Kelly Parker

Kelly Parker is a designer and maker of contemporary studio furniture and sculpture. After 18 years of working in the corporate world she took a side track into art.

She has been awarded a professional development grant from the Furniture Society, was the first recipient of a professional development grant awarded by the Krenov Foundation and was recently awarded Best in Show at the biannual chair exhibition, American Craft Today.

Her work has been featured in Fine Woodworking, Australian Wood Review, and Rooted. Kelly’s work often incorporates other materials such as metal, glass and acrylic.

She is a passionate advocate for the craft and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others.

www.woodsongstudio.com

Thorkild Hansen

3/6/1969-6/11/2021

Moe mai, moe mai, moe mai rā, e hoa  
We hold you in our hearts

Thorkild was born into a creative family environment - his father Jens Hansen was the renowned Danish silversmith. Much of Thorkild's former working life was spent designing and creating jewellery in the family business. After a change in career to furniture making and teaching, Thorkild's furniture design was an amalgam of Danish modernist design, exploring functional simplicity with a focus on materiality within the tradition of fine woodworking.

Thorkild inspired many, many of our past and existing students.

Dave Gilberd

Dave Gilberd has spent a lifetime working with fine machinery - currently as owner-operator of the Brightwater Motors vehicle mechanics workshop but also as a qualified aircraft engineer, high-tech engineer, film set fabricator and motorbike fan-boy. Since taking a short instrument-building course in 2003 Dave’s heart has been most taken with guitar-building and further training at the Totnes School of Guitar-Making in the UK led to the launch of Goldbeard Guitars.

Dave has brought countless guitars into being - ranging from electro-acoustic, small body and blues style - has taught over 150 students the craft of instrument-building, and revived numerous old and damaged pieces.

www.goldbeard.co.nz

Grant Palliser

Grant embarked on his artistic career at the age of 38 when he completed a Fine Art degree and teaching qualification at Ilam School of Art. Initially he planned to make painting his primary focus but discovered sculpture and made it his major. In Nelson alone he has six public sculptures all of which are significant in some way to the Nelson community. 

Until recently Grant worked for many years as a part-time art teacher at Nelson College for Girls and has been a wonderful role model for young aspiring artists. More recently Grant has reconnected with painting and printmaking through participating in a residency in Ireland with other art educators. Grant teaches the drawing component of the Furniture Makers’ Programme.

www.grantpalliser.co.nz