About the studioMillennium studio is where I, Steven McLoon, design, make and sell fine art, crafts and furniture in wood.
The origin of the name Millennium Studio is not what most people expect. The advent of the new calendar millennium was momentous. The failure of the predicted doomsday to materialize with the change in the calendar year was fun to behold, although this was expected by most of us. The new millennium ushered in a sense of hope for world peace and prosperity, a hope that many of us continue to hold in spite of the difficult times so many people are experiencing. And the change in the calendar year was an excuse to throw the first all night party since college. However, the advent of the new millennium is unrelated to the name of my studio.
The idea for the studio name came from a visit to the Shanghai Museum in China. The museum has an excellent exhibit of Ming and Qing dynasties furniture. Many of the pieces are over 700 years old. The designs of this ancient furniture would fit into many modern homes today. The impeccable construction of the furniture used the same techniques used today by fine furniture makers, such as mortise and tenon joints. All the pieces are made of wood, and are in near perfect condition. My museum visit showed me that objects made well from wood with good designs can last a millennium. This fine Chinese furniture inspired me to produce art and furniture that will be appreciated for generations, and it suggested a name for my studio.
About the artist- Steven McLoon
I was born in Europe and raised mostly in the United States. I currently reside in the Twin Cities. I began woodworking in 2007, when I took the Basic Woodworking course at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. Since then, I have taken numerous courses and workshops taught by some of the top craftsmen in the country.
I divide my studio time between turning and furniture making. I strive to celebrate the awesome characteristics of natural wood in my work. I particularly like to use the contrast between heartwood and sapwood.
Thank you for visiting my website.
Awards & Honors
04/11 Best Turning, Northern Woods Exhibition, Edina, MN (double walled lidded box)
04/14 Best Detail, Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (entryway table)
04/15 Best Turning, Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (hollow form with lid)
04/16 Best Finish, Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (Greene & Greene inspired table)
02/17 Greene & Greene inspired table shown in Gallery section of Fine Woodworking magazine
04/19 Judge's Award, Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (Greene & Greene inspired chair)
05/21 A piece titled ‘An Ambiguous Center’ selected for the juried exhibition, ‘Finding the Center’, part of the AAW Annual Symposium
04/22 Best Turning, Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (hollow form)
Lectures, Demonstrations & Classes Given by Steve
06/12 Mortise & Tenon Joints Four Ways, lecture and demo to MWG
10/12 Turning a Sushi Tray, lecture and demo to MWA
10/13 Finishing for Turners, lecture to MWA
09/14 Introduction to Turning, lecture and demo to MWG
02/15 Turning a Sushi Tray, hands-on class for MWA
03/15 Turning a Sushi Tray, hands-on class for MWA
03/15 Spindle Turning Projects, lecture and demo to MWA
03/16 Turning Embellishments, lecture and demo to MWA
03/17 Turn it Square, lecture and demo to MWA
04/17 Turn it Square, hands-on class for MWA
04/18 Turn a Lidded Box, lecture and demo to MWA
03/19 Jointer/Planer panel discussion for MWG
06/19 Turning Spheres & Liming Wax, lecture and demo to MWA
06/19 Turning a Sushi Tray, hands-on class for MWA
Exhibitions & Major Sales Events
05/09 Art-A-Whirl, Minneapolis, MN (guest of Blue Sky Gallery)
06/09 AAW Symposium Instant Gallery, Albuquerque, NM (platter and lidded box)
04/10 Northern Woods Exhibition, Edina, MN (bedside table & turned hollow form)
04/11 Northern Woods Exhibition, Edina, MN (2 turned lidded boxes)
06/11 AAW Symposium Instant Gallery, St. Paul, MN (hollow form & 2-walled lidded box)
04/12 Northern Woods Exhibition, Edina, MN (lidded hollow form & small table with curves)
06/12 AAW Symposium Instant Gallery, San Jose, CA (heart-shaped hollow form)
