From AAW:

The American Association of Woodturners (AAW), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the art and craft of woodturning worldwide, will launch its first-ever three-day online “Virtual Symposium” July 10-12, 2020.

The all-online event will feature live educational woodturning demonstrations, special interest sessions, panel discussions, live auctions, Instant Gallery, prizes drawings for attendees, a virtual trade show, and more.

* Demonstrators for the event will include woodturning pros Trent Bosch, Cindy Drozda, Rudy Lopez, Glenn Lucas, Mike Mahoney, and Craig Timmerman. Topics will be announced. * Panel discussions will include social media/business, artistic practice, and an Instant Gallery critique. * Special Interest Sessions will include Gizmos and Gadgets, a presentation of “best of the best” woodturning tips, and a Women in Turning (WIT) presentation. * Each registered attendee may send an image to include in the Virtual Instant Gallery. * The cost for all three days of programming is $20.20 (nonrefundable), which includes access to a replay of recorded Virtual Symposium content for up to two weeks following the event.

The official schedule and additional details will be available soon. Registration opens June 5 and closes July 3. Click here for more information and to register.

AAW’s Executive Director Phil McDonald stated, “We are excited to present an AAW Symposium in a virtual format. And, we have taken a brave approach to registration costs to make the event available to as many people as possible. This format will enable our members and other woodturners to enjoy an affordable learning experience from the comfort and safety their own homes. Additionally, it will be a perfect opportunity for people interested in woodturning to get a feel for the craft at a low price.”

The AAW’s Annual International Symposium, which takes place in a new city every year, was scheduled for June 4-7, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. However, that in-person event had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health and safety of members, demonstrators, trade show vendors, partners, and other event attendees.

ABOUT THE AAW The American Association of Woodturners (AAW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, dedicated to advancing the art and craft of woodturning worldwide by offering opportunities for education, information, inspiration, and community to those interested in turning wood. Established in 1986, AAW currently has more than 16,000 members and a network of over 365 chapters globally representing professionals, amateurs, artists, hobbyists, gallery owners, collectors, and others. The AAW possesses the single largest collection of woodturning information anywhere and its award-winning journal, American Woodturner, is the foremost publication on the art and craft of woodturning in the world. To learn more, visit woodturner.org.

ABOUT WOODTURNING Woodturning is a contemporary craft with roots dating back 2,500 years. The process involves a lathe, a machine that securely holds and spins wood at high speeds, wherein artists and craftspeople shape objects using specialized gouges and chisels. Traditionally, woodturning has been used to create functional items, such as chair legs, candlesticks, and bowls. Today, lathe-turned work is also understood as an art form and vehicle for individual enrichment, creativity, and expression, and embraces diversity in both genre and makers. The objects produced are just as varied as the people who turn them. From functional objects, like bowls, to abstract sculptural forms, woodturning may include surface carving, embellishment, and finishing techniques, and specialized methods such as segmented, multi-axis, ornamental, pen turning. The art and craft of woodturning has a modest learning curve and engages people from age 8 to 108. Learn more about woodturning, visit AAW’s Discover Woodturning online resource.