Artists Excel at High Desert Museum 2007 Art & Design Show
John Gallis – Bringing Together Sensibility & Elegance
 |
Judges Award – Furniture
Desk, Chair, and Lamp
John Gallis likes to think outside the box with his furniture designs. |
Gallis, of Norseman Designs West, has been fashioning custom furniture for over thirty-five years. A native New Yorker, he began building furnishings at age 21.
He eventually formed a profitable relationship with Bloomingdales, building custom cabinetry for the upscale department store. But, his heart wasn't in it. "It was
like having to color within the lines," says the furniture designer.
In 1995, after moving his family to Cody, Wyoming, and working for a local furniture maker, he opened Norseman Designs West, where he began building a new
line of award-winning, high-end western furniture. He combines the simple honesty of Shaker-style furniture with the flowing curves of Art Nouveau.
Winner of many national awards, Gallis' work brings together imaginative sensibility and striking elegance. Each piece is designed to fit the client's needs and
handcrafted based on the feel of the wood and the flow of the grain so that no two pieces are alike. "Western style shouldn't hit you on the head with western
accents everywhere," says Gallis. "Nor should it be so simple, with just fence posts and antlers all over. It should have a relaxed, organic look that you won't
grow tired of."
Gallis' work is displayed in Cody and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Bozeman, Montana.
Article courtesy of Cascade A & E Magazine.
