Published Sunday, November 18, 2007

Pat Buhrke poses with an example of his handcrafted furniture on display at the WICKWIRE Fine Are/Folk Art gallery in downtown Hendersonville. Michael Justus/Times-News

Local crafter's table finds a home in England
By Mark Schulman
Times-News Staff Writer

People from around the world come to see the artwork that adorns the WICKWIRE Fine Art Gallery on Main Street in Hendersonville.

Now, a piece of the gallery's art will make its own journey overseas.

A married couple from England came into the gallery earlier this month to admire the handcrafted furniture, paintings and other pieces of art that garnish the wide-open area exhibiting artistic talent.

As they browsed, they took interest in an unusual table crafted by a Hendersonville artist.

The artist, Pat Buhrke, was at home working on his latest project when he received a phone call from the gallery. Owner Shirley Palmer-Hill passed on the news that the British couple was interested in buying a dining room table crafted by Buhrke. Buhrke gave the couple from the Birmingham area the necessary information for shipping the 500-pound table and within a few hours, Buhrke's creation was sold.

"It's great that the little sleepy town of Hendersonville is in the international trade," said Buhrke, 52.

The square table is made of hard maple. A granite slab sits on the surface as the centerpiece. What appears to be a table that seats six transforms into a larger octagon table where up to 12 people can gather.

The table has four leaves built onto it on hinges that fold out from the granite centerpiece like a budding flower changing its shape and size.

The concept of the table was originally a square