Is Woodturning on the ascendency, or on the decline? Utilitarian or art. or both?

[Roger Chandler]

Okay........I've been away on vacation [ I am home now, and anxious to get back to the lathe] and while away, I have read some threads about gallery participation [John Keetons, Charlie Knightons, David DeCristoforo's ,etc.] here.

My question.........especially in this bad economy...........in your opinion is wood turning on the ascendency, or is it in decline? As an art form, and as it relates to utilitarian pieces. I am interested in perspectives as it relates to sales, and the markets for pieces turned, and also wonder if there is an increasing involvement in this craft in the general population?

Could the wood turning community be reaching a "saturation point" or are we going into a period where more and more of the public is gaining an appreciation for turned items and are likely to purchase turned objects?

[Dennis Ford]

It is clear to me that participation in wood turning is ascending. I suspect that the market for turned goods is also increasing but not keeping up with the increased supply.

[Dick Wilson]

Ascending or decline???????? Obviously, turning is on the increase as far as people getting into turning. As far as the general public's attitude towards woodturning ???? I think it really lags behind.

I have had my work in a local gallery for 6 years. Every month they send out an announcement that they are having a special showing of a particular artist or artists who work in a specific medium......painting, jewelry, sculpter, pottery, etc. I have talked to the owners about having a showing of wood....specifically turned art. No go. Either the gallery doesn't consider woodturning art or they don't think it will be well received by their customers. I think it is a combination of both. There is certainly a long way to go to change this perception. I think it is getting better.

Educating the public is the only way to change this perception. I do 8-9 art shows a year, Art Prize, and enter as many art competitions as I have time for. I have never been turned down. I spend most of my time talking to people about turning and the process involved. I believe it is up to us to get our work out there to change that perception.

More later................. I am thinking

[Tim Rinehart]

I've got to believe that first and foremost...it's definitely on it's ascendency. Secondly, I think from an art and/or craft perspective, it's only getting more and more good exposure from the likes of some of our beloved artists we know from SMC, WTA, WOW...and that doesn't even count the number of ones in the UK and rest of world.
I think it's reasonable to suggest that the art community at large, is seeing more and more every year, and to that end, some local regional gallerys that may have only had a few artists represented, now have access to a few more or to some at all for the first time.
So saturation...perhaps not. Better visibility...sure. IMHO of course!

[Thom Sturgill]

Turning is definitely growing in terms of how many turners, talk to any club, or pay attention to the ads from Woodcraft and Rockler and other vendors who primarily sell into the larger woodworking community. The ads seem more and more to center on the wood turning tools, and I have to think that that is because turning tools are what sells. In woodcraft's flyers, it seems turning tools have moved from the back pages to the front page over the last three years.

The other observation is the growth of what is being called the 'maker' movement. People that are tired of mass produced junk and want to learn to build something themselves. Its also part of the overall DIY movement, though part of the motivation of the DIY movement seems to be cost, part is definitely in line with the makers. Makers are very appreciative of other makers work, and whether we consider ourselves artists or just turn utility objects, we ARE makers.

[charlie knighton]

the "Baby Boomers" are retiring , just my opinion, but i believe we are getting an increase in turners because there are more people in the age group that wants to do "something". i also believe that the buyers are a smaller group, ie the economy, less housing sales....less decorating change

just imo

[David DeCristoforo]

Turning is gaining momentum and turned objects are finding more acceptance as "art". But sales are "in decline" as they are in almost every other area. Art is simply not commanding the kind of prices that were common ten years ago. "Functional" objects do a bit better but pricing is still an issue. People are much more cautious about spending and that is pretty much "across the board".

[Jim Burr]

I had to enlist help keeping my gallery in Wa supplied with pens, stoppers and wine glasses. I can make 3 pens a day before ADD kicks in and then I move on to something else. At the 2 shows I do a year (the same ones all the time) the fun stuff sells like crazy, proceeds for the November one are all donated to cancer scholarship funds and the other is at Vintage Days, Fresno State University’s annual 3 day party. Everything utility is gone in a couple hours. Our church is really blessed to have a 3k sqft shop with everything!!!! 3 lathes, a David & Wells 36" Band saw, Delta table saw 2 router tables with PC routers...tons more stuff. When we do demos in between services (we are a Mega church) we have no less than 50 people sign up for classes. During our Men’s Retreat, we bought 100 Slimline kits and needed 100 more so we made stoppers. People around here appreciate the Artsy stuff, but it serves no purpose. A pizza cutter or cheese platter will sell in 5 minutes where a HF w/ finial will get an ooooo....ahhhh and then folks move on. Turning is on the rise I'd guess, but more in a utilitarian mode than art. A possible reason could be that people may want to make stuff they and others can use as opposed to just look at.

