If you have been lurking around the fringes of NWSSA events for the past few years, it's time to get that extraneous dust off your tools and come to both of our symposiums for a well-ventilated taste of the real thing.  

In July, "Camp B" celebrates its 25th anniversary offering a this-year-only early bird rate of $100 off for full-time attendees (including campers) who sign up before June 1st.

We have a lot lined up for you this year. Monumental sculptor George Pratt will be hosting a granite carving workshop. Figurative abstractionist MJ Anderson teaches us the wily ways of Italian marble. The acclaimed contemporary jade and granite sculptor, Deborah Wilson delves into the mysteries of jade. And Richard Hestekind will offer an inspired design workshop. Plus, comprehensive tool talks with Tom Urban, and more. Big celebrations and prizes will be companioned with old friends and new. And let's not forget the best - good, old fashioned, dirty fun.

And if that is not enough to pique your interest, we finish off the symposium season by bringing back world-renown sculptor, Kazutaka Uchida to Silver Falls Symposium in August. Uchida's elegant and sophisticated forms have inspired many a NWSSA artist to new directions. Paired with the much admired figurative sculptor, John Fisher, this is an opportunity any artist would be crazy to miss.

So if you have copper pennies, save them up because they are worth four cents. We know that you will come home from each of our events with a bright, refreshed outlook that'll carry you through the rest of the year.

Gerda Lattey