On the way to the Carpenter Center’s 4th floor studio, you may recognize his sawdust covered shirt while glancing through the small window of the woodshop, or you may know his friendly grin from having made that stretcher frame last year for the painting course. If you haven’t frequented the Carpenter Center, though, there’s a good chance you’ve never met Walter Stanul, the head of the VES woodshop. And that’s a shame.
Walter Stanul has run the Carpenter Center woodshop since 2004, and his eagerness and knowledge of his media make him a valuable part of the Harvard community. When asked what he sees himself contributing to the VES department, he earnestly answers: “enthusiasm.” Stanul continued: “It’s my job to try and get people inspired… I’ll do any trick I can to get them [the students] excited about it [a project] — and once they’re excited, they can’t wait to go.” Always grinning, he is willing to help students with any project.
Stanul contributes more than enthusiasm to the Carpenter Center, however. His lifelong passion for music and “making things” led him to acquire an extensive and unique knowledge of woodworking. Born in rural Wesconnett, Florida, Stanul grew up experimenting with his father’s tools while hearing the sound of his mother playing Debussy and Bach on their piano. During his teenage years, Walter listened to blues, folk, and southern rock emerge and blend, with Elvis Presley in particular serving as an inspiration for Stanul and his friends. A yellowed photograph of Elvis kissing Stanul’s sister on the cheek during teenage years adorns his office window.
Stanul’s passion for music brought him to Boston in 1969, after earning a masters degree in teaching mathematics at the University of Florida. Stanul began taking classes in instrument making from the Museum of Fine Arts, and his craftsmanship soon became highly sought after in the field. Stanul has taught guitar making at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Boston Conservatory of Music, among numerous other institutions, and has also done restorations at the MFA’s historic instrument collection.
While he won’t brag, Stanul is a prolific artist. His childhood experience blended the sounds of rock and classical music, and similarly, the instruments he creates synthesize genres. His designs fuse renaissance styles with modern guitar aesthetics. Stanul’s specialty is guitars, but he has studied the making of lutes, harpsichords, and other renaissance instruments. One of his famous designs is the “Archguitar,” which has five additional bass strings and a small body typical of 16th century vihuelas. Not only has Stanul been an innovative instrument maker, but he has also recorded and released several classical guitar albums, including Glee Ucelli.
Stanul promotes a simple and genuine work ethic: finding a passion and following it. For him, passion has been music, woodworking, and teaching. The next time you venture into the Carpenter Center woodshop, have a chat with the man behind the sawdust encrusted, seafoam green goggles — Walter Stanul. He can tell you about dove tail joints, renaissance guitars, rock and roll, his childhood neighbor Mrs. Plumber, or even why he can’t bring himself to kill a bug. I guarantee the conversation will not be easily forgotten.
– Leah Schecter, Visual Arts Board Staff Writer
