Walt Wager, Studio Coordinator

STUDIO COORDINATOR

Walt Wager, Studio Coordinator of Camelot’s Woodworking Studio, is our resident woodturner. He has continuously pushed his creative limits throughout his career. With an undergraduate degree in Industrial Arts, he has a wide range of experiences in woodworking, woodturning, metal working, ceramics, electronics, design and photography. He also taught at Florida State University for thirty-seven years as a professor, a coordinator of university faculty development services and as the Assistant Dean and Department Chair of the School of Teacher Education.

In 2002, Walt was strolling the Tallahassee downtown market when he saw Terry Arthur selling his wood art. Seeing Terry’s art inspired Walt to get back into woodworking. Terry invited Walt to the North Florida Woodturners Club (NFWC) meeting in Tallahassee, further enhancing Walt’s desire to turn. He joined the club and has been a staunch member for 12 years, holding many executive positions along the way. In the Fall of 2011, the club held an Easy Wood Tools demonstration at King Arthur’s Tools (KAT), where Walt met Arthur Aveling, CEO of KAT, for the first time. Shortly after, Walt was invited to demonstrate woodturning in Camelot’s Woodworking Studio at a KAT community event showcasing the gallery and studio.

Arthur shared with Walt his vision to teach people how to make beautiful and functional wood forms through a variety of classes, with professional woodturning artists from around the world. When Camelot’s Woodworking Studio opened in August 2012, it was equipped with the latest woodworking, turning and carving equipment. Shortly after, Walt became the Studio Coordinator and Resident Instructor of Camelot’s Studio.

Arthur and Walt have worked hard to make solid connections that attract new woodworking audiences. Arthur and Pamela have also been fortunate to meet and network with famous artists from around the world at trade shows and also during the Norwegian Woodturning Cruise held every three years. In addition, KAT has sent its Knights and Commanders to woodturning clubs around Florida and Georgia to do personal demonstrations. Walt, an accomplished turner, has met many well-known artists in his travels to wood turning symposiums. Through these connections and more, the studio attracts emerging as well as well-known artists, who teach a diverse range of classes in wood turning, power carving, pyro engraving and wood chip carving.  Camelot’s Woodworking Studio is not only reaching local wood turners, it is attracting a new audience of woodworkers from the surrounding tri-state area.

As Studio Coordinator, Walt schedules the demonstrators, organizes their visits and coordinates the advertising. And that’s in addition to a myriad of other duties. Did we forget to mention – Walt’s officially retired!

Walt loves that his classes offer entertainment, as well as a great sense of accomplishment to participants. Even better, some people enter the classes foreign to the idea that wood is art and leave with a new appreciation for the craft. He hopes to optimize the studio further with visiting world-renowned artists and strives to broaden his audience further. King Arthur’s Tools is proud to have such a passionate and experienced Knight as the Resident Instructor and Studio Coordinator in charge of Camelot’s Woodworking Studio!

 

For more information visit Walt Wager’s website.