LAS VEGAS − Cody Campanie, a student at Seattle Central College won The Best of Show Award, in the 2017 AWFS Fresh Wood Competition after judges reviewed the projects of 41 finalists from 16 different high schools and colleges in the U.S. and Canada at the 2017 AWFS Fair. Twenty-seven students went home with monetary prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000, along with trophies and software prizes.
 
Campanie was awarded a special sculpture made by renowned woodworker and artist Garry Knox Bennett, for his project Azulejos Table.  He received $1,000 and he, his school, and his instructor received KCD Software Packages.  He also received First Place in the Post Secondary Tables category of the competition, which included another $1,000 prize and a Certificate of Merit. The Best of Show award is sponsored by KCD Software.
 
Fair attendees awarded the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Wagner Meters, and a $750 prize to Sarah Provard of West Jordan High School (Utah), for her Musically Inclined cabinet with themed inlay, which also won First Place in the High School Case Goods category.
 
For both students, this was the first time that students from their schools were finalists in Fresh Wood. In addition, six schools received awards for multiple projects: Art Center College of Design (California); Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (Maine); College of the Redwoods (California); Corner Canyon High School (Utah); Palomar College (Utah); Princeton Day School (New Jersey).
 

Ed McGravy, a student at Palomar College, won first place in the Open Category-Post Secondary for this Gibson F5-style mandolin.

The Fresh Wood 2017 judging panel, consisting of Jena Hall (Jena Hall Designs Ltd.), Tom McKenna (Fine Woodworking Magazine), Chris Poehlmann (CP Lighting), Mei-Yen Shipek (Autodesk Pier 9), Scott Vasey (Advanced Fixtures Inc.), provided a variety of perspectives to the judging process.   
 
First Place winners in each category and at each school level received a $1,000 prize, Second Place winners received $500 and Honorable Mention winners received $250. AWFS covers project shipping and the majority of travel and hotel costs to bring the students and their teachers to Las Vegas.
 

Cody Campanie won Best in Show and first place for this Azulejos table in the Tables Category-Post Secondary.

The biennial event attracted a near-record 195 entries from schools in the United States and Canada in 2017, which represents a 13 percent increase in entries from the previous competition in 2015.
 

2017 Fresh Wood Award Winners

AAW Turning to the Future Students Recognized for Talent in Turning

Meanwhile, eight students received awards and prizes in the American Association of Woodturning (AAW) Turning to the Future Competition. Sponsored by Woodworker’s Emporium (Las Vegas), the two Best of Show winners received Jet Powermatic Lathes, and category winners received cash prizes of $500 (First Place) and $100 (Second Place) and the People’s Choice Winner receives $100. Judging was completed by acclaimed woodturner Beth Ireland. Here are the Turning to the Future Winners:
 
High School – Open - First Place
Flaming Goblets by Judah Costello
 
High School – Open - Second Place
777 by Justin Fiaschetti
 
And High School - Functional - First Place
African Vase by Justin Fiaschetti
 
High School – Functional - Second Place
Curly Maple Platter by Todd Halleman  
 
And Post-Secondary – Open - First Place
Nesting Instinct by Scott Davies
 
Post-Secondary – Open - Second Place:
Memory Urn by Ian Anderson
 
And Post-Secondary - Functional - First Place
Twisted by Tyler Gaston
 
Post-Secondary – Functional - Second Place:
Cloud Table by Emily McCloud
 
The Turning to the Future People’s Choice
Patience by Brandon Lucas
 
High School – Best of Show
African Vase by Justin Fiaschetti
 
Post-Secondary – Best of Show
Nesting Instinct by Scott Davies
 

See awfsfair.org.