Wood Day at the Folk Art Center

August 11   Wood Day at the Folk Art Center  An annual celebration of wood crafts including craft demonstrations and hands-on activities. The Twelfth Annual Carve Off Competition takes place between 1 - 3 PM. For the contest, participants have two hours to turn a simple block of wood into a work of art. Carvers must sign up by 12:30 to participate. Demonstrations include flute making, wood turning, broom making and furniture design and construction. FREE admission.

The Folk Art Center is located at milepost 385 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville NC.

New Exhibition at The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design: Torqued & Twisted: Bentwood Today

February 10 through  June 29, gallery hours 12PM - 5PM at The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, 1181 Broyles Road, between Hwy 64 and South Rugby in Hendersonville, NC - Opening Reception: Friday, Feb. 10 from 5-7 PM.  Torqued & Twisted: Bentwood Today.  Co-curated by Katie Lee and Tom Loeser, this exhibition explores the work of nine furniture makers and sculptors who use the technique of bending wood in innovative, unusual and eloquent ways.

Wood bending is typically accomplished through one of three approaches: Ñsteaming, laminating or greenwood bending. Steaming requires the application of heat and moisture to allow the wood fibers to bend and slide against each other.  Greenwood bending uses freshly cut smaller diameter saplings, often willow, which are inherently flexible due to the high moisture content in the freshly cut wood.

Bentwood came to symbolize the modern movement in furniture design, but it still offers a tempting territory for a range of aesthetic and formal explorations. The artists/designers in this exhibition push the limits of wood bending to create extraordinary functional and sculptural works of art that are conceptually challenging and expand  understanding and expectations of wood as a material.

This exhibit was funded, in part, by a Grassroots Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts; administered by the Arts Council of Henderson County.

Last Day for A Wood Collector's Home at Grovewood Gallery

July 1 - Oct 2  A Wood Collector's Home at Grovewood Gallery  featuring the works of 19 top wood artists from across North America. A Wood Collector’s Home will showcase 3 rooms with handcrafted furniture pieces, as well as wall mounted and freestanding sculptural works. The exhibition honors the idea of incorporating, enjoying, and using handmade, heirloom wood objects in daily life. Today is the final day for the show.

Country Workshops Fall and Winter Tutorials

Registration is now open for fall and winter tutorials at Country Workshops. These courses are limited to 4 students. Tuition includes materials, meals and your private room. Specialized tools are provided for all of these courses. Drew Langsner is the instructor.  Country Workshops include woodworkers of all abilities – beginners, amateurs and professionals.

Fall Tutorials

October 3 - 7: Ladderback Chairmaking 

November 14 - 18: Rustic Windsor Chairmaking 

December 5 - 9: Carving Bowls and Spoons 

Winter 2012 Tutorials 

January 16 - 20: Ladderback Chairmaking 

January 30 - February 3: Rustic Windsor Chairmaking 

February 13 - 17: Carving Bowls and Spoons 

February 27 - March 2: Making the Hearth Chair 

March 26 - 30: Making a Corner Cabinet 

April 9 - 13: Rustic Windsor Chairmaking 

Registration can be by postal mail, phone (828-656-2280) or e-mail. The tutorial deposit is $350, with the balance due 4 weeks before each course begins. The cancellation policy and a printable registration form is on the web site.

NC Arboretum Begins New Exhibitis Today

May 28 - Sept 6  Botanical Chords and The Fine Art of Wood   Two new exhibits at the NC Arboretum:

Botanical Chords by Terry Ashley blurs the line between science and art. A former research scientist at Yale University School of Medicine, Ashley developed her technique while pursuing her hobby of photographing plant parts under the light microscope. Ashley termed her art “chords” because they connect two separate images, one traditional plant photograph and one image taken at a cellular level.

The Fine Art of Wood  is an International Invitational Exhibition of Woodturning featuring the work of more than 40 artists from across the country and around the world. The exhibit will showcase a wide variety of style and presentation, from pedestal and tabletop pieces to wall hangings.