The 2009 AWSA Symposium will be held between 3rd and 5th July 2009, at University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, KZN.
Registration: Thursday 2nd July 2009
The Symposium organiser is Clyde Neumann.
Clyde's contact details:
E-mail :
cmneumann@telkomsa.net
Phone/fax : +27 33 343 4433
After the 30th April the price is R770 per person and those registering after the 15th June will pay the late registration charge of R820.00.
The Programme is now available.
See the hyperlinks at the top of the right hand sidebar of this page.
There are hyperlinks to the symposium, instant gallery, tiny treasures and auction registration forms in the right hand sidebar of this page.
Other resources such as the programme will be finalised closer to the symposium.
We are making great progress with arrangements for the AWSA 2009 Symposium and are planning to make it better that last year.
Once again the symposium will be held at the Center for Visual Arts at the Pietermaritzburg campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal.
The program is coming together nicely with most of the advanced and beginners demo’s arranged or in the process of being arranged. As with last year’s congress the part of the program that we have most difficulty with is the demonstrations for the intermediate turners. Please let Clyde Neumann know if there is any particular topic that you would like presented or demonstrated or if you do something or know of a member of your guild who does something special that you believe would be of interest to other turners. I will follow up on your suggestions.
We are working hard on obtaining sponsorship and items for goodie bags.
The current world economic climate is having an impact on this as firms don’t seem as ready to be generous. However we are sure that come the Symposium we will have some interesting prizes and goodies.
We would like you to support the auction again this year by providing turned items for the auction. We propose to donate a major portion of the funds raised from this auction to Cindi (Children in distress).
Cindi is a charitable organization that was founded in Pietermaritzburg and has grown to become a national organization.
GUEST TURNER: Nick Agar.
The international woodturner demonstrating at this years Symposium will be Nick Agar.
Nick
Agar is a highly sought-after and unique woodturning artist. He and his work
are both inspired and influenced by nature, geography, ancient artifacts and
cultures worldwide and he feels a strong connection with the ancient
civilizations such as North American Indian, Egyptian, Mayan and Aboriginal
arts.
Before his apprenticeship in woodturning at Dartington with the late Duggie
Hart, where he turned production kitchenware, Nick was a forester in Devon
and it was here that he gained a deep understanding and affection for wood
and discovered his natural ability to read it.
Inspired by organic forms, pottery, and his natural surroundings he
specialises in hollow forms and large diameter work including his renowned
wall sculptures. Utilising burrs and natural edges, decoration also plays an
important role in his pieces. Carving, texturing, colouring and scorching
are among many of the surface enhancements that he uses. Nick’s favourite
woods to work with include burrs and native timbers such as sycamore, ash,
oak and elm together with spalted timbers like beech.
After running his own successful studio and gallery in Dartington, Devon for
ten years Nick set up the South Hams School of Woodturning in his new
purpose built workshop and studios on the banks of the river Dart, Devon.
Between demonstrations and teaching in the UK and abroad, he concentrates on
producing new work and commissions for collectors and selected galleries.
Collectors of Nick’s work
include HRH The Prince of Wales and visits to St James’ Palace in London
resulted in some notable royal commissions being placed many of which
included silverwork, which was carried out by Aspreys, the Royal Jewellers.
Nick’s television coverage includes a documentary for the ITV channel,
entitled “Country Lives” and he was chosen by the BBC to feature in the
"Master Craft" section of the Arts and Crafts show.
Nick is on the Register of Professional Turners (RPT), a selected member of
the Devon Guild of Craftsmen and a member of the AWGB and AAW.
It will be certainly be tremendous to see Nick turning here in Pietermaritzburg.
An example of Nick Agar's work
Nick’s website is worth a visit for additional information.
VENUE: We have again secured the use of the Jack Heath Gallery in the Visual Arts department of the University of UKZN. We have taken note of the previous deficiencies of this venue and have with the assistance of the University managed to resolve most. The Centre for Visual arts have agreed to clear out a second large room adjacent to last years commercial area to allow us to have a sit down tea and luncheon area. The second and third demo rooms will also be improved and sound proofed and better braai facilities provided near the tea and luncheon room.
