Canadians among the winners at AWFS Fresh Wood student competition

Photo: Holly Nightingale
Onkar Nagra, Justin Chin, and Gurleen Singh from Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario - seen here with Paul Epp, Industrial Design Department Chair at Ontario College of Art & Design and one of the judges - were among the winners at AWFS’ Fresh Wood Student Competition.

Mollie Ferguson, a student at College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg, Calif., won The Best of Show Award, in the 2013 AWFS Fresh Wood Competition after judges reviewed the projects of 40 finalists from 21 different high schools and colleges in the U.S. and Canada at the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas. Twenty-three students went home with monetary prizes ranging from $425 to $1,200 and three Canadian students from Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School, in Brampton, Ontario were among the winners.
Ferguson was awarded a coveted wood sculpture designed by the late renowned wood artist Sam Maloof, for her chair dulcius ex asperis. She received $1,200 and a Rikon 14" Bandsaw. She also received First Place in the Post Secondary Chairs category of the competition, which included another $1,025 prize and a Certificate of Merit. The Best of Show award is sponsored by Rikon Power Tools.
Fair attendees awarded the People's Choice Award, sponsored by Wagner Meters, and a $600 prize to Kristoffer Edlund from Brighton High School, for his Wrapped Walnut table.
The judging panel - consisting of Janis Colella, a high end furniture and millwork firm owner, Paul Epp, Department Chair at Ontario College of Art & Design, Green and Green style fine furniture maker Darrell Peart, 30-year furniture industry veteran and AWFS Board Member Gene Valcke, and high-end commercial furniture product line manager Rob Zoehfeld - provided a variety of perspectives to the judging process.  
First Place winners in each category and at each school level received a $1,025 prize, Second Place winners received $625 and Honorable Mention winners received $425. AWFS covers project shipping and the majority of travel and hotel costs to bring the students and their teachers to Las Vegas. The prize amounts were higher than originally stated and anticipated thanks to Fresh Wood sponsor Woodcraft.com, which ran an online donation campaign beginning in April 2012 and collected over $6,000 to go towards Fresh Wood student prizes and operational costs.

The biennial event, held as part of AWFS®Fair, attracted 130 entries from 36 different schools in the United States and Canada in 2013.

High School Level First Place Winners

• Case Goods: Graham Lutz, Cedar Ridge High School, Hillsborough, NC, Home Grown
• Tables: Thaddeus Berglund, Cedar Ridge High School, Hillsborough, NC, Wooden Moon-Gazing
• Chairs: Justin Chin, Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School, Brampton, ON, Keep on Rockin'
• Open: Casey Mervin, Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights, UT, Jimi Hendrix Acoustic Guitar
• Reproduction: Derek Carlson, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, NE, George Nelson 'Turbine' Clock

Post-secondary Level First Place Winners

• Case Goods: Jeff Noblet, College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg, CA, Barnsley Book Table
• Tables: Linda Kim, College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg, CA, Levitation Side Table
• Chairs: Mollie Ferguson, College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg, CA, dulcius ex asperis
• Open: Derek Ott, Palomar College, San Marcos, CA, Jazmin
• Reproduction: Ben Cooper, College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg, CA, Vidar's Chairs
• Production/Contract: Alexis Kiel, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, Leaf2

High School Level Second Place Winners

• Case Goods: Matt Domagala, Dale Jackson Career Center, Lewisville, TX, Building Outside the Box
• Tables: Kristoffer Edlund, Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights, UT Wrapped Walnut
• Chairs: Gurleen Singh, Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School, Brampton, ON, Stasis
• Open: Chase Shutt, Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights, UT, The Tree Between

Post-secondary Level Second Place Winners

• Tables: Marc Cutonilli, Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport, ME, Precipicio
• Chairs: Darrick Rasmussen, College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg, CA, Low Rocker
• Open: Mark Hudson, Palomar College, San Marcos, CA, Gui2ar
• Reproduction: Cole Burch, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, Shaker Blanket Chest

 
High School Level Honorable Mention Winners

• Tables: Onkar Nagra, Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School, Brampton, ON, Three Way Drop

 
Post-secondary Level Honorable Mention Winners

• Chairs: Greg Laird, College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg, CA, Lolita
• Open: Ed McCravy, Palomar College, San Marcos, CA, Les Paul Electric Purple Heart Guitar