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Garry Olson
'Having trained as a primary school teacher I taught in NSW for several years before travelling extensively. I settled in England where I began a new career as a furniture maker. My business is based on making high quality, one-off pieces to commission but I also create speculative items for exhibitions and galleries. Designs are contemporary but have a timeless quality by being rooted in the English Arts and Crafts tradition. The basis of my work is sensitivity to timber as a material. I have been selected for inclusion on the English Crafts Council index. I have recently re-opened a showroom at my Stoney Lane premises and enjoy hosting exhibitions of work by other craftspeople and artists. My reputation has put me in demand as a tutor in cabinet making and more recently I have lectured in Design and Technology to primary school teacher trainees. My enthusiasm for teaching continues and I feel privileged to link my two careers in this way.
A high point in my life has been the onetree project that ran from 1998 to 2002. It involved the use of every part of a large oak tree by over 70 artists and craftspeople whose work came together in a major British touring exhibition. As joint co-ordinator, I was responsible for selecting the tree; supervising the felling, milling and seasoning; selecting participants; distributing timber; raising funds; budgeting; organising publicity; negotiating a publishing deal; writing/compiling the book; arranging venues; supervising the setting up and taking down of exhibitions; and much more. The project was hugely successful with our educational aims of raising environmental issues and promoting the arts being well met. It received national and international coverage through television, radio and hundreds of articles; and has inspired follow-up projects. The book onetree (published by Merrell, ISBN 1 85894 133 4) has sold 5000 copies. Profits raised have been put into a significant tree-planting project.
Over a working life as a furniture maker I have made hundreds of pieces to order. Most of these have been private commissions but there have been a significant number of public works. These include a speaker’s table and chair in the 18th century meeting room at Clitheroe Library, on behalf of Lancashire County Council; a pair of tables for the study room at Manchester Art Gallery; and a range of communion furniture for ten different churches in the North West of England.'
Inventory
| Blanket Chest |