Episode 341: Dana Gibson

Million Dollar Decorating

Dana Gibson started her eponymous business twenty years ago with a line of hand sculpted decorative ceramics. Major retailers took notice including Neiman Marcus, Saks and Bendel’s, embracing her style and charm. Fanciful vases, platters and tureens embellished with birds, bees, tulips and fruit were highly sought after. Some of the same themes abound in her work today. Dana showed an aptitude for art from an early age. As well as getting a bachelor’s degree in art Studio Art and English, she studied at Parsons, VCU and S. A.C.I. (Italy). It was, though, a passion for poetry and writing that briefly side tracked her visual career. She was awarded a Hoynes Fellowship at the University of Virginia for writing and enjoyed teaching the undergrads so much that she took a position teaching writing and English literature in a high school in Baton Rouge. She delighted in teasing fine, original voices from her students but found out after a few years, teaching was not to be her destiny. In the summers she took courses in ceramics and pottery. It was quite normal for the professors to send their students off to the library for research. She spent hours in the library’s stacks delving through books on subjects from interior design, to indigenous crafts to architecture. For the first time she was exposed to the Decorative Arts. Beautiful objects made for the home that had purpose and a function was an immensely appealing concept. Textiles, rugs, pottery and embroidery were subjects she pored over. Everything from tribal bead work and Medieval marquetry was inspiration for her as she honed and developed her own “visual voice”. Dana continues to create beautiful objects for the home. Ceramics gave way to a line of toleware she now designs and manufactured in India. In the last few years, Dana has collaborated with several larger companies to produce licensed collections including furniture, fabric and wall covering. Her latest venture uses Crypton technology, designing a collection of vibrantly colored performance wovens that are both durable and soft to the hand. A second collection of wall covering is due out Spring ‘18 and she enjoys a successful and vibrant framed art collection through Soicher Marin. Explore Dana's Website here Add Dana's book recommendation, Vogue Living, to your design library by clicking here.