Meet Reagan Zubiate | Artist & Wood Worker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Reagan Zubiate and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Reagan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk has a variety of forms, but I believe all of them can be important to our growth as artists, designers, or simply as people. Sometimes they are an active, planned approach, and sometimes they are more spur-of-the-moment. I feel like my career was more of a spur-of-the-moment risk that has developed into a series of more thought out risks, but still remembers the original jump into the unknown.

March of 2020 was one of the final months of my senior year in high school; I planned on pursuing music production and possibly making my own music. But as we know, the COVID pandemic changed much of our lives, and the music industry was basically nonexistent. After this turn of events, I decided to take some time to explore different job options, and different careers, and long story short, I landed myself in the trades of woodworking.

Woodwork was a completely unplanned, almost accidental risk, but I quickly fell in love! Since then, I have been honing my skills with different positions at cabinet shops, installation teams, and graduated with an AAS in Fine Woodworking at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado.

Even though woodworking was a spur-in-the-moment risk, it has led itself for me to take more calculated, smaller risks to help further my skills, my artistry, and my career. In the end, risk taking is incredibly important for me in my career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
New Leaf Design is still in the very early chapters of being written. Woodworking was a huge risk for me in the beginning, and I had absolutely no idea where it would take me. In the beginning, it felt like jumping off a cliff into dark, deep, unknown waters where anything could happen to me. I embrace that within my own work and mindset.

In college, I decided to make the best of this leap into the unknown, and push my limitations. Every new project, I created a challenge for myself. Whether the project was completely hand cut, or had special joinery, or new techniques, I continued to push my skills. Additionally because I was in school, I saw that as a safe space to fail. If I failed a project, I wouldn’t lose my job, destroy my career, or destroy my personal life, I just failed a college project.

This wasn’t an easy journey, but pushing my boundaries has created new limits for my own work. One of my favorite pieces, Morii, was a combined final for a chair making class and bent lamination class. I took both of these classes, and quickly realized I could make two ‘okay’ projects or make one amazing project. I set the limitation that this chair had to be fully bent lamination. I didn’t even know if it was possible, but again, I wanted to try anyways. In the end, I persevered through a very difficult few months, and succeeded.

I believe this willingness to take creative chances sets me apart from other artists. I don’t want to cater towards a specific trend or style, I just want to create. Simply put, creating is what drives me, it is what keeps me challenged, and satisfied in life, and if other people enjoy my work, that’s wonderful!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As someone born and raised in Colorado, I would take someone to my absolute favorite place, which is Glenwood Springs. Growing up, it was my family’s tradition to visit Glenwood every summer. We would go camping, hiking, swimming in the famous hot springs, and simply enjoy the beautiful mountain town.

To start off the trip, I would take them to Hanging Lake. It is a brutal hike where you gain over a thousand feet in elevation on a mile long hike, but at the top is a crystal clear, turquoise lake that is simply breathtaking. After this difficult hike, I would relax in the hot springs for the evening and end off the night at the Chocolate Moose, a tasty ice cream and chocolate shop.

I love this little town and would recommend anyone to go!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Laura Kishimoto is an incredible woman and designer who has truly inspired me to become the greatest artist I can become.

After enrolling in Red Rocks Community College for their Fine Woodworking program, I had no idea where to begin. On a whim, I decided to enroll specifically in Laura’s intro class because she was one of the only female instructors. After beginning her class, I was met with a soft spoken, but stoic woman who cared deeply about her craft. She focused on intentional design and intentional execution.

Along with intentionality, she taught me how to be a strong-willed woman in a male-dominated field. She told me I would need to push my weight around and make room for myself in such a space. I have kept to that, and stood my ground against sexism and gender limitations. I haven’t been directly attacked because of my gender, but more systematically. I quietly fight this by continuing to make art and pushing my own limitations.

Right after completing this intro class with Laura, the school put up posters acknowledging different instructors work, and unknowingly, Laura has an absolutely beautiful chair in the Denver Art Museum. Seeing this poster, I immediately went to see her work in person, and I was awestruck.

Laura is such an accomplished artist with gorgeous work in a museum, but she spent the time and effort to carefully teach me the basics of woodwork, furniture design, and how to navigate the world as a female artist. She deserves a huge amount of recognition for my own support, mentorship, and encouragement.

Website: https://www.newleafdesign.llc

Instagram: @newleafdesign.llc

Image Credits
Reagan Zubiate