Message from Bill Haskell

 

Looking ahead to next year, there are some very special and exciting events the AAW has lined up. Founded in 1986, 2011 will be the AAW's 25th anniversary year. If you stop and think about it, both the AAW as an organization and woodturning as a craft and an art form have come an amazing distance over this period of time.
The organization has grown from 1 chapter and 1,510 members at the end of its first year, to 327 chapters and over 13,500 members currently. That is pretty phenomenal, and we are still growing. The number of beginners, hobbyists, and advanced turners has grown by leaps and bounds during this time. Just look at the fantastic and creative work they are now producing compared to 25 years ago. Think of the small group of professional woodturners at the beginning of the AAW, and look at the broad range of professionals today and their amazing work.

Consider our very first publication, a 17-page black and white Journal, and then look at our current very professional, color-printed, 72-page American Woodturner publication. What a remarkable transformation! Thanks to modern technology, a recent and new benefit made available to our membership is an accessible online library of all American Woodturner journals produced since the first one in June of 1986. Check out this valuable resource on the members only section of the AAW website; you will be amazed at the wealth of material provided over 25 years in our own fine woodturning publication.

Then, there is the Educational Opportunity Grant program that started out in its first year with a total of $700 awarded for several scholarships in 1987. Over the past three years, an average of about $73,000 has been given out yearly, for around 75 grants each year. There are more comparisons like this that graphically portray the very significant development and growth the AAW has experienced in its first 25 years. The level that our youth program has grown to is one good example.

As a part of our anniversary celebration and retrospective, a beautiful, extensively illustrated coffee table book is being prepared that documents the amazing journey the craft of woodturning and the AAW have taken over the last twenty-five years. This book will be of interest to woodturners, collectors, gallery owners, and anyone with a keen interest in the history of contemporary crafts. We are offering a 20% discount for pre-ordering which can be done at the 2010 symposium in Hartford and on the AAW website later in June of this year. Books will begin shipping in June of 2011, and will be subsequently available for purchase at the 2011 St. Paul symposium and on-line.

Another key event is the "Turning 25: A Celebration" exhibition that will premiere at the 2011 St. Paul symposium. This will be a unique and very special exhibition that will showcase work from our AAW chapters. Each chapter is invited and encouraged to enter a piece for this exhibit. What a vast and remarkable display of woodturning this will provide.

Of course, the 2011 symposium in St. Paul, Minnesota, will be an exciting and momentous occasion that celebrates our 25th anniversary. This will truly be a special occasion that many are looking forward to, and one you will not want to miss. Join with us in celebrating this momentous occasion in St. Paul.

This is my sixth and last year on the AAW Board of Directors. It has been a very worthwhile journey, making many new friends, traveling to new locations, learning more about the vast woodturning world, but most of all working with good people who are dedicated to making our organization the best it can be. Yes, being a director can be time consuming and challenging, but in the end it has been a memorable and fulfilling undertaking of which I'm thankful and proud to have been a part. A most sincere thank you for the opportunity to represent and serve you. I hope more of you will consider becoming a board member or contribute in other meaningful ways to the success of our fantastic organization.

Bill Haskell, Director
American Association of Woodturners