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Biography



Educated in engineering, Dewey Garrett took up the wood lathe in order to develop general woodworking skills for cabinetry and furniture.  He found the process so stimulating and challenging that wood-turning has become a dedicated creative pursuit..  He is a self-taught turner and makes and modifies his tools to create unique turnings.  His work is an ongoing exploration of the structure of  forms constrained by the symmetry and simplicity of a lathe.

His work is regularly exhibited in National and International juried competitions for both woodturning and three-dimensional art.

Education:


    BSEE, Northwestern University, 1969
    MSE, University of California at Los Angeles, 1971

Artist's Statement



I am interested in the transformation and contrasts discovered through woodturning.  The process of converting a featureless block of wood into a graceful, symmetrical form is always fascinating and full of surprises.  While working at the lathe, all the details and color of the object are integrated into a spinning blur that reveals only its outline.  At rest, the same object can disclose complex details and dramatic coloring while possessing an entirely different sense of motion.

I am currently working on designs and methods that expose and combine turned shapes into new and unexpected compositions.


Selected Exhibitions:

Craft Forms 2005 (Juried)
  Wayne Art Center, Wayne, Pennsylvania Dec 2005 - Jan 2006

La Petite XII (Juried)
  Alder Gallery, Coburg, Oregon Nov 2005 - Jan 2006

Dimensions -- Fine Craft Juried Exhibition
 San Luis Obispo Art Center, San Luis Obispo, California Oct-Nov 2005

Sixth Contemporary Wood Invitational (Invited)
  The American Art Company, Tacoma, Washington Sep-Oct 2005

Return to the Land of Oz (Juried)
  Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kansas July 2005
  American Association of Woodturners Gallery, St. Paul, Minnesota Sep-Dec 2005

Innovative Perspectives in Woodturning (Invited)
  Woodturning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jul-Aug 2005
  Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, Massachusetts Jul-Aug 2005

Art Beneath the Bark – A Celebration of Woodturning (Invited)
  Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Lake Oswego, Oregon Jun 2005

Scratching the Surface (Invited)
  Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, Massachusetts       Apr-May 2005

Artist Reflections: Selections from the Permanent Collection (Invited)
  The Woodturning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Feb-Mar 2005

Materials: Hard and Soft (Juried)
  Greater Denton Arts Council Jan-Mar 2005

Selected Works (Invited)
  del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, California Jan-Feb 2005

Vessels Invitational (Invited)
   Davidson Art Gallery, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, New York Nov-Dec 2004
   Biola University Art Gallery, La Mirada, California      Jan-Mar 2005

Sculptural Objects and Functional  Art Exhibition (SOFA) Chicago
   del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, California     Nov 2004

Sea to Odyssey  (Juried)
   Organized by the American Association of Woodturners
   Caribe Royale, Orlando, Florida        July 2004

South Bay Art Momentum Exhibition (Finalist, Juried)
   Le Petit Trianon, San Jose, California      July 2004

Nature Transformed: Wood Art from the Bohlen Collection
   University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, Michigan    June-Oct 2004
   Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama  Jul-Sep 2005

Silicon Valley Open Studios
   San Jose, Los Altos, San Mateo, California    May 2004

26th Annual Contemporary Crafts  (Juried)
   Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ    Jan-Mar 2004

Materials Hard and Soft (Juried)
    Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX    Jan-Mar 2004

Celebration of American Craft, 35th Annual Exhibition and Sale (Juried)
    Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT    Nov-Dec 2003

Around the Looking Glass  (Juried)
    Wharton Esherick Museum, Paoli, PA    Sep-Dec 2003

CraftHouston 2003 (Juried)
    Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, Texas    Aug-Oct 2003

Art in Embassies Program – U.S. Department of State
    American Embassy, Tegucigalpa, Honduras     2003-2006

Sculptural Objects and Fine Art Exhibition (SOFA) New York
    del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA    May 2003

Put a Lid On It  (Juried)
    Organized by the American Association of Woodturners
    Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale, CA     Jun-Jul 2003

25th Annual Contemporary Crafts  (Juried)
    Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona    Jan-Mar 2003

Contemporary Woodturning  (Invited)
    Wave Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut    Aug-Oct 2002

Crafts National 36  (Juried)
    Zoller Gallery, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania    Jun-Jul 2002

Branching Out  (Invited)
    Ellipse Arts Center, Arlington, VA    Mar-Apr 2002

ReTurnings (Invited)
    The Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania    Feb –Mar 2002

Challenge VI-Roots: Insights & Inspirations in Contemporary Turned Objects  (Juried)
    Organized by the Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin    Jun-Aug 2003
    Arkansas Art Center Decorative Arts Museum, Little Rock, Arkansas    Feb-Mar 2003
    The Schneider Museum of Art of Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon    Jan 2003
    Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, Texas    Nov 2002-Feb 2003
    Museum of Art, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington    Sep-Oct 2002
    Indianapolis Museum of Art, Columbus Gallery, Columbus, Indiana     May-Jul 2002
    Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania    Nov 2001-Jan 2002
    Berman Museum of Art, Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pennsylvania    Sep-Nov 2001
    Woodturning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania    Feb-Apr 2004

