Urban trees keep our neighborhoods beautiful, but when they fall or must be removed, what becomes of them? Wudeward Urban Forest Products, LLC, is devoted to transforming such trees into functional, beautiful products that can once again breathe life into the city. The company has challenged furniture makers and designers to create fine furniture from urban wood that will be exhibited as the Urban(wood) Encounter at the Delafield Arts Center from August 3 to September 30. The opening reception runs from 6 to 8 p.m., August 9.

“Furniture that’s custom made from urban wood has a positive environmental impact and gives a tree a second life filled with history, emotion and celebration,” says event organizer and urban wood enthusiast Dwayne Sperber, who has been building fine furniture salvaged from the rural and urban landscape for more than 16 years. He founded Wudeward Urban Forest Products to bring urban wood to a larger audience. Unlike lumber shipped from out-of-state or overseas, urban wood is a local resource, processed locally. “Since annual urban tree plantings outpace removals, urban wood is a sustainable resource,” Sperber explains.

Location: 527 Milwaukee St., Delafield. For more information, call 262-442-4654 or email [email protected].