Doing Something She Loves

By Brigid Morrissey


Through woodworking, Myra has the practise goodness of creating beautiful pieces piece using her fourth dimension constructively.


Myra Holloway was surprised to honor that her passion for woodworking aligned amongst the philosophy of a arts and crafts motion that began inwards the 1800s.


In college, Myra started every bit a physics major but was intrigued past times the fine art classes offered past times her small-scale liberal arts schoolhouse inwards Minnesota. One of the classes she chose was a slice of furniture woodworking class. It was through this cast that Myra learned most the Arts together with Crafts movement, which began inwards 1825 together with was based on the thought that inwards monastic enjoin to relieve guild from moral corruption, people had to acquire dorsum to doing things amongst their hands.

Myra didn't allow the male-dominated manufacture block her endeavors. 


“I actually liked this thought every bit a woodworker that we’ve gotten likewise far away from existence able to practise things for ourselves. I was inspired most it,” says Myra, 40. Applying her noesis of historical context along amongst her beloved together with connectedness amongst people into her woodworking has allowed her to alive the head, heart, together with hands philosophy. This thought that fourth dimension should endure devoted to enriching your mind, cohorting amongst your peers, together with laboring amongst your hands, whether it endure quilting a blanket or weaving a basket, embodies Myra’s travel together with is vital inwards her artistic process. According to Myra, her parents taught her to practise what she loves together with to honor a agency to role that passion inwards her job. That, along amongst the Arts together with Crafts movement, influenced her determination to travel an fine art major together with pursue woodworking.

She uses her Stanley block airplane to practise item travel on slice of furniture repairs. 


Myra says she was unfazed past times the thought of woodworking every bit a man’s craft. Some of her starting fourth dimension jobs involved remarks most women existence incompetent for the task. Instead of letting the comments deter her, Myra saw it every bit an chance to present that women are stronger than they appear.

Myra non exclusively restores pieces but strives to keep the integrity of the furniture. So, it’s non simply a beat-up chair or a dresser that’s seen ameliorate days. “The most rewarding woodworking jobs I’ve had are ones where I know I’ve made something around someone’s heart,” Myra says. “I’m a rattling empathetic person, together with I thrive on the bonds that I practise amongst clients.”

Myra has been able to showcase her travel inwards the community.  


These days, Myra generally refurbishes pieces of slice of furniture for the practise goodness of private households. Some of Myra’s to a greater extent than populace plant include fabrication together with maintenance of exhibits on the Bourbon Trail, restoration on the Baxter Avenue Theatres, together with installation of the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial inwards Indianapolis.

Myra late became an occupational therapist together with discovered that occupational therapy grew out of the Arts together with Crafts movement. “I was like, ‘Oh, I’m meant to practise this. This fits inwards amongst the whole flow of my life together with existence,’” she says.


Some of Myra's projects include this Elija Craig tantalus made for the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center showroom. It is quarter-sawn white oak amongst walnut together with satinwood inlay together with walnut accents.  

This heirloom bookcase made of local curly cherry was commissioned past times a private customer to shop a deceased relative's prized toys together with books.

Interlocking band blueprint carved into a headboard rails for Bittners, LLC

Woodworking allows Myra to educate an intimate connectedness amongst clients.  


What was the path from the Arts together with Crafts motion to occupational therapy? The early on Arts together with Crafts philosophers worked inwards insane asylums together with tuberculosis sanatoriums. The residents of these facilities didn’t bring to travel together with could essentially practise what they wanted then long every bit they were isolated from the residuum of society. But the philosophers adopted a dissimilar view. Because the organisation failed to give the residents much pregnant inwards their lives, the philosophers would assign them ordinary tasks such every bit handbasket weaving or folding laundry — things that powerfulness bring fifty-fifty reflected their quondam routines.

Then, WWII happened. Because of novel medical advances, soldiers were surviving injuries that they wouldn’t bring previously. The Arts together with Crafts aids from the asylums were sent to hospitals to assist surviving soldiers accommodate to doing everyday activities inwards spite of difficulties such every bit amputations. These aids evolved into what nosotros telephone phone occupational therapists today.

This java tabular array made of natural-edged local cherry-red oak was commissioned for a private customer to present their personal collection of newspaper ephemera inwards its glass-topped mirrored display box. 

This is a commemorative sculpture for Heaven Hill's Evan Williams Honey Reserve Liquer. It was constructed from a disassembled white oak bourbon barrel. 

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