Club-sponsored WIT Events

The Seattle Woodturners sponsors Women in Turning events intended to increase the number of women woodturners as well as opportunities for leadership, mentorship, community-building, and sharing among women or otherwise under-represented woodturners. All members, however, are welcome to attend when space is available!

WIT events are open to members of the club and members of the public alike. (So, consider bringing a woman in your life!) They are typically small gatherings that occur on weekends at a member’s shop or other facility with access to lathes, such as Pratt Fine Arts Center. Registration is required. The club provides up to eight lathes (with chucks, tool rests, etc.) and a standard grinder with a Wolverine jig for sharpening. Basic tool sets can be made available (bowl gouge, parting tool, scraper, handle), but we encourage participants to bring their own tools if they have them. Attendees should also be prepared to bring their own safety equipment, including a face shield and dust mask. Specific event details are provided to participants via email following registration. WIT events are typically free of charge or the cost of materials and led by members of the club who volunteer their time and expertise.

To register for an upcoming WIT event, visit our Event Calendar for current offerings. To be notified of upcoming events, you can also join our WIT mailing list.

For more information, please contact the WIT Liaison for the Seattle Woodturners.

Grant Opportunities

NEW! Pacific Northwest WIT Scholarship

With the help of a generous donor from the Seattle Woodturners, Women in Turning is now offering a Pacific Northwest WIT Scholarship ($500), to be awarded annually to an outstanding emerging woodturner for use towards professional development opportunities. To be eligible, applicants must be women or otherwise under-represented woodturners who reside in the Pacific Northwest (including British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern California). The scholarship is intended to encourage woodturning as a lifelong pursuit, extend the accessibility of the craft, and contribute to the cultural vitality of the PNW.

For more details on scholarship criteria and to apply:
PNW WIT Scholarship Criteria & Application
Deadline:  August 1

One-year WIT AAW Membership Grant*

Women in Turning offers a limited number of one-year AAW membership grants to women turners. The grant is open to women who are first-time applicants for AAW membership. The WIT Liaison files for this grant on behalf of club members. If you are interested in applying, please *contact the WIT Liaison. Up to two grants are awarded per quarter. If you are not affiliated with the Seattle Woodturners or another local AAW chapter, you can email WIT@woodturner.org directly for more information on how to apply.

90-day AAW Affiliate Membership 

This free membership trial is for first-time members of a local AAW chapter, such as the Seattle Woodturners. The 90-day AAW Affiliate membership offers access to the complete collection of AAW online resources, including the American Woodturner journal, for three months.

AAW Membership Benefits

WIT Women & Under-represented Populations Grant 

This grant helps fund activities, events, and exhibitions that promote diversity in woodturning and in the AAW by encouraging and assisting women and otherwise under-represented populations in their participation in the field.

Deadline:  January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31
*Awards will be made quarterly in February, May, August, and November.

If you can envision us participating in an event that you’re passionate about, WIT grants could help make that a reality. Contact the WIT Liaison for more information.

The PNW WIT Scholarship committee is excited to announce our first ever PNW WIT Scholarship recipient:

Congratulations to Lacey Spray!

Lacey is a woodworker and teaching artist based in Hood River, Oregon, who specializes in working with salvaged local hardwoods. Over the past two years, woodturning has become a central focus of her practice. Her work reflects a commitment to originality, sustainability, and the lifelong pursuit of craftsmanship as a tool for connection and creativity.

“Expanding my knowledge of how different local species behave on the lathe—and how they respond to drying, finishing, and texturing—will help me develop a system for using local materials more effectively. I aim to pass this knowledge on to my students, fostering sustainable, place-based learning in our woodturning community.”

laceyspray.com