- Life Dates Born 1943, Waukegan, Illinois
- Occupation Technology Education Teacher, St. Paul, Minnesota
- Residence at Time of Award Eagan, Minnesota
Richard Enstad
Gold Medal In: Woodworking, 2001
Ribbons
- 1990 Red ribbon for a spoon with incised carving
- 1992 White ribbon for a large oval box (tine)
- 1994 White ribbon for a chalice with kolrosing
- 1999 Blue ribbon for a flatbread container
- 2001 Blue ribbon for a round box with burnt decoration
Artist Statement
I have always enjoyed working with my hands building things. Prior to our family’s first visit to Norway in 1983 I was a motor head. That visit included a number of days spent at the home farm of my father’s grandfather (who helped raise my father here in the United States). We also visited the home of his grandmother, which was located a couple of miles away. After the trip, conversations with family friends in Fergus Falls led us to the 1984 Nordic Fest. Those two experiences started my conversion from motor head to woodworker.
My card identifies me as an “eclectic woodworker.” I am fascinated by the incredible variety of wooden objects that can fall into the realm of a wood-based society such as Norway. I happily suffer from P.D.D. (project deficit disorder).
When the list of names of people who influenced my work reached over 15, I decided it best not to name names. As with many friends and many years, their impact was at times dramatic, at times subtle, at times immediate, and at times delayed. For those of us fortunate enough to have known him, if I were to name the one person who started me on this wonderful journey, it would be Ragnvald Frøysadal of Hundrop, Norway.
2008