The American Association of Woodturners is gearing up for their 2020 VIRTUAL Symposium that includes 3 sessions of fine works to bid on from any device anywhere in the world. The auction has two sessions with live and absentee bidding starting with the AAW Auction on July 10th starting at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. Next up is the Nature Nurture POP Auction that kicks off at 7:30 PM Eastern Time on July 11th. Finally, they offer up a special AAW Silent auction that opens for bidding on July 7th and closes July 12th at 7:30 PM Eastern.
AAW Live Benefit Auction – Friday July 10th ,2020 at 7:30 PM Eastern
Join in the excitement of live bidding on museum-quality
work. Funds raised will be used to effectively develop and deliver woodturning
education and service programs for our member community worldwide.
Click here to see and bid on these incredible pieces
POP Live Benefit Auction – Saturday July 11th, 2020 at 7:30PM Eastern
The works of established and emerging artists will be
auctioned to benefit the Professional Outreach Program (POP) which fosters and
promotes high standards of professionalism in the field of woodturning through
a broad range of initiatives, including awards, fellowships, and panel
presentations.
View and place bids on these items NOW
AAW Silent Auction – Closing at 7:30 PM Eastern on Sunday July 12th, 2020
Participate in the slower pace of silent bidding on a variety
of woodturned works and other items. Funds raised will be used by the AAW to
continue to develop and deliver woodturning education and service programs for
our member community worldwide.
Bidding opens July 7th, 2020 at 5 PM Eastern! Click here at that time to view!
About The American Association of Woodturners
Turn to the AAW…
for inspiration, education, and information about
woodturning tools, techniques, projects, safety, and more. When you join the
AAW, you have access to the single largest collection of woodturning
information anywhere in the world.
About the AAW
The American Association of Woodturners (AAW) is a
Minnesota nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, headquartered in Saint Paul,
Minnesota, dedicated to advancing the art and craft of woodturning worldwide by
providing opportunities for education, information, and organization to those
interested in turning wood. Established in 1986, AAW currently has more than
16,000 members and a network of over 365 local chapters globally representing
professionals, amateurs, gallery owners, collectors, and wood/tool suppliers.
AAW’s award-winning journal, American Woodturner is the foremost publication on
the art and craft of woodturning in the world.
Mission
The mission of the American Association of
Woodturners is to provide education, information, and organization to those
interested in turning wood.
Background
Woodturning is a unique form of woodworking that dates back to
ancient Egypt. Woodturning is done on a lathe, a machine that holds and spins
wood securely while it is shaped with sharp carving tools. Historically,
woodturning has been used to create functional objects like chair legs,
candlesticks, and bowls. Today, lathe-turned work is also understood as an art
form and vehicle for individual enrichment, creativity, and self-expression. It
can be found in galleries and museums around the world. Pieces may be
functional, ornamental, or even sculptural. With a modest learning curve,
woodturning engages people from age 8 to 108, and the skills acquired last a
lifetime.
Woodturning’s growth as a popular hobby and professional art form began quietly
in the years following World War II. By the early 1980s, woodturning had begun
to appear in galleries and craft shows, and woodworking magazines covered the
techniques and exciting new work of this old craft, now recharged with a sense
of innovation. Woodturning was taking a uniquely contemporary shape, but there
was yet no national coherence to the widespread activity.
In 1985, the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Gatlinburg TN) was one of the
few places in the United States where it was possible to teach or study
woodturning. Director Sandra Blain and woodturner David Ellsworth, a regular
instructor at Arrowmont, recognized the need to highlight the state of current
work in a national show. They engaged turner/sculptor Mark Lindquist and
Renwick Gallery Director Michael Monroe to help jury what became the 1985
exhibition, “Woodturning: Vision and Concept.” The show’s opening
coincided with a 3-day symposium, drawing more than 200 woodturners, at which
the concept of a national organization of woodturners was put forth. By April
1986, the American Association of Woodturners was formally named and
incorporated as a nonprofit organization. The AAW’s journal was launched later
that year, along with the first local chapters. The AAW’s first official
symposium was held in October 1987.
Today, the AAW has more than 16,000 members worldwide with 365+ local chapters, publishes the American Woodturner journal, organizes an annual International Symposium, sponsors woodturning outreach and education activities, and operates a gallery space in St. Paul MN’s Landmark Center.
