In a unique move to bring a collection of accomplished Tacoma artists together in true community, a new alliance has formed at what used to be called Gallery Madera. At its grand opening Nov. 22, the space will be christened Madera Architectural Elements (MAE) and become a showroom for 13 selected Tacoma artisans to show their works to prospective designers, builders and the public in need of exceptional, custom-made building components and furnishings designed and fabricated by these very artists.

Carlos Taylor-Swanson is founder of Madera Fine Decorative Furnishings, where for the past three years he has dedicated a roomy portion of his woodworking business to Gallery Madera, with rotating exhibits of original fine art and furniture by local artists. In the back half of the building, he and other woodworking artisans ply their trade in a fully equipped shop, building exquisite furniture and wood products with an eye toward sustainability and environmental friendliness. With the opening of MAE, Taylor-Swanson seeks to combine the two parts - gallery and shop - into a more cohesive unit to more effectively use the space while keeping it a venue for local artists.

“Having Gallery Madera was fabulous,” he said. “It was certainly a labor of love.” And it indeed took considerable time and labor for Taylor-Swanson to plan and market his art shows, while at the same time juggling his responsibilities to the woodworking clients he needs to pay the bills, especially during these rough economic times. Making new use of the gallery space became a necessity. “Frankly, it’s all driven by the economy. We had to get creative. It just got to the point where we needed to do something different.”

Enter Claudia Reidener, Tacoma artisan of handcrafted tiles and owner of Ixia Tile. This past spring she already had put out a call to local artists to come together and produce a group catalog of area artisans from different trades with the goal of marketing these artists to area builders, architects and designers. The idea did not quite take at the time, but she and Taylor-Swanson had an ah-ha moment when he suggested to her that they just do it themselves - handpick artisans from various trades, invite them to become part of an alliance, and use the Gallery Madera space as their showroom.

“We wanted to do this to enlighten local designers and architects of the incredible wealth of knowledge and art there is here. I’m not sure they’re really aware of it,” Reidener said, asserting that there is too much Tacoma business going to Seattle artists. “I’m all for regional artists, but we have to take care of us (Tacoma artists) first.”

The next step was for Taylor-Swanson and Reidener to shore up the skilled people needed for the endeavor. They are: Chris Spadafore and Jennifer Weddermann-Hay of Shape 3 metalwork; Christopher Hoppin, “green walls” and Lucite lighting fixtures; Ixia Tile handcrafted art tile by Reidener; Diane Roberts, stained and fused glass; blacksmith Elijah Burnett of Burnett Forge; Turner Furniture and Upholstery; Jennevieve Schlemmer, architectural mosaics; Mindy Barker, muralist, faux texture, trompe l’oeil; AlterEco Countertops; re-Furniture by Steve Lawler; Pacific Rim Tapestries by Cecilia Blomberg, Mary Lane and Margo Macdonald; Madera Fine Decorative Furnishings by Taylor-Swanson; and Lynn DiNino, concrete and mixed-media artist.

Working together, these artists have produced a professional, glossy, full-color catalog describing each one’s work and providing their contact information so that prospective clients can work with the artists directly. In the MAE showroom, clients can see examples of the artist’s work and meet the artist there to discuss the client’s needs - a sort of one-stop shop for anyone building or decorating homes or commercial spaces in Tacoma. All work will be custom made. Reidener explained, “It’s not like a typical catalog where you pick something that might be okay but not perfect. When you come here, you get exactly what you want.”

The doors to Madera Architectural Elements (2210 Court ‘A’) will officially open at a gala celebration on Nov. 22, from noon-5 p.m. The public is invited to stop by for refreshments and mingling with the artists. For more information and to download the MAE catalog, visit www.maderastudio.net or call Taylor-Swanson at (253) 572-1218.