Anacapa Scholar: Barry Newstat

A furniture maker from the Midwest visits campus.
All year long, the campus welcomes visiting scholars, artists in residence, and other guests who share their special expertise. Some become members of the campus community for extended periods of time, others are here only briefly to deliver lectures or meet with students. 

Recently, we welcomed a talented furniture maker from Chicago.

Visitor: Barry Newstat, owner of Barry Newstat Furniture, Inc.

His current work: Creating one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture, woodware, and decorative objects.

What he did on campus: I'm lucky enough to have done a nice variety of things while on campus. Most importantly, I had the chance to make a small table and also help Mr. Bueti and Mr. Manson teach in furniture class. My degree was in education, and my first six years out of college I was a teacher. I love the teaching process so I really enjoyed having a chance to do that again. I also taught a class with Mr. Bueti as part of the Creativity Symposium. That was an intense class and the students (including one faculty member and one staff member) responded in a spectacular way. Just great experimentation, following the spirit of the day exactly as hoped. Not in any specific order, I also went to the play, to the Saturday evening ski movie hosted by Thomas, and to see the hypnotist. I also went on a run with Sarah DelVecchio and hiked to twin peaks with Julie Manson. I walked/ran as many of the trails as I could and just this morning found my way to the Observatory via the Phelps Trail. I also borrowed a bike and rode into town twice. I spent a few evenings reading in the library and had some great conversations over many meals. 

His impressions of Thacher: I found the people at Thacher to be very welcoming; that includes students, faculty, and the Dining Hall staff. I ate well, slept well, and spent as much time as I could outdoors. The campus was lovely and felt like a small college campus, which is something I really enjoy. The students were engaging, respectful and polite, and all I encountered in the classroom were inquisitive and very eager to learn. I don't have any experience with horses, fascinating to see all of that, especially the parade of riders every afternoon past the woodwork studio.
 
My overall impression—coming from the Midwest, obviously the weather and general environment were spectacular. The active lifestyle of Thacher is quite impressive and very important to me. (I hate to admit!) I've slowed down over the years, but I love being active and being around active and fit people. I spent only a few hours in town in Ojai; I don't regret that. Being on campus felt good, I wasn't there long so I didn't feel the need to leave.

Our impressions of him:

He was always very caring, friendly, and open to helping anyone who needed it. He was easy to talk to and never had a lack of questions to ask. It was a joy to have Mr. Newstat in class for the time that he was here.—Finn Keilty '18

Mr. Newstat's comments to Mr. Manson and me after he attended his first Wood Design class were extremely valuable. It was very informative having a fellow woodworker's perspective on the way Mr.Manson and I run our class. For example, Mr. Newstat  was, to put it mildly, surprised that we allow the students to use machines, like the table saw for example, to perform functions that he, himself, finds challenging to do. After spending two weeks and attending eight woodworking classes with the students, Mr. Newstat's perspective changed completely. What he realized was that Thacher kids are thirsty for knowledge and extremely focused and attentive, especially when it comes to situations where safety is a significant part of the job they are doing. 
 
I have learned over my fourteen years teaching the Wood Design class at Thacher that I can trust my students to do stuff in the shop that most woodworking teachers at the high school level cannot risk doing. I attribute this to the excellent instruction the kids receive in their exposure to riding and the outdoors.
 
At Thacher, we talk frequently about the value of taking intelligent risks. In a world where teenagers are often deprived of opportunities to grow, for fear that they may get hurt, we aim to supply our students with the skills to judge dangerous situations, so that they can assess their capability to successfully handle them. More than any other contribution Mr. Newstat made to our class during his visit, the feedback he gave to Bo and me in regard to safety, confirmed that we have been, and continue to be, on the right track when it comes to intelligent risk taking. 
 
Beyond Mr. Newstat's great contribution to our program, he built a table while he was here that he will donate to the School's auction in the spring. As a nationally recognized furniture maker who has participated in the best crafts shows in the country, including the highly prestigious Smithsonian Show, his gift is one that will attract a great deal of of attention.—John Bueti
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