Can I submit a piece to the annual exhibit?

All members of the Helena Woodworkers' Guild may submit one or more pieces to our annual exhibit, usually held in late fall in Helena, Montana. The exhibit is a great way to get the word out about your work. We encourage you to present your best and newest work for the exhibit, though this is not required.

There is a fee for each piece submitted. This fee covers most costs of mounting the exhibit. We ask that you give us the details and a digital photo of each piece submitted, including title, materials and price (NFS works are accepted, but we encourage you to put prices even on "sold" pieces, in case a viewer wants to commission a similar piece from you.)

Each year, we have so far, been fortunate to have the eleant gallery space of the Myrna Loy Center for the Arts for our exhibits. Each woodworker must give the Myrna 20% of any work sold during the exhibit month, or commissioned as a result of the exhibit. The Myrna staff fields inquiries during the exhibit (on purchases and/or commissions) and passes them on to the relevant woodworker. It is the responsibility of the individual woodworkers to make sure the Myrna Loy receives their percentage of any work you sell as a direct result of the exhibit.

Part of the exhibit promotion is printing a postcard invitation to the show. All members with a piece in the show may have a handful of the invitations which you can mail to your own family, friends and customers. We will also have these postcards (with our website listing) available at the gallery during the exhibit.

What are the benefits of joining the Guild?

Among the benefits of being a Guild member and attending our meetings and events are:

• Participate in our Annual Art of Wood Exhibit
• Promote your hobby or business through our website
• Gain a link on our webpages, to your own external website
• Keep an online, updated member gallery with photos of your work
• Share support and encouragement with fellow woodworkers
• Learn from the experience of other woodworkers
• Find ways to give your talents, experience and knowledge to others
• Share techniques and business tips with each other
• Bounce your ideas off on folks who share the same concerns you do
  
• Give back to your community through our service projects
• Have fun, make friends and enjoy good food along with the company of like-minded woodworkers

How can I get a link on the Guild's webpages?

If you would like to join the Helena Woodworkers' Guild, and if you do not have your own webpage already, we can work with you (for a minimal fee in addition to the annual dues) to make you a webpage for your business and/or a photo gallery of your woodworking. Even if you pursue woodworking solely as a hobby, you might want to have a web page to show off your work to family and friends. You will have to provide digital photos to our webmaster so we can build a photo gallery for you.

After you have a web presence of some sort (photo gallery, business website, etc) we will give you a link in the Guild Members Directory as well as on the main Guild website, Sawdust and Shavings.

It is up to you, as a member of the Guild, to provide updated photos of your latest woodworking, and of yourself and your shop, so we can keep our member galleries current.

Do you serve food at your meetings?

Yep! good stuff, too! Guild members who host a meeting usually provide something for a casual dinner such as brats, grilled chicken, a pot of soup or chili. Other members attend the meeting bringing snacks, side dishes and beverages. We have time at the beginning of each meeting to chow down, catch up socially, and get to know new members. After our "meal" we get down to whatever business is at hand, usually an educational portion and often planning for future meetings, our exhibits, etc.

Check the Guild Calendar on our main page sidebar for future meeting dates times and locations.

Please join us if you are a woodworker, have a related interest or business, or just think you'd like to see what sort of folks woodworkers are!