Meet Alumnus Jamie Kucey, Carpentry & Woodworking (‘97)

Where do you currently work? I am currently president of Inaka Custom Furniture and Art, where I make one-off functional art furniture and accessories.

What is challenging about your work? Letting the world know I’m here, I’m local, available, reasonably priced and absolutely custom. I am a niche market and finding those who want something that is unique in design and singular in execution is a challenge. I don’t do production work, my pieces are the wow factor.

Why did you choose this career path? Making furniture was a happy accident that followed after I enrolled in the Carpentry and Woodworking program at Assiniboine.

Was it difficult to find work in your field? As a female, I did have to spend some time finding sawyers who were willing to do what I asked, rather than tell me even though I was paying them by the hour. Still after all this time, when my creative partner and husband are talking to a man about woodworking, he will always talk solely to my husband even when he’s been told I am the one who does everything in the woodworking area and my husband does the antlers! I also have to dissuade men from thinking that if they only had the same machines I do, they could create what I do. I am happy to report that those men are usually 50 years and older!

Did you take additional steps to get where you are today? I worked with a cabinetmaker south of Brandon for my three weeks practicum and then went back to work with him for a year to hone my skills. I took the R2000 course to become a registered builder in order to build my own house.

What career related community work are you involved in? We have done several wood/science projects (catapults & ballistics, Wonderful Wood based on the Virginia Tech program, chromatography with leaves, bluebird houses, etc.) with the Grade 5 class at our local school. We were scheduled to do art projects with Grades 9-12, but that was postponed due to COVID.

Do you have a career highlight you are most proud of? Firstly, in 2011 I was the volunteer advisor in a CESO funded project in San Pedro Sula, Honduras where I designed a line of furniture based on the ancient Maya culture for Fundacion Cuprofor. This is a local enterprise that harvests underused wood species sustainably and makes furniture employing several workshops in the area. I also advised them on production methods and set up a photography studio for their catalog. Their production was increased by 30% through my input. Secondly, from 2012 to 20I4 I spent two years creating over 200 pieces for Thermëa spa in Winnipeg. This included 43 proprietary designs using native Manitoba woods and innovative uses of branches and bark.

Did you receive an award during your time at Assiniboine? Assiniboine presented me with the award for achievement and excellence for obtaining the highest marks in my class. Thank you, it looks very good on my wall! What would you say was your most important experience at Assiniboine was? I enjoyed all the classes. I only had two instructors, but I’ll say that Rob Holland was my favorite. My most important student experience was being accepted by all the male members of my course as I was the only female.

What were the most important skills you gained at Assiniboine? Use and maintenance of the various woodworking machines, R2000 building techniques and a work ethic instilled by my instructor, Rob Holland, were the most important. I have had the machines since I graduated in 1997 and they are in great condition. I used the knowledge gained from the R2000 techniques to get further education to become certified to build my own house. Rob taught me that if you’re going to do a job, you do it 100%. If you say, “that’s good enough, it probably isn’t!”