The Wood Turning Center pleased to announce plans for a major traveling exhibition. In September 2005, the Center will kick off an exhibition and publication, showcasing the International Turning Exchange (ITE): Ten Year Retrospective (ITE Retrospective). The Wood Turning Center's ITE program is an eight week, internationally competitive, summer residency dedicated to emerging and established artists and scholarship. The lathe-artists, furniture makers, sculptors, scholars, photojournalists, and filmmakers exemplify cutting edge creativity and craftsmanship linked to lathe art.

The Wood Turning Center invites museums to participate in this innovative wood turning exhibition and publication that we are planning to stage and tour September 2005 through December 2008. The purpose of the ITE Retrospective exhibition is to celebrate 10 years of the residency program and the impact the program has had on the artist's work and the international community of wood turning. The ITE: Ten Year Retrospective will document the transformation of established artists, furniture makers, writers and photographers before, during, and over their 8-week residency. By 2005, over 50 international residents from 10 countries will have challenged themselves and each other, and diffused their renewed spirit and work to their home countries. Enclosed you will find twenty-eight slides with a script highlighting the effects of the ITE program and some of the 120 objects created by ITE resident artists that may be included in the exhibition. The exhibition will contain artwork for display on the walls, floor, and pedestals.

The ITE Retrospective will be shown in Philadelphia from September - November 2005. Starting in January 2006, it will be ready to tour the USA, England, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The exhibition publication will contain artists' statements, full-color plates of their objects, and essays by the ITE resident fellow scholars, photojournalists, and curators' essays. In addition, a committee of international curators/critics will provide insightful essays analyzing national and international trends in the field. The Wood Turning Center can assist venues in developing educational events that coincide with the exhibition and explore the influences generated by the ITE artists. These might include demonstrations, conferences, workshops and/or tours- whatever you decide is appropriate for your community. Rental Cost, including shipping/handling, has not been determined but will be in the range of $25,000. Interest in ITE Retrospective is building among a number of fine museums. In order to have the greatest chance of booking your first choice of dates, please complete the enclosed form with your top three dates in order of preference and mail or contact the Wood Turning Center at your earliest convenience. There is no deposit required at this time; we will accept this form as your preliminary commitment. The dates will be held for you in exchange for your permission to allow us to include your museum in our preliminary publicity and when soliciting other venues. A final exhibition checklist will be available by November 2004. The Wood Turning Center's staff is eager to work with museums to bring to your a greater awareness for the art of lathe turning to their community, through the exhibition of International Turning Exchange (ITE): Ten Year Retrospective. Sincerely, Albert LeCoff, Executive Director