Trevor Toney

Trevor Toney (b. 1972, North Smithfield, RI) is a woodworker, furniture maker, sculptor and painter living in Massachusetts. He received his Associates in Furniture Making and Design from the Worcester Center for Crafts in 2004 where he was awarded The David L. Morreale Art Award for Excellence in Design and Craft. In early 2022 he resigned after 16 years as Lead Preparator at the Worcester Art Museum to work as a full-time artist and has shown regionally in both juried and invitational exhibitions. His work has been published in the Lark Books ‘500 series’ for Chairs, Wooden Boxes, and Cabinets.

“My work is about wood, shape, color, craftsmanship, and how they interact and are enhanced by each other. My paintings and sculptures are all constructed with Baltic birch plywood and then veneered with wood. I do this in a way that allows me to add acrylic color, mediums and finishes to create different sheens, opacities and compositions that interact with the natural color and grain of the veneer. When creating my pieces, I view the wood as a main character and not just a surface for supporting other materials. I use the grain pattern and color to inform the compositions and think of my pieces as a collaboration between the natural qualities of the wood and my artistic expression. I choose pieces of veneer that speak to my sensibilities and often times join veneer in various ways to highlight parts that are especially interesting.”

Trevor’s work was featured in ‘Presently‘ on view December 14-22, 2024.

“This work considers the hypocrisies created when a culture is built on falsehood.”

Trevor’s work a featured in ‘Mediations,’ on view June 8-30, 2024.

“My work is about perception. It’s about how it takes time and investigation to understand. It’s about questioning our initial notion and avoiding the pitfalls of ignorance/arrogance. It’s about meditating on something to practice the art of observation. It’s about not knowing everything. It’s about removing filters from our senses and letting them guide us to a dispassionate realization. And ultimately it’s about learning how to recognize balance and harmony.”

Trevor’s work was featured in ‘Critical Mass,’ on view August 12-27, 2023.

“This work demonstrates the push and pull of organic/inorganic combinations through the use of simple shapes and color.”

Trevor’s work was featured in ‘Glad You Asked,’ on view March 11-26, 2023.

Trevor’s work was featured in ‘All Together Now,’ on view February 11-26, 2023.

“This small 4 piece series is about the illusion and sometimes ephemeral quality of perspective.”

Trevor’s work was featured in ‘The Current Fantasy,’ on view October 27 – November 27, 2022.