AAW 2026 Member Show "Turning 40"

Applications dates: January 1 to March 15, 2026

Notification April 15, 2026

 

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The American Association of Woodturners turns 40 in 2026—and we invite you to help us celebrate. This isn’t an over-the-hill moment; it's a milestone anniversary honoring our shared legacy and it looks ahead to the future of woodturning. Each year, the annual AAW Member Exhibition at the International Symposium showcases a diverse range of outstanding work from our members around the world.

For Turning 40, the jurors will be looking for a range of works expressing the extraordinary range of techniques, topics, materials and approaches woodturning offers, from a traditional bowl with a perfect curve to work that pushes our ideas of what is possible to pieces that explore the title theme. 

Work must have been made between March 1, 2024 and March 15, 2026. Selected work will be juried blindly through photographs and text.

Entry Fee: The entry fee is $25 for up to three entries. The fee is waived for fulltime students in art, design, or industry-related degree programs.

Venues:

  • Turning 40 will premiere at the AAW’s Annual International Woodturning Symposium at the Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, June 4 to 7.
  • AAW Gallery of Wood Art, Landmark Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota, August 10 to November 30, 2026.

Both of these venues are free and open to the public.

Awards: Two cash awards will be presented: the $300 Masters’ Choice Award, selected by the jurors or their representatives, and the $200 People’s Choice Award, selected by attendees at the 2026 AAW International Symposium.

Guidelines

  • The show is open to any current AAW member anywhere in the world, and to fulltime students in art, design, or industry-related degree programs, regardless of AAW membership status.

  • All types of turnings are welcome: sculptural, functional, segmented, ornamental, green-turned, traditional, etc. (Please contact Tib Shaw if your project is more than 48" (122cm) tall or wide.)

  • Collaborations are welcome. A designated contact person is required.

  • A theme statement of up to 100 words that describes your interpretation of the theme is required. 

  • You are free to use any medium, but work must be created, at least in part, on the lathe.

  • Work must have been created in the past two years (between March 2024 and March 15, 2026).

Entry images

Submit digital images in .jpg format, maximum size 2 MB per file. Minimum 2800 pixels per inch on the longest side. You may provide up to three images for each entry. The main image should be an overall shot; the remaining two images can include details or alternative views. Since the show is juried through photographs, it is important that images be clear, properly exposed, and in focus. Do not watermark or include your name on the images. A plain background is strongly preferred for jurying, and Instagram-style images are discouraged.  No composite photos; multiple views in a single JPG will be disregarded in jurying.

There are many online tools for resizing your images. Resizepixel is free, fairly simple, and does not require you to download software.

Delivery and display

Accepted work can be shipped ahead to the Symposium staging site to arrive by May 22, or hand-delivered on Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or Thursday, June 4, 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. Thursday drop-offs after 9:00 a.m. will not be included.

Shipping to the Symposium is paid by the artist. Return shipping is provided by the AAW. If you're shipping work, we recommend you insure the piece at 55% of the price you list on the form, and get tracking information. Double-boxing is recommended, and required for most insurance claims. Work that arrives improperly packed will only be insured if the shipment is lost on the return trip.

Artwork must be in excellent condition, be as shown in the entry images, and ready for installation. All work must be freestanding or with an easel or other support provided. Support subject to approval.

Sales

Displayed work need not be for sale, but for pieces that are sold, the AAW/artist split will be 45%/55%. Sold work must remain with the show until it closes in Saint Paul at the end of November, 2026. Sold work may be replaced at the curator’s discretion.

Awards

Masters’ Choice Award of $300
People’s Choice Award of $200

Questions? Contact Tib Shaw at [email protected].