Yale Center for British Art

Greetings Customers & Friends,

I would like to thank the approximately 20 people that visited Parkerville on the morning of Saturday, March 8^th to take a look at a circular desk that was nearly complete and getting ready to be shipped to the Yale Center of British Art (YCBA) in New Haven, CT. The desk is 10’ in diameter and is constructed with Rift White Oak solids and veneers. During this visit, I explained how we developed our drawings and cut the odd-shaped parts on our CNC router. I also showed samples of bending plywood and large jigs that are used to laminate the thin, resawn strips of Oak used for the solid edges around the desk. Just before we built the desk, we restored 58 rift white oak shutters that were custom-made for the museum many decades ago. These shutters covered every window in the museum to protect the art from fading in sunlight, some measuring 7’ tall x 12’ wide.

The Yale Center of British Art is a fascinating place, and I encourage you to visit. YCBA has been closed for the past two years while this major renovation was taking place. The work included the replacement of 224 skylights and a completely new roof system has been installed. All new LED lighting was installed saving 60% in energy costs. Other extensive interior millwork was refinished, restored, and re-installed.

YCBA opened this past weekend on March 29^th, after much fanfare. In attendance were The President of Yale, Maurie McInnis, The Mayor of New Haven, Justin Elicker, and YCBA’s Director, Martina Droth. And lots of Yale students. The museum houses the largest collection of British art outside the UK.

YCBA was designed by internationally known architect, Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974), who passed away while the museum was being built. Built with steel, glass, and concrete, natural light filters through the skylights, brightening the two, four-story courtyard galleries. The museum opened its doors in April 1977. Extraordinary efforts on the part of the museum staff and local architect George Knight and his staff at Knight Architecture were made to maintain the vision of Kahn. This has made YCBA one of the more difficult and demanding projects that Parkerville has ever worked on, and we are honored to be part of the team.

None of this would have been possible without one of Yale’s most generous benefactors, Paul Mellon (1907-1999), who was a 1929 graduate of Yale. Mellon also attended Choate School in Wallingford. Mellon’s gift to Yale in 1966 included a building, works of art, and an endowment that created the YCBA. Mellon also started a sister institution, the Paul Mellon Center for Studies in British Art, in London’s Bedford Square.

YCBA is a fascinating place that you should try to visit. Admission is free. When you walk in the door, you will see our work.

As we come into the spring season here at Parkerville, we continue to search for unique and special wood to better serve you. We are exploring adding more cedar and exterior lumber and decking to our line of products.

As always, we are always here to help you with your projects and plans. Continue to check our website and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our latest news.

I look forward to seeing you at the shop.

David Harris, President

Parkerville Wood Products, Inc.