Design in Wood exhibition returns to Southern California

Design in Wood, a woodworking exhibition co-sponsored by the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association, is scheduled for June 3 to July 4 at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, Calif.

The 35th juried gallery show will feature approximately 350 entries and 1.5 million visitors. It gives out awards and more than $20,000 in prizes to entries in 25 categories.

The entry deadline is April 29.

Many other volunteer activities take place during the show, including turning, carving, scroll-sawing and model-building demonstrations. And on various days there are luthiers making instruments, a demonstration of chair caning, plus daily docent tours of the juried show.

The biggest demonstration area is the 19th century cabinet shop staffed by association members who make 50 small oak chairs each year. To date, more than 1,700 chairs have been donated to preschools, hospitals, shelters and other charitable organizations.

For information, visit www.sdfwa.org.

Craftsman’s Challenge

Veneer Tech’s 12th annual Craftsman’s Challenge, an international design competition for the use of natural wood veneer products, is accepting entries until June 1.

Competition categories include architectural woodworking, cabinetry, furniture, marquetry, specialty products and student design.

“Our design competition recognizes all aspects of the industry from education to material sourcing, and from distribution to design and creation,” Veneer Tech face veneer sales manager Alan Hubbard said in a statement. “For over a decade, the best work of the best woodwork designers and craftspeople has been recognized and rewarded by juries of expert instructors and wood scientists, media representatives and supply chain representatives, as well as well-known craftsmen.”

This year’s judge’s are Marc Adams of the Marc Adams School of Woodworking; Bill Esler, editorial director for the Woodworking Network; and Bob Nurre, national accounts business manager for Roseburg Forest Products.

Entry forms and complete contest information is available at www.veneertech.com.

Let’s get small

“Atomic Fusion: The Zen Artistry of Michael Yurkovic” is a new gallery exhibition featuring the recent work of Yurkovic, a member of the International Guild of Miniature Artisans, at D. Thomas Fine Miniatures located in the Hastings-on-Hudson village in Westchester County, N.Y., through May 1.

Yurkovic’s work combines a fusion of mid-century modern design and fine scale miniatures. It draws on his study of industrial design, his career as a successful toy and game designer and inspiration from designers Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen and George Nelson.

For information, visit www.dthomasfineminiatures.com.

This article originally appeared in the April 2016 issue.