Archive Mode. Call Fresh Wood 2021 ended on 5/4/21, 12:00 AM. Call settings are read only. See Current Open Calls

Fresh Wood is an industry-sponsored competition for woodworking students who are considering a career in the wood and related industries. The contest is open to students in North America. There is no entry fee.

Eligibility 

Students: 

• High school students who are in a woodworking or design program. (Specialty schools or programs may be accepted on a case-by-case basis by the Fresh Wood Committee)
• Post-secondary students who are Full-time or Part-time, seeking a degree or certificate, in a woodworking or related program who are considering a career in woodworking or design. (Post secondary schools include colleges and universities as well as trade, art and union apprenticeship schools. Specialty schools or programs may be accepted on a case-by-case basis by the Fresh Wood Committee.)  
• Students must be at least 16 years of age by July 20, 2021.
• All students, including those who have graduated, must have the support of their instructor and school, or program, where the work was completed.  
• Those that make their living (or substantial income) from woodworking careers are not eligible. 
• Each student may be a finalist in the Fresh Wood competition no more than three times at the Post-Secondary level. 

Projects:

• Entries are restricted to ten (10) per school and two (2) per student.
• One student representative per entry.
• Projects must be composed of at least 50% wood or wood composite, except for pieces in the “Open” category and upholstered pieces which may have a higher ratio of non-wood material. 
• Project must have been built between May 2019 and April 2021; projects must not have been previously entered in any other national competition.  
• Project construction must be complete at the time of entry. The project may be lacking the finish coating. If selected as a finalist, the project must be completely finished in time for shipment to the AWFS®Fair (approx. July 1, 2021).
• Projects may be entered in only one category.  
• If you are submitting a prototype, it must be fully functional and finished.
• Students are expected to have created their own plan of procedure.  
• Glass components must be tempered and properly secured when assembled. 
• Students must disclose if they have used manufactured parts or if they have involved any other persons or companies in their process (such as for upholstery, veneering, metalwork, turned pieces, instrument components, etc.) 
• A student may submit a maximum of two (2) projects. 
• AWFS® reserves the right to limit the amount of entries weighing over 400 pounds due to space constraints and a limited shipping budget.

Categories: 

Seating
Includes chairs and other seating pieces such as ottomans, benches and settees. Piece may be upholstered.  Comfort, Stability and aesthetics are primary. NOTE: Seating pieces must function as such. Judges WILL test the strength of joints by sitting on chairs (however general public access to all pieces on display during the AWFS®Fair will be prohibited).

Tables
Includes functional, decorative occasional tables, gaming tables, stands. Emphasis is on design integrity, craftsmanship, joinery, and aesthetics.

Case Goods
Includes bedframes, shelving and storage systems, dressers, desks, cabinets.  Choice of materials, construction methods and joinery will be considered.

Design for Production
New for 2021 - Design a functional item manufactured out of one 4’ x 8’ piece of plywood. All structural wood components must nest inside of, and be CNC cut from, the same 4’ x 8’ sheet. Thickness of plywood at full scale should be 1/2” to 1” thick. 
High School - Include images of the following in your submission:
1.  A Dimensioned CAD drawing of your design
2.  Three (3) Images of either a 3D Rendering, a Scale Model, or a Full-scale Prototype  
3. A 2D CAD drawing of the plywood parts nested (arranged) on a 4’x 8’ sheet
You may incorporate common fasteners into your design, but not custom fabricated parts. If selected as a Finalist, you may choose to ship a full scale prototype if you have access to a CNC machine, or AWFS® will work with you and a manufacturer to produce a full scale prototype of your design to be judged at the AWFS®Fair! If planning to have AWFS® manufacture the entry, you must base your design off a 18mm x 4’ x 8’ sheet of birch plywood. Also include a 1/2” or more between all nested parts and between parts and the edge of the plywood sheet on your 2D CAD drawing. 
Post-Secondary - A full scale functional item, sanded and finished. It may be permanently assembled or flat packed. You may incorporate fasteners, custom fabricated parts (3D printed, metal, etc.), and upholstery into your design. 

2021 Special Theme: Remote Woodworking
2020 has been a year of change and adversity, and has even impacted the way we design and build furniture and other wood objects. Did you find a need in your life and adapt to build something new? Did your instructor help you build a functional project from home while you were distance learning? We want to see what you built while learning remotely! No restrictions on style or minimum size. 

Open Category
Anything Goes! No restrictions on style, minimum size, materials or percent of wood used. Pieces should have originality and be functional. This is the place for projects that don’t easily fit other categories, such as musical instruments, lighting, and clocks.
 

Judging

Judging is done by panel of professionals representing various sectors of the industry.  All entries are reviewed by the judges prior to the AWFS®Fair to determine the finalists to be exhibited at the show. Judges reserve the right to reassign an entry to a different category if they deem it appropriate.

The Judging Process:
1. Judges receive anonymous online submissions consisting of images and the students’ responses to the online questions.
2. Judges score projects on a scale of 1-5 for each of the 5 criteria listed below. 
3. Scores are tallied and projects with the highest scores within their category are selected as finalists.
4. Finalist projects are judged in person at the AWFS®Fair on a scale of 1-5 for the criteria below.
5. Scores are tallied and projects with the highest scores within their category may be selected as winners as agreed upon by the judging panel.

Judging criteria:
    1)     Design innovation on original pieces; or quality of execution of a known style or variation.
    2)     Craftsmanship of the piece including construction quality, material choice and use, detailing, sanding quality, finishing quality.
    3)     Functionality, stability, comfort, and if applicable manufacturability and marketability. 
    4)     Construction techniques, appropriateness of the technique, joinery, lamination veneering, or upholstery.
    5)     Aesthetics, scale, proportion, balance, rhythm, emphasis and unity. 
            *One additional point will be given during final judging if the Presentation Board is completed following the instructions correctly.  
              One point can make the difference for a win!*
     NOTE: Judging criteria and emphasis will vary for the “Design for Production” category, with a higher emphasis on particular criteria


Awards:
High school and post-secondary school entries are judged and awarded separately.
First Place………………………………….……………….........................…$1,000
Second Place…………………………………………………........................$500
Honorable Mention (Given at the discretion of the judges) …..$250
Best of Show (Student receives the Best of Show trophy)…...... $1,000
People’s Choice………………………………………………......................$750
First and Second Place given in every category, Honorable Mention given at judges’ discretion.
 

Entry Instructions

Contest Schedule

 

Questions? Contact Adam Kessler at (323) 215-0312; Adam@AWFS.org