About Us
Xylocopa takes its name from the carpenter bee, one of nature's finest woodworkers.
We're a husband-wife design team from Tucson, Arizona dedicated to the creation of wondrously fun things from wood and other natural materials. Best known for our award-winning Mad Science Alphabet Blocks, we use everything from lasers to hand carving tools to build our unique collection of jewelry, toys, home decor, musical instruments, and much more. All our creations are designed, illustrated, and produced by us right here in the American southwest.
For more information about us, read on...
Andrew, founder and co-owner
Andrew is the driving force behind Xylocopa. He handles everything from manufacturing to shipping to writing this paragraph. If you have any questions, he's the one to ask.
In the past, he's run a successful used book business, studied traditional architecture, language, and cooking in Japan, received a degree in linguistics, developed all kinds of crazy and useful software, and serviced more than a few things with no user serviceable parts inside. Currently, aside from working on Xylocopa with Michele, he repairs and builds unusual bicycles and other machinery, raises cats and chickens, grows five varieties of organic peppers, and generally tries to accomplish more at once than anyone really should.
Michele, chief designer and co-owner
Michele is responsible for the art and design behind nearly every product that Xylocopa makes. While her artistic talent is undeniable, she is also an accomplished scientist, musician, and expert chicken tamer. She performs banjo, fiddle, and saw in several local Tucson musical acts, including the percussion/fire ensemble Mata Leao and the Grub Springs All-Insect Old Time String Band.
The best way to contact us is by email: us@xylocopa.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page if you have further questions about this web site or Xylocopa.
