2023/02/20 - Member Recognition - New
Bob Edmiston | Published on 2/20/2023
MEMBER RECOGNITION EVENING
During our February 9th regular monthly meeting and demonstration and then again on February 24, during a workshop visit, WGNC honored four of our members for their contributions to continuing to inspire the woodturning world with their art ,craft and wizardry, and to their commitment to WGNC members by serving as educators, demonstrators and mentors over many years of service.
Each was Knighted by Ted Ross, WGNC's current President, and presented with a turned and laser engraved medallion, which confers on each a Lifetime Membership to WGNC and to the Order of the Knights of the Round Lathe.
Read on to learn a bit more about each of the Lifetime Membership recipients.
Rita Duxbury is a Massachusetts native, Rita now resides in Graham, North Carolina. With 40+ years as an educator coupled with 21 years as a US Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer, Rita has traveled the world, always ready for a new adventure.
With an interest in woodturning, a keen appreciation for the beauty and qualities of wood, and with the mentoring of her husband, Jim, she has advanced from sweeping sawdust
to creating her own unique wooden pieces. Rita and Jim team up to present demonstrations at woodturning clubs, symposiums and workshops throughout the country in addition to marketing of the Resp-O-Rator™.
Jim Duxbury, woodturner and inventor, is the kind of guy who thinks and creates “out of the box.” His turnings are unique and he seldom turns the same thing twice. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he now resides in Graham North Carolina. With the help of his wife, Rita and inspiration from his pet parrotlet, “Bean” creativity abounds in his studio. Constantly improving and solving problems to make his skills more efficient and functional, he enjoys teaching others the craft of woodturning,woodworking, and kaleidoscope construction. He prides himself in creating wooden items of beauty that also are designed to function well. His fascination with wood and wood grains, from the most exotic to the common native varieties, and with the ability to employ the wood lathe and adapt tools, all lead to experiments of new and exciting ideas.
Alan Leland is an internationally known woodturning instructor and demonstrator and has been an AAW member since 1994. He has demonstrated and taught workshops for many woodturning clubs across the United States and Canada, such as John C. Campbell Folk school, and often hosts workshops highlighting internationally known woodturners in his studio.
Alan started working with wood at This End Up Furniture Company in 1976. After 19 years making crate style furniture, he started his own woodworking business in 1996. Initially Alan’s main focus was on making custom furniture and some woodturnings for craft shows. Eventually his interest and enjoyment of woodturning took over and he began to do more architectural turning and turning for craft shows. Alan’s work is primarily functional in nature due to his furniture background, but with an artistic flair due to his keen eye for shape and form.
Terry Brown is a professional turner who started turning in 1959 and has been turning professionally since 1982.
Terry is recognized for his furniture and architectural repair expertise. As an example, a few years ago, Terry was chosen to duplicate the original porch posts for the reconstruction of the North Carolina Governor’s Mansion.
Drawing from his 60 plus years as a woodturner, Terry has accumulated a wealth of information and many great stories all of which are always woven into the subjects he teaches and demonstrates. You rarely have a conversation with Terry that doesn't end with you walking away with some type of new information to help with a project, a Pro tip to enhance your turning, or a new idea for a workshop jig of some sort.