The Center for Art in Wood, formerly known as the Wood Turning Center, has relocated to the former Old City Iron Works Gym space at 141 N. 3rd St.

New space

Old sign

Opening was originally slated for this Friday, but construction has pushed the opening back a week, which we don’t mind because it’ll be a perfect addition to First Friday. Their new digs are about 7K sqft, almost double the size of their old location at 5th & Vine, and appear to be a total transformation from a dingy gym space to a bright and airy gallery space. Co-Founder and Executive Director Albert LeCoff jokes that they were lucky to be able to get the smell out of the place!

Inside

Another shot

What exactly is woodturning you ask?  It’s a form of woodworking that creates objects on a lathe – a piece of machinery used to spin the wood on its axis – and the artist uses tools to cut and shape the wood into a piece of art or other object, like bowls or furniture parts (spindles, chair or table legs).  Woodturning artists also use the lathe to create wooden sculptures and wall art, some of which are showcased at The Center.

A piece from their collection

According to their website, the Center was founded in 1986 as a not-for-profit that quickly evolved into an international arts institution, museum, gallery and resource center, that supports and develops the field of lathe-turned and wood art. Through education, acquisition of collections, preservation and promotion, the Center encourages existing and future artists worldwide and cultivates a public appreciation of the art of woodturning. The Center has the largest known physical and virtual archive and collection of turned objects, and invites the public to explore the art and craft of woodturning and wood art.

Some more art

Interested in seeing more?  The Wood Turning Center’s official opening party will be held on November 11th, where attendees can see the first exhibit in the new space, Art in Wood: A Creative Journey. This exhibit coincides with the Center’s 25th anniversary, and will showcase over 100 works from the museum’s collections.

We love that another art gallery has opened in a more centrally located spot in Old City.  With neighbors like Wexler Gallery, Moderne Gallery, and Painted Bride Art Center, it will definitely bring more awareness for this beautiful and unique form of art in the neighborhood.