Congratulations Mark Sfirri — 2024 AAW’s Professional Outreach Program’s Merit Award Recipient
Furniture maker, educator, and author Mark Sfirri received the American Association of Woodturners 2024 Professional Outreach Program (POP) Merit Award. Merit Award recipients are individuals selected by the Committee who have shown exceptional development in their careers as artists and whose artworks have directly influenced or had a significant impact on other artists within the field of woodturning.
![Kim Winkle Kim Winkle Presents AAW PoP Award to Mark Sfirri](https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260779/Winkle_Sfirri-AAW-Award-Plaque_1fd4b83b93.jpeg 1800w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260779/Winkle_Sfirri-AAW-Award-Plaque_5a5f2315bc.jpeg 1565w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260779/Winkle_Sfirri-AAW-Award-Plaque_58fdc0aca5.jpeg 1000w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260779/Winkle_Sfirri-AAW-Award-Plaque_d0d80d4615.jpeg 600w)
Mark Sfirri, was awarded the American Association of Woodturner’s Professional Outreach Program’s Merit Award at the recent International symposium in Portland, OR.
The Professional Outreach Program (POP) Merit Award recognizes the lifetime careers of professionals and the influence their work has had on other artists in the field of woodturning.
The award was presented by Kim Winkle, chair of the POP committee and a board member of the AAW
“The POP committee grants the Merit Award to individuals who have shown exceptional development as an artist and whose artwork has directly influenced or had significant impact on other artists within woodturning; it is the most prestigious award given by POP. The 2024 AAW POP Merit Award goes to Mark Sfirri”
![Sfirri FU ALLENTOWN PRE](https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260776/Sfirri_FU-ALLENTOWN-PRE_987c59cf74.jpg 2350w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260776/Sfirri_FU-ALLENTOWN-PRE_fc1e2c4d96.jpg 1565w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260776/Sfirri_FU-ALLENTOWN-PRE_5eaf326ca7.jpg 1000w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260776/Sfirri_FU-ALLENTOWN-PRE_4a6a44b3ce.jpg 600w)
“Mark Sfirri earned his BFA and MFA in furniture design at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is a woodturner, furniture maker, and sculptor working in wood but is also a teacher, researcher, writer, collaborator, photographer, and printmaker. He is most well-known for his multi-axis spindle turning, an area that he has been exploring since the early 1990s. He has lectured and demonstrated his innovative techniques all over the world and his work is included in the permanent collection of twenty-eight public institutions including some of our nation’s most well respected, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, Yale Art Gallery, Museum of Art & Design, Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Museum for Art in Wood, the Carnegie Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the James A. Michener Art Museum, among others.”
“Sfirri is professor emeritus at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania where he ran the Fine Woodworking Program from 1981 to 2017. He has received three national awards: the “Distinguished Educator Award” in 2010 from the Renwick Alliance and, in 2012, the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Collectors of Wood Art, and this year’s AAW POP Merit Award.”
“Sfirri has collaborated with numerous artists since 1985. He was a founding organizer of the Echo Lake collaborative annual conferences that began in 1999 at Bucks County Community College. Faculty, staff, students, and outside artists from around the world have participated over the years. A twenty-year anniversary exhibition was staged at New Hope Arts in 2019.”
“Embodying the spirit of the AAW, he has shared his knowledge generously, encouraged others through demonstration, panel discussion, thoughtful critique and impactful mentorship. And because his work exemplifies the highest standards of artistic quality, craftsmanship, innovation and dedication which has added immeasurably to the field, Mark Sfirri is the recipient of this year’s American Association of Woodturner’s Merit Award.”
“On behalf of the POP committee and the AAW, please join me in recognizing and celebrating Mark Sfirri.”
![Sfirri SLATE BENCH OVERALL](https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260778/Sfirri_SLATE-BENCH-OVERALL_987c59cf74.jpg 2350w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260778/Sfirri_SLATE-BENCH-OVERALL_fc1e2c4d96.jpg 1565w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260778/Sfirri_SLATE-BENCH-OVERALL_5eaf326ca7.jpg 1000w, https://furnsoc.org/media/sized/images/News/260778/Sfirri_SLATE-BENCH-OVERALL_4a6a44b3ce.jpg 600w)
The AAW’s Professional Outreach Program (POP) Committee fosters and promotes high standards of professionalism in woodturning through initiatives including POP Fellowship Grants, Merit Awards, Symposium Artist Showcase, exhibitions, galleries and POP Panel, to name a few.