Fall 2007 President's LetterFrom Angelo Iafrate... First, let’s take a look at what our mission statement reads. Following is a word-for-word quote from the first paragraph: “The Association’s purpose is to foster a wider understanding and appreciation of lathe-turning as a traditional and contemporary craft and a form of art among the general public, hobbyist turners, part-time turners, and professional turners.” The first part of the sentence tells us that we should be advocates for the wider understanding of what woodturning is to us. We have generally interpreted this to mean that we should teach the general public the value of a hand-turned bowl, box, or vessel, unembellished and uncarved. Some of our members would be content to limit the coverage of our journal articles, hands-on demonstrations, and teaching to only traditional topics. However, the second part of our mission statement casts a wider net. In my mind, we should teach the basics, and we should also present the work of the people who bleach, stain, paint, carve, or otherwise embellish a turning. Some prefer to label these works sculptures and refuse to call them turnings, even though the finished pieces had their beginnings on the lathe. In my opinion, the AAW’s umbrella is big enough to include all people that appreciate our work.
|
(Letter continued) At the Portland symposium, Paulo Marin of CryoSteel Engineering donated a three-piece set of turning tools to each of the kids that turned in the Youth Turning Room. Paulo had these tools engraved with “Portland, Oregon 2007.” When the symposium was over, 38 sets of tools remained. Youth instructors and several board members donated a dozen sets of tools to the John C. Campbell Folk School. Additional sets were provided to the local chapters in appreciation of their volunteer work at the symposium. The Willamette Valley Woodturners passed that club’s set on to the North Salem School. The Cascade Woodturners passed its set on to the Franklin High School, the site of chapter meetings. In 2008, our 22nd annual symposium will be held June 20–22 in Richmond, Virginia. Unfortunately, because of availability dates at the Richmond Convention Center, these dates coincide with the Utah Woodturning Symposium in Provo, another outstanding turning event. This has created a stir among the members who look forward to attending both educational programs. The AAW will make an active effort to avoid this overlap in the future. The AAW has notified the Provo organizers of symposium locations and dates through 2011. For dates and locations of upcoming AAW and Utah symposiums, see woodturner.org and follow the link on the news tab to symposiums. Angelo IafratePresident AAW |
