Joyce Anderson

Joyce Anderson (née Joyce Rinehart; November 24, 1923 – April 20, 2014) was an American furniture designer and woodworker. Anderson is known for her professional partnership with her husband, Edgar M. Anderson. Anderson attended Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Later, upon receiving a fellowship from the Sloan Foundation in New York City, Anderson attended New York University (NYU). At NYU, she earned a master's degree in public affairs and regional studies.

Anderson and her future husband, Edgar, met and dated in high school. Following Edgar's return from overseas, the couple was reunited and were married in 1946.

Woodworking While Anderson enjoyed economics and public affairs, she was faced with limited prospects when she had to find work quickly following the couple's move to Chicago. While reconsidering her career choices, Edgar started making furniture and eventually needed extra help. During this time Joyce became interested in design and made the decision to join her husband on the path to becoming a designer and builder. However, in doing so, they learned a great deal about future design decisions that they would need to make. Over time, the Andersons notoriety grew and they became recognized designers, no longer unknown repairers.

Joyce was one of the first professional female woodturners in the U.S. Starting in the early 1950s, she used woodturning as a practical way to generate income for her and her husband's woodworking business. She sold her turned pieces—ranging from bowls and plates to egg cups, candlesticks, and furniture components—at local and regional craft fairs. While Edgar handled other parts of the business, such as logging and milling wood from their property, Joyce was responsible for all turned work.

As their notoriety grew, they gained several patrons that would consistently support their work through commissions for years to come. One such couple, Sandy and Louis Grotta (he was the former president of Paige Electric), discovered the Andersons’ work on a visit to the Museum of Modern Art in the late 1950s. Sandy Grotta stated that upon seeing their work she fell in love and promptly “came home and got rid of all [her] furniture.” They completed each task on their own, from digging the foundation, to installing the heating and plumbing, to crafting the built-in storage and furniture.

Death In the 1990s, following decades of woodworking, Anderson had to stop turning wood due to a severe cough she had developed years before. What was originally thought to be a wood allergy turned out to be chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.