Teens from the Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau (BGCP) recently completed a 10-week woodturning program at The Bascom: Center for the Visual Arts in Highlands.
Led by instructor Don Marks, who brings more than 15 years of experience as a woodturner, participants learned the fundamentals of woodturning, including operation of the lathe—a machine used to shape the wood—as well as safety, sanding, wood finishing, and use of hand-held tools.
Other instructors included Reggie Johnson and John Tagliarini, all from the Western North Carolina Woodturners, a club of crafts people committed to sharing the art of woodturning.
Vivian Kennedy works the lathe during the BGC Woodturner Program at The Bascom.
Teens created wood pens and snowman ornaments during the course, which concluded with a bowl carving demonstration by Marks.
“It has been exciting to see how our teens improved their skills throughout the program,” said BGCP Youth Development Specialist J’Len Wilson, who also participated in the course. “Unanimous feedback indicates everyone would like to see the woodturning program return this spring.”
With a membership that ranges from kindergarten through high school, BGCP supports academic success, healthy lifestyles and strong character and citizenship, while helping children build healthy relationships with supportive adults, peers and themselves.
BGCP’s partnership with The Bascom, which provides programming for area youth and adults as part of its mission, helped make the program possible. Billy Love, an art educator who serves as the center’s Creative Director, led the program on behalf of The Bascom.
“We are grateful to The Bascom and to the Western North Carolina Woodturners for this amazing opportunity for our teens,” said Carmen Wait, community outreach director for the BGCP. “It means a lot to our teens to work with community artists and learn a skill that is important to our region’s creative economy and rich history.”
For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau, click HERE or call 828.743.2775.
Article and photos courtesy of Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau