Artem Repin in his flutemaking studio

Carved flutes

Black Walnut Drone Flute accented with hard maple.

FLUTE MAKER TO HIGHLIGHT SPRING CRAFTS IN NEW PALTZ

Occasionally, the journey of an artist to fulfill excellence in his craft is bound closely to the geographical migration of his family. In 1995, when Artem Repin was 16 years old, he , his mother and father immigrated to the United States from their homeland in the Ukraine to unite with family. Throughout his childhood, his grandfather, who was his mentor, inspiration and teacher, nurtured Artem’s woodworking talents.

Artem’s inspiration for making flutes came in his early teenage years after watching a documentary on traditional bamboo flutes called Shakuhachi. He became mesmerized with how a simple hollow piece of bamboo with a few holes in it could produce such expressive notes.

When Artem arrived in the States, he was immediately drawn to the music of Native American culture and started to imagine if this interest and existing woodworking skills could be combined into a sincere and viable vocation. An online forum led him to a site where craft enthusiasts were sharing the “secrets” of Native American style flute making.

A trip to the Native American Flute festival and a class with world renowned flute maker Raymond Redfeather convinced him that he indeed had the talent to pursue his dream of being a flute maker.

Despite his tiny 5 foot by 5 foot studio in his apartment in Kingston, New York, Artem is able to create his own interpretation of this classic instrument of domestic and exotic hardwoods.

Artem will be demonstrating his craft and playing his instruments in the Demonstration Tent of this Memorial Day Woodstock-New Paltz Art and Crafts in New Paltz, New York.

His web site is  www.artemrepin.com