About AAW

MISSION

The American Association of Woodturners exists to strengthen and empower the global woodturning community.

VISION

A world where woodturning is valued, inspirational, and accessible to all.

VALUES

Community – Community is at the heart of our organization, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose among woodturners of all skill levels and interests. We create a vibrant interconnected community through intentional and supportive inclusion.

Sharing – We are committed to sharing knowledge, time, techniques, and inspiration with the broader community.

Growth – The AAW fosters growth through learning, education, innovation and collaboration. We believe in allowing everyone to participate and succeed.

Safety – The safety and well-being of our community is valued above all else.

Ethics – AAW is dedicated to honest, fair, and transparent operations and relationships.

Respect – We are committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with dignity, kindness and empathy.

About the AAW

The American Association of Woodturners (AAW) is a Minnesota nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, dedicated to advancing the art and craft of woodturning worldwide by providing opportunities for education, information, and organization to those interested in turning wood. Established in 1986, AAW currently has more than 12,000 members and a network of more than 365 chapters globally representing professionals, amateurs, gallery owners, collectors, and wood/tool suppliers. AAW’s award-winning journal, American Woodturner is the foremost publication on the art and craft of woodturning in the world.

Background

Woodturning is a unique form of woodworking that dates back to ancient Egypt. Woodturning is done on a lathe, a machine that holds and spins wood securely while a woodturner shapes the wood using sharp carving tools. Historically, woodturning has been used to create functional objects like chair legs, candlesticks, and bowls. Today, lathe-turned work is also understood as an art form and vehicle for individual enrichment, creativity, and self-expression. It can be found in galleries and museums around the world. Pieces may be functional, ornamental, or even sculptural. With a modest learning curve, woodturning engages people from age 8 to 108, and the skills acquired last a lifetime.

Woodturning’s growth as a popular hobby and professional art form began quietly in the years following World War II. By the early 1980s, woodturning had begun to appear in galleries and craft shows, and woodworking magazines covered the techniques and exciting new work of this old craft, now recharged with a sense of innovation. Woodturning was taking a uniquely contemporary shape, but there was yet no national coherence to the widespread activity.

In 1985, the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (in Gatlinburg, Tenn.) was one of the few places in the United States where it was possible to teach or study woodturning. Director Sandra Blain and woodturner David Ellsworth, a regular instructor at Arrowmont, recognized the need to highlight the state of current work in a national show. They engaged turner/sculptor Mark Lindquist and Renwick Gallery Director Michael Monroe to help jury what became the 1985 exhibition, "Woodturning: Vision and Concept." The show’s opening coincided with a 3-day symposium, drawing more than 200 woodturners, at which the concept of a national organization of woodturners was put forth. By April 1986, the American Association of Woodturners was formally named and incorporated as a nonprofit organization. The AAW’s journal was launched later that year, along with the first local chapters. The AAW’s first official symposium was held in October 1987 in Lexington, Ky.

The AAW will celebrate its 40th Anniversary in 2026, highlighted by events at the 40th International Woodturning Symposium in Raleigh, N.C., June 4-7.
Read about our first 30 years 1986-2016: AAW: Transforming Woodturning in the US - The AAW looks back over the last 30 years (Reprinted with permission from Woodturning magazine, GMC Publications, Lewes, East Sussex, UK. Thank you Mark Baker.)

Today, the AAW organizes an annual International Symposium, sponsors woodturning outreach and education activities, and operates The Gallery of Wood Art in St. Paul, Minnesota's historic Landmark Center.