MICHAEL BERMAN

Michael Berman is a nationally recognized and collected artist who has been actively painting in Washington, DC for over 16 years. He has a BFA from the University of Maryland, with an emphasis on painting, and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine. He is President of the Downtown Artists Coalition (DAC), formed to preserve and foster artists' studio space in Washington, specifically the 900 block of F St. NW, and is an active member, and currently serving on the Board of Trustees, for the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, the oldest civic planning organization in DC. Michael also organizes, curates, and promotes exhibitions as co-founder of the unique inter-disciplined artists’ collective, Caos on F.

Additionally, Michael operates an artists property management business in DC and serves as a consultant on urban artist studio related issues. He is a Principal in Arts Enterprises LLC, a DC real estate company that owns and operates arts and industrial buildings and offers an array of products and services to the arts community. As managing director, he is active in promoting and creating new opportunities for artists to have ownership in real estate and a stake in DC.

Michael also is focused on public space, specifically, outdoor markets. Michael is co-founder and Executive Director for Diverse Markets Management LLC, a corporation that manages outdoor market festivals around DC. It jointly sponsors the Downtown Holiday Market with the Downtown BID, as well as other events. Michael also assists in managing the Flea Market at Eastern Market, where he shows and sells on weekends and serves as a representative to the Eastern Market Tenants Council under the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee. Michael lives and maintains a studio on Capitol Hill.

MATTHEW FALLS

Matthew Falls has been constructing his furniture since 1978. His formal apprenticeship and time spent as a journeyman were served under the astute guidance of European trained cabinetmakers. His 25 years spent working in California brought the subtle references of the Pacific Rim to his work. Subsequent work took him to off shore production plants in Taiwan (R.O.C.) and maquilladora operations in Tijuana, B.C., Mexico. Having re-located to the East Coast, Matthew has returned to his earlier roots of “bench built” furniture made exclusively for the customer. His aim is to provide a serene environment with his furnishings imbued with simplicity and elegance. Each and every creation is unique.

In addition to the "bench-built" furniture, the Caos on Furniture line is a fusion between masterly crafted modern furniture designs and art or pattern painted on it's surface. The material used for the construction of the furniture is FSC ply and formaldehyde-free MDF, zero V.O.C. water-based enamel (L.E.E.D. certified) is used for the base coat colors and by the Caos artists for their designs. The finish, on par with lacquer, provides us the added benefit of a non-toxic application process within the workplace.