This fall, two major hurricanes hit Tampa Bay, Florida. Debris piled up outside of homes and felled trees completely blocked roads. Local woodworker Micah Lawrence, based at 2873 56th St. N. in St. Petersburg, saw an opportunity to create something beautiful and functional from the devastation. Lawrence visits affected neighborhoods, hoping to collect some of the wood.
Using hunks of American sycamore and monkey pod, Lawrence attends to them with band saws, lathes, and a chisel, working the rough hunks into smooth, polished bowls. In return for using their felled trees, Lawrence gifts the homeowner one of his handcrafted bowls.
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“This is what I want to do now,” says Lawrence, “turn destruction into creation.”
Social media sensation
It’s apt that Lawrence primarily makes bowls from the trees. Bowls are functional. They are vessels for anything loose you don’t want to lose, or else for food, nourishment—something that sustains others and keeps them going.
“Many people want to feel something positive about such a negative situation,” says Lawrence, “especially because they love the tree they lost, how old it was, who in their family planted it.”
So far, Lawrence has converted trees for four homeowners, totaling 17 distinct projects, and public interest is ramping up quickly. Lawrence’s partner, Emily Morganstein, wrought a social media sensation when she posted about converting trees to works of beauty on a St. Pete Facebook page, gaining more than 1.5K likes. Now, people are bringing wood from their felled trees directly to Lawrence.
Get a taste at an open house gallery
In response to the rapid popularity on social media, Morganstein and Lawrence have decided to host two open house events. The events will be on December 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and on January from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at 2873 56th St. N.
Lawrence and Morganstein’s open house events will give attendees a taste of their project. It’s also an opportunity for visitors to bring their wood to be upcycled into something beautiful and functional.
Follow Lawrence and Morganstein’s project by visiting their MiCreations Facebook page.
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