Community Service

The MWA community service programs enable members to participate as a group using their skills and knowledge in making hand crafted items. These programs strengthen the chapter connections to other communities in a meaningful way.

Wig Stands

WIG Stands is a national American Association of Woodturners (AAW) Women in Turning initiative. “Our goal is to give back to our communities in this worthwhile effort, especially since cancer has likely impacted each of us, our family, and/or our friends.” MWA is partnering with local/regional groups who provide free wigs for distribution of the wig stands to get them to recipients in need.

AAW article on Hat and Wig Stands

Making a Wig Stand

Wig Stand Dimensions

Here are the two organizations to which MWA donates stands:

Beads of Courage

Beads of Courage is a national Arts in Medicine Program for children coping with serious illness, their families, and the clinicians who care for them. Artists make glass beads that are given to children to signify each procedure or event. Since the program began in 2006 Minnesota Woodturners have provided thousands of commemorative lidded boxes, hundreds of bead bags and hundreds of toys to children undergoing treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses.

Empty Bowls

Empty Bowls is an international project to fight hunger, driven by artists and art organizations on a community level. MWA members contribute on the local level through community food drives and fundraiser events. MWA partnered with Open Door and Second Harvest at the 2011 AAW International Symposium and are planning a drive for the 2025 AAW International Symposium to be held in St Paul. 

As chapter host for the 2025 AAW International Symposium to be held in St Paul, MN,  MWA is partnering with Fireweed Community Woodshop for the Empty Bowl charity. Fireweed Community Woodshop empowers women and marginalized genders through the art of woodcraft. They seek to shift expectations of what a woodworker looks like through their staff, instructors, and board, and to create role models for people historically excluded from the woodshop..

Karl Foord, an avid woodturner and MWA member, set a life goal of turning 500 bowls. Before he passed, 370 of these bowls were crafted, which is an impressive accomplishment. To honor Karl and his life goal the members of the Minnesota Woodturners will complete Karls life goal by challenging our members to turn 130 bowls. The challenge is set and in the spirit of MWA community service commitment the bowls will be donated to the 2025 AAW Symposium Empty Bowl project.

Fireweed Community Workshop

Welcome to The New MWA Website

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