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PrintArtist close-up: Stephanie Odegard
“Sustainable Design and Social Responsibility”
Stephanie Odegard found her business inspiration in Nepal.
At the time, she was working for the World Bank to help locals in the wool and rug trade expand the industry and secure a better life for their families.
In the process, she discovered the materials and skills necessary for creating a previously unparalleled quality of hand-knotted Tibetan carpet.
When she returned to the United States, she founded Odegard Inc., a company recognized for its sleek designs and philanthropic pursuits.
Now she’s a leader in the interior design world and the award-winning owner of an innovative carpet company.
In celebration of Earth Month, Odegard will present “Sustainable Design and Social Responsibility” at 6:30 p.m., April 15, at Philbrook Museum of Art.
Explaining industry techniques and sharing stories from her world travels, Odegard will detail how sustainable practices and social responsibility can combine to provide a life of dignity for artisans and their families. Guests who come at 5:30 p.m. can see a demonstration of the artist’s process and also enter a vegetable dye identification contest.
Brian Hughes, showroom manager of SR Hughes on Brookside, is the only Odegard dealer in Oklahoma and first partnered with the designer in 1999 when he was immediately captivated by her work.
“Since the beginning, we’ve thought about her carpets as art for the floor,” he explains.
Hughes describes Odegard’s style as classic elegance with a unique niche.
Hughes partnered with Philbrook to bring Odegard to Tulsa because he values her product, which he finds “has thousands of human hours in each finished piece” and “begins to help us see a different way of life … one where people live far more simply.
“In every instance, Odegard has sought to preserve these beautiful cultural elements in her rugs and furniture,” Hughes says.
Odegard’s commitment to the artisans is also evident in her involvement with the RugMark Foundation, an organization seeking to eliminate illegal child labor in the worldwide carpet trade. Odegard is one of RugMark’s leading supporters and its largest U.S. contributor. Her participation supports the educational programs the foundation offers, which have benefited more than 3,000 children.
“We knew we had something rare and beautiful,” Hughes recalls regarding his first encounter with Odegard. “We fell in love with the product and the story … the rest is easy.”
Tickets for the event are $7.50; senior discounts are available and admission is free for ages 18 and under. Philbrook is located at 2727 S. Rockford Road. Call 749-7941 or visit www.philbrook.org for more information.
