Meet Gary Dawson | Designer, Artist, Manufacturer, Author and Educator.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gary Dawson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gary, how do you think about risk?
In a way, I backed into my business while I was still going to school and receiving what were then generous GI Bill benefits, so initially, there wasn’t much risk for me. But as my business evolved, the risk level elevated as I invested more of my time and income. I think it is a well-known fact that entrepreneurs have a high tolerance for risk and I’m no exception. Especially memorable risks were when I committed to my first downtown lease to grow my business from the sidewalk (literally, since I was doing the art\craft show circuit at the time) to inside a high-value downtown, brick and mortar location. And then, 36 years later, when I sold that business to an employee and went online only. In both cases the risk paid off, the downtown business was highly successful and the on-line venture is on-going resulting in recognition by a major jewelry trade magazine as “Best of the Best” in a feature story. (InStore Magazine)
A more recent risk involved pulling up stakes and moving from Oregon to Arizona. I had some confidence in making that move because of the on-line nature of my business. It garners me work and sales from all around the world. But my support base and most of my intimate relationships (both business and personal) were in Oregon. Again, the risk has paid off in that I’ve had the resources to begin building the best workshop I’ll likely ever have on my property near Bisbee. This will allow me to expand into other product lines and provide even better service to my worldwide clientele.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The Backstory I didn’t initially choose to be a designer and goldsmith…it chose me!
I was going to be a lawyer…But after I’d rented my apartment in Eugene to attend the U of O in a pre-law program I got the news. Lucky 14 was my draft number so I lost my deposit on the apartment and spent the next two years in the army.

Fortunately, the conflict du-jour, what is called in the USA the Vietnam war, was winding down so I did not have to go there during my service term. And somehow, after the experience of being drafted I just didn’t have the same urge to become a lawyer as I thought I had in high school. I spent some time drifting through a liberal-arts degree at the U of O, wondering where I would end up. A friend talked me into taking a jewelry class.

It took some coaxing, he pestered me for a couple of terms, but I finally relented and ended up in the classroom of my mentor, Max Nixon. This time the luck was real, Max changed my life. Or perhaps he allowed me to change my own life, find my home. I found that I felt at home making things.

​The back-backstory here is that my first paying job (at age 12) was sweeping the floor in a machine shop in my hometown of Riddle, OR. That segued into a work-study program in high-school and eventually to summer jobs working at Hannah Nickel Mine, near Riddle, as a welder. So when I began this jewelry making class, I had a fairly deep background in some forms of metalworking. Once I finally went to the U of O, I may have been a tiny bit more mature than many of the beginning freshmen students, having been in the Army (as a Military Policeman) so Max encouraged me set up a home workshop and proceed to where my heart seemed to be taking me…making jewelry!

While learning the jewelry trade I still wanted a well-rounded education and after participating in the Psychology Dept. for several years, I switched to a focus on Anthropology and retain a deep interest in the topic. Cultures, and the people within them fascinate me. How people interact with the objects in their lives is determined by both culture and personality and for me somehow this all ties into my process of making meaningful custom jewelry for people.

I clearly remember…
…selling my first ring, sitting on the sidewalk outside of Old Taylors on 13th St. in Eugene, OR. It sold for $4 and I think I probably used a buck fifty of it to buy myself a celebratory beer. I know I used the rest to buy more silver. That would have been sometime in 1975 and I have been designing, manufacturing and selling custom precious metal and gemstone jewelry ever since.

I soon found the Portland, OR Saturday Market to be a viable venue for my burgeoning business. While still living in Eugene, I commuted most weekends for over 8 years, eventually gaining a position on the board of directors of that market. I also ventured out to national level art and craft shows and gained recognition while continuing to develop my local clientele by opening a retail shop in Eugene, Goldworks Jewelry Art Studio. Continuing my involvement in the broader Northwest Arts Community as president of the Board of Directors of what was then called the Northwest Crafts Alliance (now Northwest Art Alliance), based in the Puget Sound area, I also helped to expand the “Best of the Northwest” show from a single venue to additional venues while building Goldworks into a prominent position in the Eugene arts community.

As my children grew it became more difficult to take my business on the road. I moved my business to downtown Eugene and dug in on Broadway, operating at that location for over 36 years as sole owner. As that business prospered I realized I was becoming a business manager rather than the artist/craftsperson that I wanted to be. So in 2010 I sold the Brick & Mortar store to Erin Murphy, who continues to operate on Broadway in Eugene. I love what I do so much I will never retire in the way that many do. I plan to continue to work closely with people to design articles of jewelry as long as I possibly can. I find working in precious metals and gem materials that reflect my clients various tastes and desires to be both challenging and rewarding.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Living in Bisbee, or rather, just outside of Old Bisbee, there are plenty of things to do and show a visitor. A stop in Tombstone is a must. Walking the same dusty streets (and they are still unpaved) of downtown Tombstone, with the spirit of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the rest of the historic figures of the old west is awesome. And being able to see Johnny Ringo’s gravesite on the way to visit the Chiricahua Mountains is the icing on the historical cake. The Chiricahuas themselves are worth the short drive, the amazingly picturesque Rhyolite formations at the Chiricahua National Monument is a must-see.

The Chiricahuas in SouthEast Arizona are part of a much larger landscape called the “Sky Islands” which are extraordinary in their biodiversity, being the convergence of the Southern Rocky Mountains, Sierra Madre, Sonoran Desert and The Chihuahuan Desert. From grasslands, to chaparral, to coniferous forest, it can all be found the the Sky Island region. Hunters, hikers, motorcycle adventurers and even RVers will find this area fascinating to explore.

Bisbee itself is an eclectic artist’s enclave, with a rich mining history. The Copper Queen mine tour and the lavender pit are just easy starters for someone exploring this interesting town. With a variety of good food venues, and an interesting night life (bowling for dildos) Bisbee will intrigue and enchant most visitors.

A short drive from Bisbee, Douglas Az. hosts the Gadson Hotel, a historic venue with marble columns in the lobby that were brought by ship (around the horn) from Europe, a huge Tiffany window, and a chip in the marble staircase reputedly caused when Pancho Villa rode his horse through the front door and up that staircase.

And of course, no trip to the area would be complete without a visit to Mexico, only a couple of miles away. A casual border crossing leads one into Naco, and the Siete Restaurant, a place I eat frequently. And across from Douglas and the Gadson, is Agua Prieta, a Mexican city of around 90,000 with great shopping and fantastic eateries.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I was extremely fortunate to have as my initial mentor, Max Nixon, the Jewelry Arts instructor at the University of Oregon and then director of the Art Department. Max was very keen on allowing his students to “find themselves” within the structure of the university environment. I was able to set up a humble workshop at home and simply bring what I was producing to him for criticism and advice. In this way, I was able to fairly rapidly commercialize my efforts and make more investment in my eventual career.

I’d like to thank Jason Chandler of the Portland Jewelry Academy for having the confidence in me to help teach his students the important skill of CAD design.

Since moving to Arizona, I’d like to recognize my friend and mentor, Mark Olson, of Goldline Fine Jewelers in Tucson. He has been invaluable to me in helping me to integrate more smoothly into all things Arizona.

Also, big thanks to MJSA (Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America) who have been publishing my articles for decades and for helping me grow my confidence in my ability to communicate.

Website: https://www.garydawsondesigns.com/#/

Instagram: @gdawsondesigns

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garydawsondesigns/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GDawsonDesigns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garydawsondesigns

Other: My educational site: https://www.rhinojewelrycad.com/#/

Image Credits
Photo with me in sunglasses, Chanda Claire Dawson (my daughter)