A week in the Davidson College infirmary produced an epiphany that saved me from a life in my family’s car business and saved my family’s car business from a life with me. After switching majors from economics to English, I graduated in 1978 and spent a year building wooden boats on Cape Cod, a year building farmworker housing in California’s central valley, and a year working for a furniture maker in Oakland. In 1981 I moved to Vermont and built post and beam houses for a short time before opening my own furniture making shop. Being young and ignorant (“so stupid you don’t know you’re stupid,” my grandfather said), I did some mediocre work before building my first decent piece of furniture in 1985. I think the work’s been pretty solid since.

Being a good husband and father is a lot harder -- and more important -- than making furniture. I’m married to artist Georgine MacGarvey and we have two boys, Jeff and Brett. I coach some of the kids’ sports, sing tenor in the Dorset Church choir, and might beat every other furniture maker in Vermont in tennis, even if their work is better.

Education
1978 B.A., English Literature, Davidson College, Davidson, NC

Selected Shows
2003 The Exquisite Pillow, traveling Frog Hollow show
2002 On a Different Plane, Frog Hollow at the Equinox
2000 Solo Show, Frog Hollow at the Equinox
2000 The Art of Craft, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College
2000 22” Square, Ferrisburgh Artisans Guild, Ferrisburg, VT
1998 Vermont Wood, Young and Constantin Gallery, Wilmington, VT 1996 Solo Show, Southern Vermont Art Center, Manchester, VT
1995 (post) Modern Love, Elm Street Arts, Manchester, VT
1995 Solo Show, Elm Street Arts, Manchester, VT
1995 Contemporary Furniture, Frog Hollow at the Equinox
1994 Contemporary Arts, Sharon Arts Center, Sharon, NH,
1994 Solo Show, Elm Street Arts, Manchester, VT
1993 Intersections, Fleming Museum, University of Vermont
1992 From the Forest, Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, Vermont
1991 Northeast Splendor, Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston
1983-1999 Stratton Arts Festival, Stratton Mountain, VT

Selected Publications
2005 Boston Globe, 26 January
2003 Custom Woodworking Business, July
2000 American Style Magazine, Fall
1996 Vermont Magazine, March/April
1995 The Veneering Book, Taunton Press
1994 Boston Globe, 27 March
1992 Vermont Magazine, July/August 4 October 1991
1991 Creative Designs in Furniture, Kraus Sikes
1991 Design Times, November/December
1987-1996 Fine Woodworking Design Books, IV -VII, Taunton Press

Selected Honors
2006 Custom Woodworking Business Design Portfolio Award
2005 Vermont Wood Products Marketing Council, 1st Place, Custom
Furniture
2005 Custom Woodworking Business Design Portfolio Award

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Holman Studios Fine Custom Furniture Box 572 Dorset, VT 05251 802.867.0131