American Association of Woodturners
July 2010 AAW Board Letter
Message from Jean LeGwin
So much to see, so little time! That was the
dilemma for those who attended the Hartford symposium a couple of weeks ago. There was the AAW talent
show hula dancing, musical magic), special interest night (segmented, pen
turning, ornamental turning, and collectors of wood art), three gallery shows
(Maple Medley, The Teapot, and a Gathering of Spoons), the instant gallery
showcasing extraordinary work, an amazing group of vendors eager to show off
new tools and products, and finally, the incredible selection of
demonstrations. There was truly something for every woodturner.
The intimate gallery critique was a new addition to symposium activities. Those
who wished could have their pieces critiqued in a small gathering by experts in
areas such as hollow forms (David Ellsworth), surface treatment (Jacques Vesery), natural edge forms (Jerry Kermode), sculptural
work (Betty Scarpino), segmented work (Curt Theobald), and everything else (Jim Keller). This was a
very successful event and we hope it will become a regular event in future
symposiums.
POP supported a series of demonstrations by merging artists that was
also a crowd pleaser. Pascal Oudet, Tucker Garrison,
David Belser, and Nick Agar were featured this year.
Historical Woods sponsored an exhibit celebrating the use of woods from trees
felled on national monuments and sites including Mount Vernon, and Monticello.
Artists created pieces in their own style referencing the historic site of the
wood from which the piece was made. We thank William Jewel for sharing this
with the AAW.
The symposium itself was made possible by the dedicated help of the hundreds of
volunteers who offered their time and energy. They were everywhere and visible
from the first moment to the last: registration, the instant gallery, Handout Handbook production, room assistants, youth room
instructors, merchandise sales, auction assistants, videographers, and
setup/cleanup. We can't thank them enough for their generosity and willingness
to give something back to the AAW.
The Handout
Book was bigger and better
than ever this year with 238 pages of information covering most of the
demonstrations, symposium activities, and programming. For those of you who
weren't able to attend, you can purchase a copy from the AAW. You can call the
office at (651) 484-9094 or place an order on line through this link.
There is one event of the symposium that I think deserves more attention:
The Chapter
Collaborative Challenge, or C3 as my
local club as dubbed it. It is a terrific opportunity for local clubs to come
together in ways not possible during normal club meetings and activities.
Planning, designing, and executing a collaborative project requires
a team effort and can entice members who would usually stay on the sidelines to
become involved. There are jobs for every level of skill and interest in the
creation of most projects. Working with other club members in the way that a C3
project requires is a great way to get to know other club members, learn new
techniques, and just have fun.
It also offers the opportunity for public outreach and education in finding
venues for your clubs project to be displayed whether that be
in a local library, museum, or gallery. In talking with our local museum, my
chapter has been offered an opportunity to display our project and to put on an evening demonstration of
woodturning as part of a fund-raiser. Educating the public about woodturning is
one of the primary missions of the AAW, and showing of your wonderful project
is a great way to attract interest from the public.
We had eleven clubs participate in the Chapter Collaborative Challenge this
year. Best of Show was awarded to Wilmington Area Woodturners
Association from North Carolina for their 1850s Waterwheel Powered Woodturning
Shop. The Fantasy award went to the Association of Revolutionary Turners
from Massachusetts. The Technical award
was won by First State Woodturners from Delaware for
Tilting at Windmills.
Nested Spheres by Granite State Woodturners from New
Hampshire won the artistic category. Western Mountain Woodturners
from Maine, Bucks Woodturners from Pennsylvania, Long
Island Woodturners from New York, Central New York Woodturners also from New York, Space Coast Woodturners from Florida, Big Island Woodturners
from Hawaii, and Central Connecticut Woodturners from
Connecticut also participated with stellar entries.
All the clubs produced amazing pieces displaying an incredible variety of
creativity and techniques. The Chapter Collaborative Challenge received a lot
of attention from Instant Gallery visitors who seemed fascinated by the variety
of work. For the 25th anniversary celebration next year, I hope many of the
chapters who have never submitted a project will accept the challenge to join
in, and that those who have previously submitted a project will start planning for 2011. All who participate
in the Chapter Collaborative Challenge come away winners.
Jean LeGwin
Board member
American Association of Woodturners
AAW Websites
woodturner.org galleryofwoodart.org Symposium information