LITTLE JOURNEYS 2026
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The Roycrofters-at-Large (RALA) and The Roycroft Inn are pleased to announce the April 2026 Roycroft Little Journey Speaker Series will present a collaborative presentation by Roycroft Master Artisans Thomas Pafk and Henry Schmidt on Wednesday, April 8.
Pafk and Schmidt will present “Two Masters, One Vision,” on their collaborative “Raven Throne.” "The Raven Throne", a striking fusion of traditional craftsmanship and innovative spirit, was until recently on view with the 2025 Sylvia Rosen Craft Art Biennial at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Pafk, a master furniture artisan, and Schmidt, a master sculptor, combined their expertise and design sensibilities to bring to life singular works of art, which was juried into the Rosen biennial out of hundreds of submissions from High Craft and Fine Art in Craft medium artists across WNY.
Thomas Pafk is a Master Artisan in Wood. He is nationally renowned for Roycroft Renaissance custom furniture and design. As a former designer and modelmaker, he was employed in his early years by Fisher-Price while establishing a part-time freelance design and fabrication business. This grew to full-time business in June of 1987 as The Design Factory, first designing prototypes and architectural models, where he honed his attention to detail which was eventually carried forward into furniture design. Thomas achieved Artisan status in 1996 and elevated to Master in 1998. He is also an educator, formerly of undergraduate furniture design at Villa Maria and at schools across the nation, and has an established apprenticeship program.
His workshop and design studio is located in East Aurora, where he manages the Schoolhouse Gallery for Roycroft Artisans and serves as the Mark Chair and Festival Chair of the Roycrofters at Large Association. He is a past-President and current Vice-President of the organization.
Henry Schmidt is a Master of Sculpture with a BFA in Painting and Illustration from Syracuse University and Master of Education in Art and General Studies from SUNY College at Buffalo. His career path has included art education, commercial illustration, graphic design and being Art Director at WKBW-TV, 1982-1989. From 1989 to 2013 Schmidt worked at Fisher Price Toys, starting as a product art manager and retiring as director of product art and sculpture. Since 2014, he has created art within his own firm, Henry Schmidt Art & Design, and is an artist-in-residence at the Buffalo Maritime Center, involved with the development of the Buffalo Maritime Foundry. Schmidt has been a Roycroft Master since 2020 and is an exhibiting member of the Buffalo Society of Artists. He has exhibited his work in a number of group shows, including at the Artists Group Gallery in Buffalo, NY (2018, 2017) and the Burchfield Penney Center (2016, 2012). Schmidt has also completed commissioned works, including the 155th New York Infantry Regiment Monument to commemorate the Civil War regiment. The monument has been incorporated into the Naval and Servicemen's Park at the waterfront.
The Little Journey speaker series is presented in two parts within The Roycroft Inn Complex on South Grove. The evening’s program will begin with a relaxed cocktail hour at 4:30 pm in the Library Bar before attendees to the lecture will move to the Roycroft Chapel for the presentation beginning at 6pm. Those who wish to dine following the lecture will receive 10% off of their dinner at The Roycroft Inn that evening beginning at 7:15 p.m. by mentioning Little Journeys when making a reservation.
As a RALA Little Journeys, this presentation is offered at no cost, but requires advance registration. Tickets are needed for entry to The Chapel. Reserve your space by visiting ralaweb.com. Active RALA Patrons and Members who cannot attend in person will have the option to join via member livestream.
RALA’s Little Journeys connects Roycroft Artisans with the community by offering artist talks, demonstrations and lectures that educate and create opportunities for collectors and members of the Roycroft community to connect with the modern Roycroft movement, and serves as a homage to Elbert Hubbard’s original Little Journeys; small trips to artists of note that shared intimate glimpses behind their process and lives. For a full schedule of 2026 Little Journey presentations, and for information on the Roycrofters-at-Large events and membership options visit www.ralaweb.com. Follow the Roycrofters-At Large Association’s social media pages at Facebook and instagram, @roycroftartisans, for updates and information.
As always, Little Journeys evenings begin with a relaxed cocktail hour at 4:30 pm in the Library Bar before attendees to the lecture will move to the Roycroft Chapel for the presentation beginning at 6pm. Those who wish to dine following the lecture will receive 10% off of their dinner at The Roycroft Inn that evening beginning at 7:15 p.m. by mentioning Little Journeys when making a reservation (we strongly encourage).
Little Journey presentations are offered at no cost, but require advance registration. Tickets are needed for entry to The Chapel at 6 pm.
Reserve your seat the Chapel by "purchasing" your party's tickets here.
Little Journeys connects the Roycroft community by offering artist talks, demonstrations and lectures that educate and stimulate intellectual and artistic curiosity, and serve as a homage to Elbert Hubbard’s original Little Journeys, small trips to artists of note that shared intimate glimpses behind their process and lives. For years, this series was an important part of RALA’s presence on South Grove, and offered “show and tell” by Masters and Artisans, Artisan Forums and visiting nationally known speakers. 2025 RALA Little Journeys will be held on the first Wednesday of the "even months" at The Roycroft Chapel, and are proudly sponsored by our community parter, The Roycroft Inn.
The Inn hosts a relaxed start to Little Journeys with a cocktail hour beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Library Bar. Those who wish to dine following the lecture will receive 10% off of their dinner at The Roycroft Inn that evening beginning at 7:15 p.m. by mentioning Little Journeys when making a reservation. We highly encourage those joining us to take advantage of the hospitality of The Inn.hose who wish to dine following the lecture will receive 10% off of their dinner at The Roycroft Inn that evening beginning at 7:15 p.m. by mentioning Little Journeys when making a reservation. We highly encourage those joining us to take advantage of the hospitality of The Inn and to be considerate of the staff by making a reservation ahead of time if possible.
Active RALA Patrons and Members may always attend Little Journeys remote via a member Livestream. Remote viewing will be made available to Members and Patrons in good standing who cannot physically attend. For more information on membership, see our Membership page. Membership opportunities will be available at the evening’s event prior to and immediately following the meeting and presentation.