Works in Wood: Women in Turning Opens at Falmouth and Bourne

Works in Wood: Women in Turning opened at the Landrau-Partan Gallery inside Falmouth Art Center on February 6 and runs through March 2, 2026, bringing the Cape Cod Woodturners’ Women in Turning collective to a dedicated gallery space. The show presents bowls, boxes, pyrography-embellished turnings and mixed techniques, offering a close look at how turning, carving, woodburning and painting intersect on the lathe and at the bench.

A separate installation by the group is on view at the Jonathan Bourne Public Library, which Capenews reports runs “through May 27” and “With nine craftspeople from Southeastern Massachusetts, the exhibit showcases woodturning and woodburning with additional forms of embellishment.” Visitors to the Bourne display will find a joyful variety of small-turning forms; as Capenews asks, “What can you make from the limb of a tree? A goblet, a mushroom, a scoop, a bowl, a lighthouse ornament, an egg basket, a vase, a rolling pin, a candle holder and more!”

Techniques and materials are central to both presentations. The Cape Cod Woodturners’ Instagram post framed the work plainly: “The Women in Turning from Cape Cod Woodturners present our first gallery exhibit. Our works are turned, carved, wood burned, and/or painted.” Capenews notes that artists are using “locally-sourced wood that has been harvested from previously down trees,” a practice that resonates with turners who prize provenance and seasonal milling for stability and character.

Women in Turning is an internal section of the Cape Cod Woodturners, a chapter that emphasizes peer learning and hands-on collaboration. The club website states, “On behalf of the Women in Turning section of Cape Cod Woodturners, welcome! Our WIT members participate in all club activities and also meet independently about 6 times a year.” Those shop meetings are practical gatherings: a Woodturner magazine account documents sessions at Jan Casiello’s shop where “Five club members met on July 30 … to work on a funnel, a salt cellar, and a pestle” and, later, “On September 21, five club members met at Jan Casiello’s shop to work on a scoop, a tree, woodburning, and a bud vase.” That peer-teaching model underpins the work in the galleries and the group’s community outreach.

The Cape Cod Woodturners organization is a 501(c)3 educational organization and an AAW affiliate since 1993; its Women in Turning program also participates in a national initiative making wig stands for donation. The club site notes, “We are entering our third year participating in a national WIT initiative making wig stands which will be donated to recipients. We are partnering with Cape Cod Technical School's cosmetology program which is an American Cancer Society distribution site for free wigs.”

For woodturners and collectors on Cape Cod, the two presentations offer both inspiration and practical models for projects, material sourcing and group learning. Verify gallery hours and program schedules before visiting, and consult the Cape Cod Woodturners membership page if you want hands-on introductions, mentoring or to attend a Women in Turning meeting. The shows signal growing visibility for women turners on Cape Cod and underline the value of small-group collaboration in turning skill development and community service.