Ozark Folkways will celebrate the creations of the late Fred Derwin, woodworker, and architect who apprenticed with Fay Jones in a memorial gallery show.

Derwin lived with a passion for building with his hands, designing, and helping his community. He started by building a family home in Berryville in 1971. Inspired by that hands-on experience, he studied at the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture. In 1978, he graduated, thus combining hand skills with drafting.

His career kicked off with an apprenticeship with the Fay Jones Architecture Firm. Later, Derwin contributed to early drafts of the Thorn Crown Chapel in Eureka Springs.

He was also an entrepreneur. After working at Fay Jones, he started Fred Derwin Design and Construction. Derwin finally got to live his desire to create designs and work wood with his hands again. He made custom designs from homes to cabinets all across Northwest Arkansas.

By 1991, he also dreamed of building a new home on 40 acres on Devils Den Road in Winslow. He converted an old chicken house into a temporary workshop and living space. But illness prevented him from working on a home. To this day, a sign on the fence visible from the road reads, “Fred Derwin Woodworker”.

Instead, he turned to wooden toys, furniture, and his famous Arkansas-shaped cutting boards. He sold his creations at Ozark Folkways, A to Z Furniture, and A to Z Gifts of Alma. Yet, many pieces he donated to nonprofits to sell in their fundraisers. He also did odd jobs like a church pulpit and a coffin.

“He always had a passion for woodworking and building with his hands. His life was full of numerous accomplishments and adventures.” Derwin’s surviving family wrote about him on behalf of the gallery show. “He was a self-proclaimed recluse. However, the number of friends he met and kept during his 30 years in Winslow would prove that statement untrue. He was loved and respected by many in the small community of Winslow where he lived the last 30 years of his life.”

The show will curate a sample of Derwin’s works. It will display the diversity of his projects, from furniture to toy trains, and his lifelong dedication to his craft. Experience the beauty of handcrafted woodwork. The visitors will leave with the inspiration art gives even when the artist is gone.

Tags