We have reserved residential accommodation for 20 persons who might wish to stay at the University. This will be available on a first come first served basis.
INSTANT GALLERY: each delegate to the conference may exhibit three pieces in the Instant Gallery that will run for the duration of the symposium.
COLLABORATIVE CHALLENGE: We will discuss a collaborative challenge at the forthcoming area reps meeting and post information soon.
TINY TREASURES CHALLENGE:
John Wessels' challenge that he introduced in 2008 will also be held this year
again. He is keen that turners create a small gem, something with a
greatest dimension of less than 150mm.
John is offering a the following very generous prizes:
1st prize – R500.00
2nd prize – R250.00
3rd prize – R150.00
Novice Prize – R100.00
An additional requirement for this year's John Wessels' Challenge is that the turning must incorporate metal of some description. Even metal leaf will suffice.
SCHALK'S CHALLENGE: As for "Schalk’s challenge 2009" further info soon.
AUCTION: each delegate to the conference is encouraged to donate one or more pieces to the auction. Our favorite auctioneer, Izak Cronje, has graciously agreed to officiate this year.
RAFFLE: The proceeds from the raffle will be donated to charity.
Download the registration form for the instant gallery, tiny treasures and auction from the link in the right hand sidebar.
Photographs on CD of past AWSA Symposia
(2006, 2007):
Contact Ken Turner at kturner at iafrica.com
(2008):
We have 9 DVD’s of presentations done at AWSA 2008.
These include:-
- Exploring surface decoration using colour and texture – Nick Arnull
- Turning a celestial bowl – Nick Arnull
- Pewter decoration of turned work, Sheet Pewter – John Wessels
- Pewter decoration of turned work, Cast Pewter – John Wessels
- Resin composite bowls – Ashwin Ramhith
- South African Indigenous Woods – Rob Scott
- Natural edge Bowls – John Mills
- Pyrography for the Woodturner – Alan Ferguson
- Spiral turning – John Speedy
The DVDs are available at R65.00 each or R500.00 for the set of 9. Once again the simplest way to handle your orders is for you to deposit your money into the AWSA bank account and fax or E-mail your orders to Winston French. See the order form (Excel 24KB) for e-mail address, fax number and AWSA banking details. Please don’t forget to fill in your postal address on the order form. Unfortunately we cannot E-mail you these DVD’s.
KZN Info: For those who are unfamiliar with the area the Natal midlands is only a four and a half hour trip by car from Gauteng. For those members from the Cape provinces we would suggest that you incorporate the conference into a holiday.
This area has much to offer visitors. Pietermaritzburg is situated at the heart of the Natal Midlands just over an hour from Durban, an hour and a half from the Southern Drakensberg, has battlefield sites and nature reserves on its doorstep, and the Midlands Meander for those interested in a broad range of crafts. Having 7 private schools in the area, there is an abundance of B&B accommodation ranging from reasonably priced comfortable to ultra luxurious.
The Midlands Meander was started in the 1970’s and became the model which many other tourist routes endeavored to follow. There is much to see and do so you are encouraged to bring your wives along.
Crafts on the Meander include Woodturning, Stained Glass, Glass works, Furniture manufacture, Leather goods, Art studios, Ceramic Studios and potteries, Weaving, Wrought iron work, Wind Chimes, Bronze Sculptures.
Interspersed along the route are many good and reasonable restaurants, pubs and breweries and for those from the Cape we even have the Stables Wine Estate that produced an award winning Shiraz in 2005.
For the more adventurous we can offer Canopy tours of the
Karkloof forests by 'foefie-slide' or Quad bike trips up Sani Pass where you
reach an altitude of
over 9 000ft.
2009 Symposium
Resources
The Draft Programme
MS-Excel (31KB)
Pdf (7KB)
Registration Form
MS-Word (89KB)
Pdf (47KB)
Instant Gallery,
Tiny Treasures
and
Auction
Registration Form
MS-Word (35KB)
Pdf (20KB)
Programme
(coming soon)