The American Association of Woodturners’ annual wood art auctions feature original works by talented studio woodturners and artists. Proceeds from the auctions benefit the association’s educational grant program and professional outreach initiatives. This great event runs over two days on Friday June 23rd and Saturday June 24th with 52 and 45 lots respectively. Each piece is stunning in visual, and beautiful in it’s preparation. This is an auction not to be missed by anyone interested in wood art and woodturning. Registrations are available every day online right up until auction day.

The first session is Friday night, and is set as a fundraiser for The Educational Opportunity Grant. Every piece is a highlight worth viewing. Taking a look at Lot 515 is a piece from Sally Burnett entitled “Corvus Nero Collection”. This beautiful creation is made from English sycamore that is bleached, textured, and iridescent highlights with 24 carat gold leaf on the finial. In the words of the artist: “The Corvus Nero Collection was inspired by the landscape around my studio in Staffordshire. The raucous call of crows flying overhead echoes across the hardened furrows of the fields below. My breath visible as I survey the frozen landscape. The sense of stillness, overwhelming. The contrast of bleached wood and black matte acrylic, captures this moment in time. The textured bands of grain – the furrows of the fields, frozen and yet flowing across the landscape.” See the photo online and read the artist’s bio in the online catalog.

During the Saturday session they are fundraising for the Professional Outreach Program. Of the highlights, Lot 280 is something special. This is from Terry Martin and entitled “Zina Manesa Burloiu”. Made from walnut and Chilean myrtle, this measures 6 by 6 by 2.25 inches. As shared in the description in the online catalog: ” This collaborative piece by Zina Burloiu and Terry Martin represents their working relationship that defies distance and time. The lidded container shows the two different hemispheres they each work in. The plane of wood represents time and their exchange of ideas. The single star on one side of the plane is Terry on one side of the world and the array of stars in the other half is Zina showing how their ideas multiply and grow. The tiny sphere inside the lidded container shows the lines of latitude and longitude that represent the enormous distance separating and yet uniting them.

The Sphere we all live on, our planet, is divided into hemispheres to describe different geography, lands and cultures. Zina and Terry have transcended these limits to create a new way of working across the Northern and Southern hemispheres, across day and night, across seasons and time. They believe they have found the ideal way to create at a distance – face-to-face across the world – and are putting all of their energies into this newfound direction, taking inspiration from each other, from their different techniques and ideas. Spheres of Influence tells all this story in one piece. “. The artist’s bio is an excellent read available in the online catalog.

The American Association of Woodturners are celebrating with their symposium in Kansas City, Missouri. These two auctions are an incredible showcase for work from around the country, and will be working towards providing benefit for great causes. Registrations are open right up until the auctioneer readies the hammer, and bids can be left online before the auction. Auctioneering begins Friday night at 7:30 PM Central Time, and Saturday afternoon at 3:30PM Central Time. Learn more about the AAW at www.woodturner.org

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