Projects
In a perfect world, Children of Trauma Society would not exist and have to raise funds to carry out its goals, but with inadequate funding for treatment and a veritable army of childhood trauma cases spanning the globe… we are not quite there yet.
And so in order to be financially independent in the future and not have to rely on the goodwill of donors indefinitely, COTS initially plans to raise funds to outfit an artisanal woodcrafting facility that will produce high-end, one of a kind, store of value, artisanal craft furniture that will be sold through the internet (this website) and by charity auctions with all net profit going toward reaching our goals which are mentioned in the About page and our Constitution page.
This furniture will incorporate traditional timeless elements of the past with *aboriginal art motifs and employ aboriginal artists, along with other creative people who can add value to this work.
All financial statements for this enterprise will be available to view on this website once there is some activity to report.
Viability / Market
I am skilled in the art of joinery (woodworking) with a diploma in Fine Furniture from Camosun College (Victoria BC) and most recently was part of a wood working co-op in Vancouver BC (Wood Arts on Parker) which I left about five years ago for personal reasons. Below is an unsolicited endorsement by a woman who was trained as a Certified Personal Property Appraiser, CPPA for short. by the legendary fine art auction house, Sotheby’s of London England. This is a universally recognized accreditation that is held in high esteem internationally and enables the holder to appraise art of any type.
After I left the co-op I did some marketing to a number of Vancouver’s top interior designers and a few high end consignment shops in the Vancouver area. One woman named Tina Beer Hamlin, who owns such a consignment shop (bricks & mortar and online) in North Vancouver BC, replied to me by email and her email started like this,“What beautifully crafted pieces you make… they really are stunning.”
I only include this comment from her to underline one fact which is: If someone with her artistic temperament and professional certification from Sotheby’s thinks my work is “stunning”… then it’s safe to say there is a market for this work with those who share her taste in art and have the means to pay for it. The three table photos on this page are examples of my work. View her email here.
Anecdotally, in the early ’90’s I went to one of Canada’s big five banks (after taking the furniture course and working for a few years in joinery) to apply for a loan to start my own shop making high end artisanal craft furniture and was fundamentally ignored. Based on the comment from Tina Beer Hamlin, and from the time of that bank rejection till now, I probably could have made a fortune selling my work globally and employed others with a very good wage…
You may think by looking at my furniture that I’ve made a pile of money with it. However, I was only able to develop it in the 4 years I spent at the co-op and I never had enough money to attend a “trade show” to market it properly. And as I’m responsible for my now 16 year daughter Monday / Friday, at the time I could only be at the shop about 4 hours per day during the week.
My plan is to incorporate the work of indigenous street artists and other talented creative people, carvers or otherwise – whose art is applicable to furniture and who for one reason or another are under-employed or not employed at all – into uniquely beautiful, one of a kind / store of value, artisanal craft furniture. In fact, the table top displayed at the bottom of the mission page is a work of art by Frank Williams (as are all other carvings displayed on this website) that I commissioned him to make about two years before I left the co-op (about 5 years ago). There are numerous artists like Frank who given the proper environment could generate a very good income from their art… if only given the right opportunity.
And so I am sure that over time the society can generate far more funds this way than by relying in perpetuity on the goodwill of donors, especially so given the fact that this artisanal craft furniture is one of a kind and completely unique. It will be offered for sale directly from this website and from selected online charity auctions to customers who appreciate this kind type of art. Additionally, this enterprise and equipment (and shop space possibly) will provide the society with a “legacy” funding source for generations to come.
A list of equipment needed to open the shop (along with other start up costs / lease or buy property / electrical services etc) can be viewed here.
And for the record, I discussed with Frank on several occasions over the 10 years I knew him how I wanted to start my own shop and incorporate his work and that of other talented carvers – aboriginal or otherwise – into high end craft art furniture.
Frank was very excited and enthusiatic about the possibility of earning a good living and having space in a shop to work at and not have to rely on tourists to buy his work. It’s too bad he is gone now and his passing did not have to happen as I explain in the following “In Memoriam”.
