When Paul Kury built his first cedar canoe at age 13, it launched a lifelong journey into woodworking. Now, as the incoming Lead for BARN’s Woodworking & Small Boatbuilding Studio, Paul brings decades of experience, technical mastery, and a passion for sharing knowledge with the next generation.

Starting July 1, Paul will officially take the helm from current Lead Dave Roe, assuming leadership of one of BARN’s most active and community-engaged studios. With plans to serve a two-year term, he aims to strengthen the volunteer base, integrate new members, and continue the studio’s tradition of community service while maintaining its reputation for craftsmanship and skill development.

As a young woodworker, Paul worked with his father in a custom furniture company for over five years. Though he later pursued mechanical engineering with Kimberly-Clark—a career that took him around the world—wood remained his true calling. After studying under master craftsman Lonnie Bird in Tennessee, he developed a specialty in 18th-century furniture, attracted to its fluid lines and intricate details like carved “ball and claw feet and fan shells”—techniques that demand precision and patience.

Fifteen years ago, Paul and his wife Jill relocated to Bainbridge Island, where he quickly connected with BARN, helping construct cabinets and furniture during the organization’s formative period. Between engineering contracts, he built various workshop elements, including large worktables that remain in use today.

Now central to BARN’s woodworking community, Paul teaches classes ranging from hand tool techniques to sharpening methods. As a mentor in the Woodworking Basics Certificate program, he guides students through ambitious projects, watching them transform from novices to skilled craftspeople.

Looking forward, Paul focuses on engaging new members: “We had a big showing in our orientation classes…we just need to get all those people involved,” he says. The studio operates with nearly 50 volunteer safety monitors and managers, with more in training—a structure Paul considers fundamental to the studio’s success.

Community service remains central to the studio’s mission, with projects visible across Bainbridge Island and beyond. From library benches to storage shelves, these initiatives benefit the community while providing hands-on experience for developing woodworkers.

For newcomers, Paul recommends BARN’s certificate program—eleven comprehensive classes culminating in a mentorship opportunity. The curriculum provides a complete foundation, teaching everything from understanding wood properties to planning a project. Students learn about glues, clamps, saws, hand tools, and other essentials, allowing someone who has never picked up a hammer to emerge with a completed project and a thorough understanding of the craft.

When asked about the woodshop’s remarkable continuity, Paul points to its volunteer organization. “We couldn’t do it without teamwork,” he says—a simple principle that has built a lasting community of craftspeople who share knowledge, build community, and create beautiful, functional objects that will outlast us all.