Furniture as art teams Holmes Co. manufacturer with N.Y. museum for inspiring collection

BERLIN TWP. ‒ When you combine the artisan skills of Amish craftsmen with the world of art, the potential for amazing production reaches new heights.

That is what came of the unique collaboration between Abner Henry Furniture in Holmes County and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

A seven-piece limited edition series of furniture as art inspired by classical masterpieces made a one-day stop in Holmes County on April 4 on its way from The Met to High Point, North Carolina, known as the furniture capital of the world.

The display was set up at Behalt in Berlin, using the cyclorama mural depicting the history of the Anabaptist as a stunning backdrop alongside replicas of the master works of Monet, Renoir and van Gogh and others that inspired the pieces. The featured furniture ranges in price from $50,000 to $144,000.

Art displayed in a spiritual setting

Behalt Executive Director Marcus Yoder said the cyclorama mural, a 10-foot by 265-foot oil on canvas by German artist Heinz Gaugel, was completed in 1992. It is one of only three active cycloramas in the United States and features more than 1,260 figures.

"It is one of the most unique pieces," Yoder said. "Some people call it the Sistene Chapel for Amish and Mennonite, which I love."

Yoder said each of the seven works of furniture was placed at a specific point in the mural to connect the pieces together. Two months prior to the showing, he spent about two hours trying to figure out where the pieces connected to the mural, and then he and Abner Furniture's Ernie Hershberger talked their way through why each piece fit where it did.

"Good art connects to our world in ways we never realize," Yoder said. "Art is God because he designed and created the world, so there is always a spiritual piece to art. And when we can tap into that, it allows us to connect into our world."

A Holmes County connection to The Met

Hershberger and his son, LaVern, of Abner Henry Furniture, part of Homestead Furniture based in Mount Hope, shared the inspiration and work that went into creating each piece. The collection took nearly three years to complete.

The Met conducted a global search to find a generational company that was building furniture featuring American craftsmanship, flexibility and customization, as well as good stewardship. Abner Henry met all that criteria, being a sixth-generation company that began in 1918.

"It was interesting to me that The Met in New York would come to a little Amish company in Holmes County to find us," Hershberger said. "We didn't go looking for this or asking for it. We didn't come up with this idea and bring it to them, this challenge of creating art that is inspiration of the painting itself. They gave us this challenge, and we dove in.

"They gave us access to all the artifacts in the whole museum," he continued. "We've been asked over and over how did we zero in on some of these iconic paintings. The Met wanted something special, so we decided on making a limited edition collection. We felt it was very special for us to make that happen."

Abner Henry furniture as art

Hershberger said in the 32 years he has been in business at Homestead Furniture, he has been fortunate to use his God-given talents in creating thousands of pieces. He admits when he first began building furniture in 1990, he never considered his work art.

Hershberger said a lead engineer, a small design team, a drafting team and the craftsmen in the shop worked together to make this happen. It's complexity stretched the team's capabilities to the limits.

"Every artisan that has been a part of this project knows what it means to stretch," he said.

And it has taken nearly three years to put the collection together.

"After untold hours of work and striving for perfection of what we really wanted to draw from these paintings, and the discussions we had of how we were going to interpret that and make it reality, we were not sure how The Met was going to receive this," Hershberger said. "As a global institute, I wasn't sure how The Met was going to embrace my faith, but they were very interested and wanted me to express that spiritual faith side of our lifestyle."

Fortunately, they were well received.

Stephen Mannello, head of retail & general merchandise manager at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, explained how Abner Henry was selected for this project.

“The Met seeks to collaborate with best-in-category brands who value quality, excellence and innovation," Mannello said. "Abner Henry upholds these values to the highest standards, and has put immense creativity and care into the design and craftsmanship of this beautiful collection which draws inspiration on beloved works of art in the Museum’s collection.”

Connecting artistic and spiritual meanings

"What is really humbling and also very exciting is that The Met was interested and gave me the opportunity of a global platform to speak on spiritual gospel things of what this all means to me and to us as a family," Hershberger said.

He pointed to examples of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit being considered a rope of three, and on one piece, they used three bands of steel overlaid with brass to represent the trinity.

Another example of spiritual connection is how every day is different in our lives.

"We wrap our actions around our faith, and yet, we are incomplete," he said. "We are not perfect. The biggest challenge in my life was accepting that I'm not perfect. It's a clear look through into the days of our lives. I'm going to give everything I've got, but in the end, it probably won't be perfect.

"I have had a couple people tell me to go to the mirror, look into the eyes, look into the heart, and do you like what you see," Hershberger continued. "It's a good reflection. We can't see our own blind spots. We need self reflection, to be able to peer into our hearts and see if we like what we see."

Keeping with the spiritual theme, he explained why there were seven pieces made, and there will be a limited edition of 70 of each piece made: 70 times 7 is the full forgiveness number, Hershberger said.

A final destination

A special location has been established for the original seven pieces at Homestead Furniture once they have finished their tour from New York to North Carolina.

LaVern Hershberger said everything they have learned through this process will only enhance the company's ability to produce other more traditional pieces of furniture.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Abner Henry Furniture teams with The Met and Behalt on art project