Described as “the biggest and best woodworking exhibition in the country” by the editor of Fine Woodworking magazine, the international Design in Wood Exhibition now averages over 300 entries. This is a significant increase from the first show in 1982 when it had forty-five beautiful juried pieces on display (see Fine Woodworking Magazine #37).

The Design in Wood Exhibition is co-sponsored by the San Diego County Fair, 22nd District Agricultural Association and the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association (SDFWA). The talented, dedicated, and hardworking SDFWA members make this unique, popular, and award winning exhibition a success. Over 1,160,000 people are expected to visit the fair this year and this exhibit is the standout. Now the exhibition has national sponsors, gives out awards, and over $20,000 in prize money to entries found in 21 classes. The Design in Wood Show truly contributes joy, inspiration, recognition, and support to the community it serves.

In addition to the juried gallery show, which runs this year from June 8 to July 4, many other volunteer activities take place during the show. The Wood Turners Association demonstrates wood turning techniques for the fair goers. The San Diego Wood Carvers demonstrate woodcarving in their booth. The San Diego Maritime Museum demonstrates model building. The Scroll Sawyers demonstrate various methods of scroll saw work.

The biggest demonstration area is the 19th Century Cabinet shop staffed by the SDFWA. Here, volunteer members of the largest woodworking association in the country, with membership in excess of 1,600, make small oak chairs for preschoolers using only 19th century hand tools to shape them. The Association makes fifty chairs each year and these last-a-life-time gifts are donated to various organizations in the community such as day care centers, schools, hospitals, health clinics, shelters, and other charitable organizations. To date, over 1,100 chairs have been donated.

We would now like to invite you to enter the showcase. This is only a few of the wonderful pieces on display at the Design in Wood Exhibition at the San Diego County Fair. But, before you enter the showcase note that by clicking on the picture you may see a larger image. Enjoy the Show...

Acknowledgments

Design in Wood Online was photographed by Andy Patterson, San Diego, CA, with assistance from Harry Baldwin, Bob Stevenson and Lynn Rybarczyk. The Design in Wood Web pages are maintained by Jim Sykora and Andy Patterson. The SDFWA website manager is Doug Murphy.