Kate Duncan

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Kate Duncan
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Born
Vancouver Island
NationalityCanadian
CitizenshipCanada
Alma mater
  • Duncan’s high school
  • University of British Columbia
  • Royal Roads University
Occupation
  • Furniture maker
  • Designer
Years active2012–present

Kate Duncan is a Canadian furniture maker and designer. In response to the traditionally male-dominated industry of furniture design,[1] Duncan employs women in her studio, runs "gender-neutral" woodworking courses[2] and created an inclusive tradeshow for the design industry.[3]

History

Duncan was born on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and raised in city of Port Alberni.[4]

She was introduced to woodworking in grade seven, where shop class was a required part of the school curriculum[5] and continued taking woodworking classes through to the end of secondary school. Duncan’s high school shop teacher enrolled her in woodworking competitions.[6]

After high school, Duncan earned a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia.[7] She taught high school wood shop in Burnaby, British Columbia for over 10 years. She was one of only four women teaching shop in the province.[8]

In 2009, Duncan completed a master’s thesis on gender equitable programming[9] at Royal Roads University[7] in British Columbia.

After a motorcycle accident left her unable to teach,[5] Duncan found a woodshop in East Vancouver where she could work while rehabilitating.[10] She started out making furniture for herself but gradually started to find clients.[5] She decided to take up woodworking full time in 2012.[3]

Designs

Duncan describes her works as “heirloom-quality furniture”[3] that is made to last. She focuses on simple manufacturing and joinery techniques[11] to produce furniture rooted in traditional woodwork, rather than being design-forward.[5]

She has stated that her objective is to be traditional, not trendy, and cites the Brutalist architecture movement as a strong influence on her furniture designs.[12]

Duncan, who is gay,[13] has named her design collections after her ex-girlfriends.[2]

Address trade show

After facing continuous discrimination at industry trade shows,[14] Duncan launched her own, inclusive trade show. Named Address, the event was first held in 2014 in Vancouver.

Duncan does not proactively search for exhibitors from under-represented groups; rather, she has focused on creating a trade show that is inclusive and accessible. Each year, more than 50% of the exhibitors have been female.[15]

In 2019, the show expanded its focus from the Pacific Northwest to include designers from across North America. That year the event featured 27 female-founded brands, out of 40 exhibitors, of which 25% identified as queer.[16]

Duncan moved to Toronto in 2019.[14] In 2020, Address, marked its first run in that city.[17] Address partnered with existing trade show DesignTO. Duncan used sponsorship donations to reduce the exhibitor fees.[18]

Address uses a layout different from the traditional trade show booth format. Rather than assign each exhibitor a dedicated piece of floorspace, the show’s curator assembles vignettes that resemble a real living space using pieces from multiple exhibitors,[19] prompting the description “Part-gallery, part-pop-up shop, and part-showroom".[20]

Address is billed by the organizers as “anything but a trade show”[21] and is described publicly as the “anti-trade show show”.[22][15]

Appearances & awards

Duncan was one of 8 Canadian designers[23] to show at the curated Manhattan design event “Next Level” in May, 2019.[24][25]

She was named “Furniture Designer of the Year 2017” by Western Living magazine.[11] Duncan was the first woman to win the award.[26] Subsequently, she was named as one of the judges for the same award in 2020.[27] That same year, Duncan was one of six finalists for Gray Magazine’s GRAY Awards 2020 in the category Product Design: Lighting/Furniture.[28]

Duncan is a member of the Female Design Council,[29] an organization dedicated to providing a professional community for woman in the design industry irrespective of color, race or sexual identity.[30]

References

  1. "EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL 2013". www.porticodesign.com. 2013-11-20. Retrieved 2021-03-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Gibson, Eleanor (2018-03-09). "Seven female designers that are making waves in Canada". Dezeen. Retrieved 2021-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Kate Duncan is building refined furniture – and an inclusive design community". The Globe And Mail. Retrieved 2021-03-11.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "Town Talk: Britain's Red Arrows fly over Coal Harbour". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2021-03-17.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Kate Duncan Design". MONTECRISTO. 2016-12-14. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  6. "Ep. 68: Kate Duncan — Clever: A Podcast About Design". Clever (Podcast). Event occurs at 10:56. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "LinkedIn".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. Keillor, Rebecca (2014-07-16). "The Zen of sanding: Vancouver furniture maker Kate Duncan talks shop". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2021-03-16.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Sixth Annual ADDRESS Design Show Showcases 40 Designer/Makers". www.dexigner.com. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  10. "Ep. 68: Kate Duncan — Clever: A Podcast About Design". Clever (Podcast). Event occurs at 21:15. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Gendemann, Kaitlyn (2017-08-23). "Furniture Designer of the Year 2017: Kate Duncan". Western Living Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. "Kate Duncan – Address Design Show". Retrieved 2021-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. Dawson, Sarah (2016-09-08). "51 Questions & A Beer With Woodworker/Furniture Designer Kate Duncan". Scout Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. 14.0 14.1 Nanton, Katie. "Furniture Designer Kate Duncan". Natural Habitat magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. 15.0 15.1 Sproule, Michelle (2019-09-24). "You Need to Check Out Kate Duncan's Design Anti-Tradeshow". Scout Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. "Kate Duncan's ADDRESS Returns to Vancouver". www.dexigner.com. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  17. "The Must-See, Do and Experience Events of DesignTO". Designlines Magazine. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  18. Keillor, Rebecca (2019-09-21). "The Home Front: ADDRESS showcases standout designer makers from across North America". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2021-03-15.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. "ADDRESS Assembly Returns to Vancouver to Showcase North American Talents". Design Milk. 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  20. Pagliacolo, Elizabeth (2018-10-09). "West Coast Craft, Curated by Vancouver Designer Kate Duncan". Azure Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. "Address Design Show". Retrieved 2021-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. "The 6th Annual ADDRESS Assembly Championed Design, Equality, and Good Times". Design Milk. 2019-10-08. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  23. "Canadian designers exhibiting at Architectural Digest show". Canadian Interiors. 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  24. Keillor, Rebecca (2019-09-26). "10 Questions With... Kate Duncan". Interior Design. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  25. Corcoran, Heather. "Design Exhibition "Next Level" Shows Off a Creative Community of 35 Talents". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  26. Briggs, Charlotte. "An interview with furniture maker Kate Duncan - Mazda Stories". Mazda Stories. Retrieved 2021-03-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. Quin, Anicka (2020-03-20). "Designers of the Year 2020: Introducing our Furniture Design Judges". Western Living Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. "Winner Announced: Product Design". GRAY magazine. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-03-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. "Members". FEMALE DESIGN COUNCIL. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  30. "Mission". FEMALE DESIGN COUNCIL. Retrieved 2021-03-17.

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