED Buildings" was erecting barns all over the Western New York area.

It appeared that JED had found his niche in the world, but all that changed in the late 1980s when his wife became seriously ill, requireing JED to be her fill-time in-home nurse. WIth no way to physically build barns anymore, JED was forced to change the direction of his business. As a result, since the illness and death of his wife in the early 1990s, JED has been selling barn "packages" to customers desiring to save themselves some money by building their own barn.

JED serves as a consultant on his barn packages, providing detailed plans, wood, foundation work and all the advice that his years of experience can offer. Today, there are hundreds of JED Buildings all across the area.

While barn construction gave JED the means to provide for his family, he had a long-standing desire to work more closely with wood at an artistic level. Back when JED was just 17, he purchased his first amateur wood lathe from a hobby shop and turned a pair of candlesticks. A lathe is a large wood-working tool which spins a piece of wood at high speeds while the woodworker uses special tools to form the wood into anything from a large thick salad bowl to a thin delicate vase. Lathes can range from the small $30 machine JED bought back in the 1960s to the $6,000 lathe he now owns.

There is never a dull moment for JED when he is working at his lathe. "Woodturning is always presenting me with different challenges as I learn something new each day," he said. "You never get the the point where you have learned it all. That's what keeps me interested in this art form." Amazingly, although JED's work impresses even the most experienced wood turners, JED has never had any formal training in wood work or wood turning.

JED has come a long way since his first experience with a lathe. A visit to JED's shop will reveal a collection of one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted pieces made of a variety of domestic as well as exotic woods such as Purple Heart, Ebony and Coco Bolo. Some of these beautiful works of art include natural-edge bowls, wine bottle stoppers, a variety of vases, pocket mirrors, large salad bowls, and much more.

The next stop for JED is the 34th Annual Festival of Fine Arts in Springville, presented by the Colden Valley Fine Art Association and sponsored by the Springville Chamber or Commerce. The festival will take place on Sept. 28 and 29 at Fiddler's Green Park. Stop by this year's show and check out JED's unique collection. You can't miss him. He's the big guy in the cowboy hat accompanied by his lovely wife, Marcia.

Most people are fascinated with the way JED makes wood come alive. Customers purchase JED's turnings for wedding gifts, birthday gifts, graduation gifts, or they choose beautiful pieces to accent their own homes.

Of course you can meet JED, view his art collection, or get information on building a barn any time by simply giving him a call and setting up an appointment. JED has an office at his home and regularly meets with costomers by appointment. Just give him a call at 592-7507 and he will do his utmost to accommodate you.