Celebrating Boxes  (Juried)
    Usher Gallery, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK    Jul-Oct 2002
    Harley Gallery, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK    Apr-Jun 2003
    Bolton Museum, Bolton, Lancashire, UK    Jun-Aug 2003
    Collins Gallery, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland     May-Jun 2002
    Clock Tower Gallery, Croydon, UK    Feb-May 2002
    Oxo Tower Gallery, London, UK    Dec 2001-Jan 2002
    Tullie House Museum, Carlisle, UK    Sep 2001

Crafts National 35  (Juried)
    Zoller Gallery, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania    Jun-Jul 2001

Nature Takes a Turn  (Juried)
    Organized by the American Association of Woodturners
    Neuberger Museum of Art, University of New York Purchase, Purchase, NY    May-Sep 2002
    Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee    Jan-May 2002
    University of California Davis, Memorial Union Art Gallery,  Davis, California    Sep-Nov 2001
    Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, Minnesota     Jun-Aug 2001

23rd Annual Contemporary Crafts  (Juried)
    Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona    Jan-Feb 2001

8th Biennial Works in Wood, An International Exhibit  (Juried)
    Chesterton Art Gallery, Chesterton, Indiana    Oct 2000

From the Forest Floor to the Living Room Floor -- Certified Wood Exhibition  (Juried)
    Organized by the Certified Forest Products Council and the National Resources Defense Council
    San Francisco Airport Museums, San Francisco, California    Aug 2000- Feb 2001

The Fine Art of Wood: The Bohlen Collection
    Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan    Jul 2000- Jan 2001

Seventh Annual National Open Juried Exhibition (Juried)
    Artists Unlimited, Tampa, Florida    Jun-Aug 2000

Horizons 2000 (Invited)
    Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, Connecticut    Jun-Aug 2000

Defining Vessels (National juried exhibition)
    Chico Art Center, Chico, California    May-Jun 2000

Sculpture and Fine Crafts (National Juried Exhibition)
    St. Louis Artists’ Guild, St. Louis, Missouri    Apr-Jun 2000

2000 Materials Hard and Soft Exhibition (National Juried exhibition)
    Greater Denton Arts Council Center for the Visual Arts, Denton, Texas    Jan 2000

22nd Annual Vahki Exhibition (National Juried exhibition)
    Galleria Mesa,  Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona    Dec-Jan 2000

USA Craft Today 99 Third Juried Biennial
    Silvermine Guild Arts Center, New Canaan, Connecticut    Sep-Oct 1999

East meets West
    Organized by the American Association of Woodturners
    Tacoma Public Library, Tacoma, Washington    Jun-Jul 1999
    Naruko, Japan    Sep 1999

Arrowmont National '99 Exhibition
    Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee    Feb-May 1999

Pathways 98
    Organized by the American Association of Woodturners
    Cleveland State University Art Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio    Jun 1998

Surface: New Form/New Function
    Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee    Feb-Apr 1998

Biennial Juried Craft Exhibition, Merit Award
    Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences, Staten Island, New York    Jul 1997-Jan 1998

Turned for Use
    Organized by the American Association of Woodturners
    San Antonio Museum of Art, Austin, Texas    Jul-Sep 1997
    North Carolina State University Craft Gallery, Raleigh North Carolina    Oct-Nov 1997

Good Wood Show
    Organized by the Good Wood Alliance
    Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon    May 1997
    Clay, Fiber, Wood, Metal, Glass   3rd Place Award
    Octagon Center for the Arts, Ames, Iowa    Mar-Apr 1997

Third Annual Wharton Esherick Woodworking Competition and Exhibition  (Juried)
    Wharton Esherick Museum, Paoli, Pennsylvania    Sep-Dec 1996

Crafts National 30  (Juried)
    Zoller Gallery, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania    Jun-Jul 1996

State of the Arts  (Juried)
    Center for the Visual Arts, Oakland, CA    Mar-Apr 1996

Small Treasures '96 (Invited)
    del Mano Gallery, Brentwood, California    Mar 1996

The Florida National (Juried)
    Fine Arts Gallery and Museum of Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida    Sep 1995

Put A Lid On It! (Juried)
    The Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, Massachusetts    Aug-Sep 1995

Crafts National 29   (Juried) Award
    Zoller Gallery, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania    Jun-Jul 1995

Craft America '95 (National Juried Exhibition)
    Silvermine Guild Arts Center, New Canaan, Connecticut    Mar-April 1995

17th Annual Vahki Exhibition (National Juried exhibition) Purchase Award
    Galleria Mesa, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona    Dec-Jan 1995