08-09/12 Small Works Exhibition (juried), Northfield Arts Guild Gallery, Northfield, MN (two hollow forms)
04/13 Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (heart hollow form & ladder shelf)
04/14 Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (sunrise sculpture & entryway table)
04/15 Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (coffee table with bent legs & hollow form with finial lid)
04/16 Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (Greene & Green inspired end table and walnut platter)
05/16 Art-A-Whirl, Minneapolis, MN (open studio event)
04/17 Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (turned walnut six ways)
05/17 Art-A-Whirl, Minneapolis, MN (open studio event)
10-12/17 Larson Art Gallery, Beyond the Surface (exhibition with Deborah Foutch and Annie Hejny)
05/18 Art-A-Whirl, Minneapolis, MN (open studio event)
04/19 Northern Woods Exhibition, Eden Prairie, MN (Greene & Greene inspired chair)
05/19 Art-A-Whirl, Minneapolis, MN (open studio event)
06-12/21 Finding the Center Exhibition, American Association of Woodturners (juried, traveling exhibition)
Memberships
American Association of Woodturners (AAW)
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (CFC)
International Association of Penturners
Minnesota Woodturners Association (MWA)
Minnesota Woodworkers Guild (MWG)
Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA)
Training
07/07 with Peter Korn (2 week basic woodworking course at CFC)
07/08 with Jimmy Clews (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
09/08 with Matthew Hill (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
10/08 with Nick Cook (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
03/09 with Michael Stafford (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
04/09 with Lyle Jamieson (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
06/09 AAW Symposium, Albuquerque, NM (3 days of demos by multiple people)
07/09 with Mark Gardner (1 week turning course at CFC)
07/09 with Garrett Hack (1 week furniture embellishments course at CFC)
09/09 with Betty Scarpino (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
11/09 with Mike Jackofsky (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
06/10 with John Jordon (1 week turning course at CFC)
06/10 with Steve Kennard (1 week turning course at CFC)
11/10 with Thomas Stangeland (3 day Greene & Greene furniture lecture/demo with MWG)
03/11 with Mark St. Leger (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
06/11 AAW Symposium, St. Paul, MN (3 days of demos by multiple people)
07/11 with Craig Stevens (2 week casework course at CFC)
10/11 with Molly Winton (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
11/11 with Paul Schürch (3 day marquetry and veneering lecture/demo with MWG)
03/12 with Trent Bosch (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
06/12 AAW Symposium, San Jose, CA (3 days of demos by multiple people)
11/12 with Robert Van Norman (3 day in Krenov’s tradition lecture/demo with MWG)
06/13 AAW Symposium, Tampa, FL (3 days of demos by multiple people)
06/13 with Tim Rousseau and Yuri Kobayashi (2 week course on curves in wood at CFC)
11/13 with Seth Rolland (3 day curves in wood lecture/demo with MWG)
08/14 with Teri Masaschi (1 week course on finishing at CFC)
03/15 with Nick Cook (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
06/15 AAW Symposium, Pittsburgh, PA (3 days of demos by multiple people)
08/15 with William Ng (8 day course making a Greene & Greene style chair in Calif.)
09/15 with Dixie Biggs (1 day turning demo & 1 day hands-on with MWA)
11/15 with Scott Grove (3 day lecture/demo on veneering with MWG)
06/16 with Brian Sedgeley from Festool (2 day course on cabinetry at Marc Adams School)
11/16 with David Orth (3 day sculpting wood lecture/demo with MWG)
04/17 with Mark St. Leger (1 day turning demo with MWA)
04/17 with Beth Ireland (1 day hands-on class on carving on turnings with MWA)
07/19 with Nick Agar (1 week course on decorated platters at CFC)
11/19 with Chris Schwarz (3 day chair making lecture/demo with MWG)
10/21 with Adam Rogers and Reed Hansuld (2 week course on chair making at CFC)
05/23 with Steve Latta (1 week course on string inlay at Mark Adams School)
11/23 with Thomas Schrunk (4 evening classes on decorative veneering)