[Kenny Jacobson]

As a recent entrant to woodturning, I think there is a growing awareness of turned objects within the population at large. I think it's even expanding into the part of the public that does NOT routinely go to craft shows. But I agree that because of the economy, people are more willing to give their appreciation and admiration than their $$$. Occasionally I'll talk to my bro-in-law's "hipster" friends and they all seem genuinely interested in the woodturning projects I show them, either mine or others. Unfortunately, hipsters don't seem to have a lot of disposable income. :)

[Jamie Donaldson]

Woodturner wannabes continue to appear out of the woods, but woodturners making a living as artists are few and far between. The few items selling these days at shows and galleries are utilitarian and a reflection of the economy, and the people buying tools and wood to turn are mostly we seniors looking for entertainment in retirement. I wonder where members for organizations like the AAW are going to come from to replace us in 20 yrs.? I've been doing juried shows for 15 yrs. to promote turning as an Art medium, have never made commercial items like bottle stoppers, and my business now makes shows hardly worth the effort since I'm not a famous name. But I'm having fun doing demos and traveling to more and more regional and national symposia when I can, spreading the knowledge of turning that I was fortunate to collect.

[Wally Dickerman]

Sales on turnings in my galleries has been very slow for the past several years. That's the economy and has nothing to do with the fact that woodturning itself is steadily growing as a hobby. Just think of all of the new lathes being sold. Then think of how difficult it is to find a good used lathe. The sale of the ever growing number of new tools available is growing I'm sure.

The growth of woodturning in the past 30 years is phenominal. As some of you may know, I started turning about 75 years ago. I'd been turning for perhaps 40 years before I ever met another turner. There weren't any turning clubs that I knew of. I joined the AAW at the beginning. The first ever AAW symposium, in 1987, whick I attended, had somethhing like 400 attendees. I suspect that was nearly the total membership. Now there are over 14,000 members and growing. I don't know how many affiliated clubs there are but it's over 250.

The answer is, yes woodturning is growing at a very steady pace. The sale of art turnings is slow, but I think that the sale of functional turnings is steady.

[Roger Chandler]

Wonderful perspectives, all who have answered so far...............I also think it would be a great thing to know about how the sales are in different regions of the country, and other countries as well. I wonder if the UK or Canada has any more of a hot market than a lot of the USA?

[Erik Johanson]

I wonder where members for organizations like the AAW are going to come from to replace us in 20 yrs.?

While I may not be a member of the AAW yet, I am a newer and younger turner compared to some who have been turning longer than I have been alive, but I do not think you will have a hard time finding younger members to follow in the footsteps of our elders. I began turning less than a year ago, mainly so I could learn enough to teach some of the basics to my woodworking students. From that point on I was hooked and I know I have a few students who are also just from watching my turn in my spare time. I think turning is on the rise but for reason's other than what has been mentioned thus far. Most of the posts thus far have dealt with the business side or the selling of turnings but not everyone get's into turning to sell their work. Would it be nice to make some money from the projects we make, sure but not everyone has that in mind.

For me the reasons why turning is on the upswing are simple. One: Turning in nature allows for instant gratification. You can spend an hour on the lathe and have a finished product that looks like you took hours to complete, what other hobby or project can claim the same thing? Flat work as it's called can be gratifying the time commitment involved is huge and not everyone has that kind of space.

Two: Turning is on the up swing because of folks like you, us or all of the above. People who are passionate about what they do and are happy to teach others how to get better. If it was not for the wealth of knowledge of this group I personally would have given up a long time ago. I read all the time about creekers getting together and mentoring each other or tutoring each other in new areas or just spreading the wealth of new found turning gold (fresh lumber).

Three: My third reason would have to be exposure. Walley Dickerman stated in this thread that he turned for 40 years before he meet another turner let alone have the opportunity to join a club. I had not even starting turning yet and it had been recommended that I join a local turning club. This kind of exposure to the craft/hobby has to help propel turning because it helps like up those with skill with those that need some.


