Diana Friend, Woodturner
Diana was born and raised in California and now moves between Seattle and Stuart Island, WA. She spent a number of years playing and teaching French Horn professionally; followed by working in cabinetry, furniture making and renovating her homes along the way. She began to turn through helping teach children in the wood shop at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia.
Upon moving to Seattle in 2010 Diana began to turn full time to see where it could lead. She was lucky enough to meet Rick Kirsten, of the Kirsten Gallery, and was given a show each year where she was allowed to explore the craft and take it where her whims directed.
Using a solar-powered Stubby and a Robust ‘American Beauty” Diana goes about turning with hopes to let the wood speak for itself. The twelve years at the lathe has been spent making interesting bowls, platters and small sculptures that highlight each piece of wood’s natural qualities; be it the bark, cracks, voids or grain. Periodically Diana chooses a project where she tells the wood what to do and where some intellectual challenges are what drive the process and outcome.
Are they bowls? Or are they messages in wood. Found with a thousand light cuts and an interest in listening. Hannah Arendt might say, “ It’s turning … without a banister.”
Shows & Recognition
2011–2017 The Kirsten Gallery, Seattle WA
The Kirsten Gallery gave me the distinct honor of 7 annual shared shows with the Watercolorist, Byron Birdsall.
2024 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show—November 14- 17, Philadelphia, PA
2024 CatiGallery, “Interconnected”- April 17-May 26th, Seattle, WA Paired Show with Judy Garnett
2024 Octagonal, The All Media Show February 29-March 30, Ames, IA- Winner: Wood Media Award
2024 Las Laguna Art Gallery Women in Art March 7-30, Laguna Beach, CA
2023 All Woman’s Woodturning Week August 20-26, Glenn Lucas Woodturning Study Center, Ireland
2023 AAW Professional Outreach Program, “Out of the Woods” invitee
2023 Smithsonian Craft Show — May 3-7, Washington, D.C.
2022 Wharton Esherick Award in Wood, PMA Show — Philadelphia, PA
2022 Coos Art Museum 28th Maritime Art Exhibition — Coos Bay, Oregon
2022 39th Annual Design in Wood Show —San Diego, CA Honorable Mention
2022 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show—PA November 11-13
2022 American Craft Made Live and Online St Paul— October 6-9 St. Paul, Minnesota
2021 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show—PA November 4-7
2021 Smithsonian Craft and Design Show—Washington DC Online Show October 23-31
2021 AAW Professional Outreach Program, “The Elements” invitee
2020 Pratt Online Holiday Art Show—Seattle, WA November 23-December 18
2020 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show—PA November 6-8
2020 Smithsonian Craft and Design Show—Invitational Online Auction October 21, 2020
2020 ACC Shows—Baltimore, Craft Bash 2020 November 16-December 6
2020 AAW Professional Outreach Program, “Nature/Nurture” finalist
2018 “Ingenuity”—Marin Society of Artists, CA
2018 “Local 14 Art Show”—Portland, OR
2018 “The Intersection of Math and Art”—Schack Art Center in Everett, WA
2018 “Turnabout: Women at the Lathe”
AAW Gallery of Wood Art—MN
Appalachian Center for Craft —TN
Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft—TN
2015 Kerfs International “30 Women Over 30”—Seattle, WA
2015 Winner of the Northwest Furniture Gallery Box Show—Seattle, WA
2010 SlabArt Studios—Solo Show
Publications
Woodworker West cover July–August 2020
“American Woodturner” February 2018—Gallery Section Issue #33
Education
BA French Horn from Indiana University
MAT in Music Education from Indiana University
As An Educator
2024 John Campbell Folk School —May 12- 17
2022 John Campbell Folk School — September
2019–2022 Pratt Fine Arts, Woodturning—Seattle, WA
2017, 2019 Demonstration: Seattle Woodturners
2010–2019 Private woodturning lessons
2002–2009 Germantown Friends School—Philadelphia, PA
Woodshop Assistant and Substitute Grades 2-8
1991–1992 Brandeis University, French Horn—Waltham, MA
1985–1994 Belmont Music School, French Horn—Boston, MA
1983–1994 Freelance Musician