University of Guelph art history student  Aimee Puthon next to an intricately carved sofa featured in a new exhibit at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre. Puthon, who is an intern at the gallery, got a sneak peek last week at the exhibit “The Art of Thomas Nisbet, Master Cabinetmaker,” which officially opens on Thursday. It features a variety of furnishings, from sofas and chairs to card tables and dressers, by the Canadian cabinetmaker. Nisbet learned his trade as an apprentice in Scotland, but immigrated to New Brunswick in 1812. He went on to establish a successful business as a cabinetmaker and upholsterer, creating furnishings for the wealthy citizens of Saint John. Though cabinetmakers of the period rarely labelled their pieces, a number of the works in the exhibition do bear Nisbet’s label. This provides an opportunity to compare related works in style and form and to attribute them to Nisbet, a news release said. The exhibit, from guest curator David Nasby, runs from Feb. 16 to April 22. An opening reception with university president Alastair Summerlee will be held Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.