May 2009 AAW Board LetterFrom Mary Lacer ... The following are guidelines that your chapter can pursue to get children interested in woodturning. As a side benefit you might also get some new members from parents, grandparents, caretakers, neighbors, etc. involved, since they will be bringing the children to the woodturning demonstration, hands-on instruction or special events. Some children's and art organizations within your local area, that your chapter can pursue to get children interested in woodturning, are:
To start the process, check with club members for additional contacts, where they work and other groups they are involved with in your local area. Exhibits and displays of woodturnings are a visual attraction and can be effectively used to take the education process to the next level. Think of it in action steps: grab their attention with exhibits and live demonstrations, get them involved in hands-on classes and then continue with project accomplishments and a club meeting. LOCAL SCHOOLS - Check with the Art Department at a local college and see if they have a shop where your local chapter might meet. Invite the students to be part of the chapter at no charge in exchange for use of their facility. The same would work for a woodworking store where you could have local chapter meetings. These are win/win situations for both the club and the company and a thank you from your chapter for providing the lathe and space for your chapter meetings, national demonstrations and hands-on classes. LOCAL LIBRARY EXHIBITS - Suggestions for places to set up local exhibits are libraries and resource centers. My experience in setting up shows in a library was very easy. There was no charge. All I had to do was pick a month and reserve it. Determine how many pieces you need for the space available and ask for woodturnings from your local chapter members. Put descriptions of the pieces together, contact information for the local chapter and AAW, a brief explanation of 'What is Woodturning', set it up and a month later go back and take it down. The pieces were in a secure, locked space and received a lot of attention. This was an excellent way to promote your local chapter and educate the public about woodturning. Consider donating an AAW membership to your library so the journal is available for the public to enjoy. LOCAL CORPORATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES - Display pieces in an exhibition space that corporations or public buildings have in their reception area. They may take different
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LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN EACH STATE - There are programs across the U.S. that make art instruction available to students. Some schools are now cutting out art classes altogether. The program in Minnesota is COMPAS. AAW was just accepted and our organization will be added to the Young Audiences of Minnesota/Global Arts & Culture roster, bringing more cultural and artistic awareness to the students of Minnesota. In Chicago, Illinois, it is Urban Gateways. In Dallas, Texas, Big Thought is a Young Audience chapter that partners with the Dallas school district. In Columbus the program works with the Ohio Arts Council. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania grants are made through the Society for Contemporary Craft supported by the Grable Foundation and the Pittsburgh Foundation. Another program is Young Audiences Arts for Learning. Its 30 affiliates around the country are engaged in several network projects that address the needs of children and teachers in local communities. The nationally-funded programs make a positive impact on the Young Audiences Arts for Learning network and the field of arts in education. In 1994 the White House recognized Young Audiences achievements in working with educational systems, the arts community and the private and public sectors to ensure that the arts play a decisive role in the education of young people. Local chapters can check within your community about partnerships with Young Audience affiliates around the country to see how they can work together. Affiliate Program Brochures and Information - Each affiliate publishes an annual program catalog with program descriptions and information on their artists/ensembles. Many of these are available on-line. Click here to go the "Where We Are" section. Then in the list under the map, click on the name of the YA affiliate in your community to go to their website or call for more information. A third organization is Arts Education Partnership directed by Richard J. Deasy. It is a private, nonprofit coalition of education, arts, business, philanthropic and government organizations that demonstrate and promote the essential role of arts education in enabling all students to succeed in school, life and work. Over 100 national organizations committed to promoting arts education in elementary and secondary schools throughout the country participate in the Partnership. Again, your local chapter can check how they can work together with students. What good comes from arts Education? Here are a few interesting statistics. The national advocacy group, Americans for the Arts, says that young people who consistently participate in the arts (at least three days a week for a year) are: FOUR times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, THREE times more likely to be elected to class office, FOUR times more likely to participate in a math and science fair, THREE times more likely to win a school attendance award, FOUR times more likely to win a writing award, FOUR times more likely to participate in youth groups, TWO times more likely to read for pleasure and FOUR times more likely to perform community service. ART IN HOSPITALS - Administrators from hospitals have noticed that art displayed in exhibit cases and on the walls lift the spirits of the patients. Woodturnings can also be displayed in the children's wing. Some local chapters donate 20 to 30 pieces that are on display for a month. When the pieces are sold the proceeds are divided between the hospital and the local chapter. SUPPORT FROM AAW - AAW awards Educational Opportunity Grants each year and the training of the next generation of woodturners is certainly an opportunity for your club to plan long range programs. Follow this link for information about an AAW EOG application and deadlines. AAW has developed a strong youth program at our symposium. A local chapter member can sponsor a youth in your community to attend. The exposure is wonderful. As an adult imagine what a youth will experience. Look to your own family - your child or grandchild would love to spend a weekend with you. Youth registration is free and there is a chance for the youth to win a lathe, tools and a chuck. Youth education progams will create an energy with a lifetime effect on the students as well as yourself. I encourage you to start the process in your local chapter. Please contact me if I can answer any questions or help you with ideas in your local area. Also, consider writing an article for the journal about your journey teaching future woodturners. Mary Lacer |
pieces on a rotation basis over the year. If you keep your eyes open, there are many areas in your city that could be used to put up a small display with contact information. AAW has part of our permanent collection on display in our county courthouse. Another idea is in the skyway system (in the colder climates) when people are indoors a little more. Elevator banks often have information displays for what is going on in your city where you could put local chapter information. There are always spaces for rent and a display of woodturnings in the window might attract attention to their space.