Velasquez, of Albuquerque, N.M., describes his work as functional pieces with clean lines made of steel and wood, often walnut, maple and cherry. Some of his signature items are bureaus that look like drawers stacked crookedly and dressers with holes in the middle.
His items range from $450 for a chair to more than $4,000 for a dresser.
* Jon Michael Route, metal working
Route, of Frederic, Wis., has been traveling to the Baltimore show for 20 years. This year, he has a reason to look forward to it more than ever: His son, Michael, will also be an exhibitor. The two have rented adjacent booths to display their work. Both are metal workers, but they use different media and approaches. The elder Route prefers copper, brass, bronze and aluminum to create wall art. Using a hot patina process, he infuses the metals with different colors. Among his most popular items are bird and branch motifs.
Prices range from $500 to $4,000.
The younger Route prefers to work with steel and iron to create furniture and housewares. "I like the industrialness of steel or iron. I like how it moves," he says. His works range from $35 for a bottle opener to $5,000 for a bench.
Michael Route says he is new to his craft and has high hopes for the Baltimore show.
"I'm doing what I love, and it's important to me," he says.
His father says that, while he has warned his son about the precarious life of being an artisan, he is proud of him and looking forward to the craft show.
"It's going to be fun to introduce him to my friends," he says. "He does wonderful work."
if you go
The American Craft Council Show runs 10 a.m.-9 p.m. tomorrow, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at the Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt St. Tickets are $14 per person, $20 for a two-day pass and $6 after 6 p.m. tomorrow night only. Children younger than 12 and American Craft Council members are admitted free. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to craftcouncil.org/baltimore.