International Lathe Turned Objects Challenge V  (Juried)
    Organized by the Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Ella Sharpe Museum, Jackson, Michigan    Nov-Jan 1997
    Paine Art Center and Arboretum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin    Sep-Oct 1996
    Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, Arkansas    Jun-Aug 1996
    Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, Tennessee    Dec-Feb 1996
    Philharmonic Center for the Arts, Naples, Florida    Oct-Nov 1995
    Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, Alabama    Apr-Jun 1995
    Dane G. Hansen Memorial Museum, Logan, Kansas    Jan-Mar 1995
    Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin    Nov-Jan 1995
    Contemporary Crafts Museum, San Francisco, California    Aug-Sep 1994
    Fine Arts Museum of the South, Mobile, Alabama    Apr-Jun 1994
    Berman Museum of Art, Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pennsylvania      Jan-Apr 1994

Conservation by Design  (Juried)
    Woodworkers Alliance for Rainforest Protection & the Museum of Art,
    Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
    Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania    Jan 1997-Mar 1997
    The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.    Sep 1996-Jan 1997
    Santa Fe Community College, Sante Fa, New Mexico    Jun-Aug 1996
    Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona    Apr-May 1996
    Illinois State Museum, Springfield, Illinois    Jan-Mar 1996
    World Forestry Center, Portland, Oregon    Jun 1995
    Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island    Oct 1993-Jan 1994

Redefining the Lathe-Turned Object  (National Juried Exhibition)
    Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona    Dec 1992-Jan 1993

Form and Object: Contemporary Interpretations of Craft Traditions (National Juried exhibition)
    Dahl Fine Arts Center, Rapid City, South Dakota    Dec 1993
    Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, Arvada, Colorado    Aug-Oct 1993
    Texas A & M University, University Station, Texas    Jul-Sep 1992
    University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, Wyoming    Mar-Apr 1992
    The Florida National  (Juried) Honorable Mention Award
    Fine Arts Gallery and Museum of Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida    Feb-Mar 1992

Crafts National 25   (Juried) Award
    Zoller Gallery, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania    Jul 1991

International Lathe Turned Objects Challenge IV  (Juried)
    Organized by the Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, California    Feb-May 1992
    Northern Arizona University Art Museum, Flagstaff, Arizona    Dec 1991-Jan 1992
    Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona    Sep-Nov 1991
    Port of History Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania    May-Aug 1991

Lathe Turned Vessels Defined II  (Invited)
    The Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, Massachusetts    Apr-May 1991

Woodturning Vision and Concepts II  (National Juried exhibition)
    Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg,  Tennessee    Oct 1990

6th Annual Turning Show  (National Juried exhibition)
    Highlight Gallery, Mendocino, California    Aug 1988

Selected Publications:

Turning Points  (photograph), The Wood Turning Center   Winter 2005

500 Wood Bowls (photographs), Lark Books    Sep 2004

Nature Transformed-Wood Art from the Bohlen Collection   July 2004
   
Hudson Hills Press, Sean Ulmer, Editor


500 Wood Bowls (photographs), Lark Books    Fall 2004

400 Wood Boxes (photographs), Lark Books    May 2004

Woodwork (photographs)     Dec 2003

Wood Art Today (photographs), Dona Meilach, Schiffer Publishing    Sep 2003

Woodturning Design (photographs),  Mike Darlow, Fox Chapel Publishing    May 2003

Scratching The Surface: Art and Content in Contemporary Wood (photograph)    May 2002
       Michael Hosaluk, Guild Publishing

Turning Points  (Cover photograph), The Wood Turning Center    Winter 2002

Woodworker West (Cover photograph, article)    May-June 1997

The Art of Making Small Wood Boxes (photographs)    1997
       Tony Lydgate, Sterling Publishing Company

Enter the World 0f Lathe-Turned Objects (photograph)    1997
      York Graphic Services, Inc. for the Wood Turning Center

Design Book Seven  (Juried photographs), The Taunton Press    Sep 1996

The Art of the Lathe: Award Winning Designs,  (Article and photographs)
      Patrick Spielman, Sterling Publishing Company    Apr 1996

American Woodworker (photographs)     Feb 1996

Woodturning  (Great Britain) (photograph)    Oct 1995

Woodwork (photographs)     Apr 1995

American Woodworker (photograph)     Feb 1994

Art of California Magazine, 1993 Discovery Awards Annual -- Gold Award    Jan 1994

Understory (photograph) Woodworkers Alliance for Rainforest Protection    Winter 1994

Country Living (photograph)    Nov 1993

Woodwork (photographs)    Nov/Dec 1992

Design Book Six, The Taunton Press (Juried photograph)    Aug 1992

Woodturning  (Invited photographs)    May/June 1992

The American Woodturner (photographs)    Fall 1991

Woodturning  (Great Britain) (photographs)    Autumn 1991

Design Book Five, The Taunton Press (Juried photograph)    Aug 1990


Selected Collections:

Mobile Museum of Art,  Mobile, Alabama

Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California

The University of Michigan Museum, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan

The Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Ray County Museum, Richmond, Missouri

The White House    




Last Modified:  Monday, 05-Dec-2005 11:54:52 EST