Islander Ron Glassett has furnished his house, fenced his property, and created art all with items from The Exchange

Published 2:24 pm Wednesday, March 2, 2011

One man has been perusing the rows of appliances, toys, dishware, clothing, and equipment at The Exchange since its inception in the early 1980s.

“I’m there every day it’s open,” said Ron Glassett, who could be described as a connosseiur of all things salvaged. “I am inspired by taking things apart and finding all the goodies inside. I recently took apart a remote control toy that had beautiful white plastic gears inside.”

Glassett collects anything and everything. He strings items like whisks, hair curlers, jewelry, and faucet parts onto bicycle spokes. The hanging window art is at his home and on display at The Exchange.

Glassett’s passion is his 11 acres on Eastman Road, which he purchased in 1974, while still living in Seattle. He moved to Orcas full-time in 1983, and has spent the last several decades “beautifying the land and putting up buildings.”

“All of it has been built with salvaged materials,” Glassett said. “We’ve furnished the house and shop from the Exchange.”

One of his most notable projects is bed spring fencing.

“I started collecting them and I had 30 to 40 different bed springs propped up against trees,” Glassett said. “Then I had the idea to do a fence.”

The six-foot high, deer-proof spring steel fencing covers 400 to 600 feet of his property.

“They rust out and you hardly notice them in the landscape,” he said. “The Exchange is a goldmine for artists … you need to be creative and take the time to think of new ways to use the materials.”

George Post had just opened The Exchange when Glassett moved to Orcas, and Glassett has been a fixture ever since.

“It was a good idea then and it’s only gotten better,” he said. “I think every small community needs something like this. If you come here often enough, everything comes through.”

The Exchange is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at the transfer station.

Glassett says he has been salvaging items for most of his life.

“I’ve owned a used bookstore, antique store, and a secondhand shop,” he said. “I love the challenge of finding out how things work and using that in a creative way.”

His long-time partner is Lisa Murphy, a retired baker, who is also an artist. She supports Glassett’s fascination with reusing unwanted items.

All of his found parts are organized in boxes and trays. He welcomes local artists to call him if they are interested in picking up objects. Call Glassett at 376-2600.

His future projects will center around his land, which has open fields, hillsides, and two ponds.

“I love creating outdoor rooms – spaces where people can feel comfortable,” Glassett said.