American Woodturners Symposium

By David Munkittrick

Photos by David Munkittrick

Posted: July 22, 2009

A Rich and Colorful Experience with Something for Everyone

The AAW (American Association of Woodturners) Symposium was held this year in Albuquerque, NM, from June 26-28. This was my first time at an AAW symposium. I have attended many a woodworking show over the 30 years I've been an active woodworker, and this one tops them all.

From the curious novice to the experienced pro, this show offers something for woodturners of all stripes. I found the show to be an incredibly rich and rewarding experience, not only as an amateur woodturner on the prowl to learn a few new tricks and acquire a few new tools, but also from a purely humanitarian point of view. The show did a bang up job of serving the woodturner's needs but it also went out of its way to serve the community at large. Auctions of donated turnings, both pro and amateur, were held throughout out the show. Through the "Return To The Community" program, some of the proceeds went to a local charity. This year's recipient was the Holland's Rose organization; an all volunteer group that specializes in affordable housing for people who must come to Albuquerque for medical treatments. The auctions also help fund the AAW's Educational Opportunity Grants (EOG). Last year, the EOG program awarded over $86,000 in grants. Over the years this grant money has gone to schools, local AAW chapters, students and individual AAW members. This show was a unique experience for me because I got the feeling I was participating in something much bigger and more exciting than just another trade show aimed at making money.

The Symposium was structured differently than most shows I've been to. For one, the show was divided into two parts: one part is free to the public, while the other part requires that attendees pay and register for the weekend.

One of the free activities is a large trade show that qualifies as a full-fledged show by itself. There were tons of vendors actively selling and demonstrating their products. Jet/Powermatic was the main sponsor of this year's trade show.

Other parts of the show that are open to the public include the Instant Gallery, the Special Exhibits and the Educational Opportunity Grant auctions.

The Instant Gallery is an open gallery where anyone can bring in his or her work for display. There was a wealth of woodturning from the beautiful to the bizarre. Most of the entries are donated to the Instant Gallery silent auction. Proceeds help fund AAW's Educational Opportunity Grant (EOG) and the "Return To The Community" gift. Inside the Instant Gallery I found resident artist, Jean-Francois Escoulen demonstrating how he makes his unique off-center turnings.

Also open to the public were four great exhibits. The "Spirit of the Southwest" was a juried exhibit that featured southwest inspired works; an amazing exhibit simply called "The Spindle" where invited artists expressed their idea of spindle work (forget about chair legs); an exclusive exhibit of Gary Knox Bennett's colorful work and the Merit Award exhibit featuring the work of Merryll Saylan. All four exhibits featured work by top-notch artists in the field.

One of the displays from the Instant Gallery.

The other half of the show requires a $250 registration fee. The fees are waived for Technical and Vocational Education teachers (another outreach effort by the AAW). Registrants gain access to the numerous live demos going on during show hours and also the many open forum and panel discussions on a wide variety of topics of special interest to turners.

For woodturners, the demos and discussions are the meat of the show. This year there were 54 high caliber demonstrators putting on approximately 150 instructive seminars. Each demonstrator has a team of two videographers shooting different camera angles as they work. The images are projected up on a screen every seat in the house is a good seat. You can't miss a thing even if there's a 300-lb guy sitting between you and the demonstrator.

Even my wife enjoyed the demos and she's neither a woodturner nor a woodworker. There's something about watching a real pro turn a block of wood into something beautiful that is satisfying for anyone to witness. As a turner, I learned many great tricks and tips in one short weekend.

One of the unique things about the AAW symposium was the way the show was geared for families. For non-turning spouses there are various guided tours of Albuquerque and the surrounding area to sign up for. They can also sign up for courses taught in the "Spouses Craft Room" where they can try their hand at crafts such as quilting, weaving, pressed flower greeting cards, jewelry making and wood carving.

For kids ages 10-17, there are hands on youth classes. The classes are held in a room stocked with 25 mini-lathes, chucks, turning tools and safety shields. The classes this year included: "Turning Basics", "Ball & Cup" (a game); "CD Tops"; "Tea Light"; "Gavel"; "Baseball Bat Pen". Each class is taught by expert turners such as Bonnie Klein, Joe Ruminski, Larry Miller, and Sherry & Al Hockenberry. Scores of volunteers are on hand to help each child have a positive experience. All the family activities are free with a single paid adult registration. The symposium registration fee was $250 if you registered before May 15th, $270 for later registrations and $290 at the door.

Finally, I can't forget the Banquet on Saturday night. It's a huge affair with good food and priceless camaraderie that you won't want to miss. The cost was $40-$45 per person depending on when you register. After the banquet ends, the doors are open to the public and the live auction begins.

If you're looking for a place to kick-start your interest in turning, check out the AAW Turning Symposium next year in Hartford, Connecticut, June 18-20, 2010. At this year's show, I found myself instantly a part of a friendly community open to sharing their talents for the benefit of everyone interested in woodturning. I'm sure you'll discover the same. For more info on the show or becoming an AAW member, go to: www.woodturner.org