Our story

OUR STORY

The Southwest Woodcarvers Association (SWA) was founded in October, 1983. The SWA, located in Tucson, Arizona. Although we have members from several areas of the country, the SWA serves mainly the Southern Arizona area.The membership of the SWA consists of wood carvers from the beginner level to several Master Carvers. As in most carving organizations you will find the members to be friendly and genuinely interested in your work, and very willing to provide assistance when asked!

The purposes of the Association are:

To assist members in receiving recognition for their form of art.

To promote exhibits of their art.

Offer assistance to those who wish to learn various methods of wood carving.

Attention Carvers

If you are looking to increase your skills, enjoy the camaraderie of others with your interests and generally have a good time, have we got a deal for you! Please come to one of our meetings and check us out. See the Meetings page for details, directions and times. We look forward to meeting you!

MEMBERSHIP

Our membership ranges from the beginning carver with little or no experience to Master Carvers with many years devoted to their craft. You will find all of the disciplines of wood carving represented in the Association, including Human Figures, Heads and busts, Religious Figures, Animal Carvings, Bird Carvings, Caricatures, Relief Carving, Abstract Carving, Kachinas, Bark Carving, Chip Carving, Wood Burning, Power Carving, etc.

Our membership is friendly and more than willing to offer assistance to anyone who asks.

In addition to those listed, membership in the Association offers many advantages for the wood carver.

From time to time, there will be demonstration or instructional programs at our meetings. There might be a small additional fee for your materials for these sessions.

Also in the instructional area, some of our members are available for tutoring on a formal or informal basis.

A monthly newsletter is posted on the club website for easy reference by each club member. Should a member not have internet access the club will send them a hard copy in the mail.

Members also have the ability to access the “Members Only” section of the web site which contains important membership information.

Carving wood, supplies and tools are usually available at a resonable price at the meetings.

Yearly dues are $30.00 single and $40.00 for a family. When you first join there is an additonal $10.00 initiation fee to pay for your name badge.

 

To join the Association, just come to one of our meetings as a guest. Take a look around and talk to some of the members. If you decide that you would like to join our group, the Treasurer will be more than willing to sign you up! Be sure to bring your tools and your current project with you when you come!!

MEETINGS

The Southwest Woodcarvers Association meets on the second Saturday of each month. The December meeting is replaced with our holiday party. Details of the party are announced at the October and November meetings.
We meet at the Rincon Country Mobile Home Park, located at 3411 S. Camino Seco, Tucson (see map below).
The park is a gated community. The guard at the gate will be supplied with a club roster on meeting days. Just give your name to the guard to be admitted. Visitors Notice: If you plan to visit the club, please contact Webmaster before the day of the meeting so your name can be added to the list. The person at the gate will let you know where to go for the meeting.
Meetings are officially held from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm although some members arrive around 8:30. The time from 9:00 to 11:30 is devoted to carving and socializing.
Next there is a short business meeting. Our Executive Board takes care of most of the business of the Association, so there is very little actual business conducted at the meetings. At each meeting there is a ‘Show and Tell’ session to allow our members to showcase some of their recent work. We also have a raffle and a 50/50 drawing as fund raisers for the Association.
The list of monthly meetings to the right will have information on each meeting such as a class or event to be held during that month. Be sure to check back from time to time for updates.
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