Just my thoughts from one of the youngin's

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

So if woodturning as an activity is growing, and sales of turned objects are waning with the economy, I would conclude there will be a lot of circular shaped objects under this years Christmas tree.
Though I am sure sales of "wooden art" is probably being victimized by the poor economy, I believe there is still a portion of the populace who realizes they can buy art at affordable prices right now. I don't follow the art market but I know based on the work I see here, on WOW and the AAW site, there is no shortage of world class turners and turned art. I have met and expect to purchase pieces from young artists I believe will become well known eventually. The work is reasonably priced and enjoyable to look at. If it appreciates some day, so much the better.
faust

[Jim Burr]

To add something many of us of age have seen...the internet is growing. Although not in that populous yet, many people have the ability to generate their own websites and shoot high res pictures. Since many utilitarian items and art type works are tactile...Galleries and shows are almost a must. Stacey and I are running up to LaConner Wa for the grand opening of Bison Gallery where my junk is sold; he moved from Friday Harbor to LaConner where the tourist traffic is stupid amazing. I did 3 more pens this morning and will do 3 more stoppers and prep 3 more wine glasses for shipment this week. Places like Esty, Ebay (on a limited basis) and local show places are good resources to think about.

[Michelle Rich]

When I started selling my wares, utilitarian turnings were what was made.I started my career making turned rockers & chairs and did so for 25 yrs. Over time I branched out & followed the turning trends. Folks got into it to improve their homes & make furniture, or ballisters, or kid's toys. I've watched the last 25 yrs as turning has become an art form, and many shelf-sitters have been turned. I view this as the baby-boom generation that went thru the longest $$$/economy on the up-up-up. Folks have disposable income like crazy and were willing to buy lathes & all the accessories , and the buyers also had $$$ and willing to spend. Times have changed. What went up has now come down. Folks can't affored the art to sit on a shelf. I cannot afford to make items folks cannot buy. So I retired and closed my gallery
Interesting topic Roger...

[Roger Chandler]

Michelle,

You and some others have gotten to the central point of my question...............in my mind I am wondering if in the next few years there will be a market for turned items...........one of the things I hope to do in retirement is to suppliment my income with woodworking and turning. I don't want to have to depend on it, but it would be nice to have that to help out with the extras.

I guess one never knows what the economy will be like, but we can always remain hopeful. :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Roger I have to echo what Michelle said. I sold a lot of cabinets, coffee tables, a couple of entertainment centers but it seems like about 2007 the bottom fell out. So just quit making them. I started turning about 6 yrs ago to hopefully kind of supplement my hobby during retirement. The first few years of turning I sold a lot of turnings from pens to bowls. Since about 2008 my sales have dwindled to mainly a few pens, bottle stoppers, ornamnets and maybe a HF or two per year and most of these were purchased as gifts. It picked up slightly this summer but not like it was 6 or 7 yrs ago. I think as long as the economy is down I just don't see it picking up much.

[robert baccus]

Everything is ascending including the price of wood and tools.

[Bob Bergstrom]

I remember reading an article some 25 years ago about how the potters and artists were about to really get into wood turning and wood art. It seems that the Lathe manufacturers forecasted some time ago that woodturning was about to take off. The AAW is one of the driving force that brought the artist to wood turning as a way of new expression and wood as a canvas to show there creativity.

[Michelle Rich]

Roger, one must remeber also that where they live & try to sell, will have a big impact on what they can achieve. Some areas are fine & people still spend $$. other areas are so dead, one could not sell food. Maybe where you are, things will be ok, and you can sell a few pieces to help supplement.

[Lee Koepke]

Well being only about one year into the Vortex, I am hoping there is an ascension! While I am not doing this as a primary income, and don't fancy myself an 'artist' ..... I do make the attempt to improve my technique and results each time.

One demonstrator at our local turning club was asked what makes an artist over a craftsman (as its related to wood), I liked his response and keep it in mind .... and this is paraphrasing as its been awhile .... a craftsman has some skills with his hands and his works relate to his heart while an artist works with his soul. Putting that in perspective for me, as I am increasing my craftsmanship working on mostly utilitarian results, I aspire to the artistic side. Whether my turnings show it to others, to ME they all mean something.

I appreciate the fact that as a member of this community, I get to see some fabulous work (Michelle's work always amazes me) and seeing guys like John Keeton make that leap into the artistic world is inspiring to me. I thank you for sharing your efforts!