Читать книгу Woodcarving Illustrated Issue 70 Spring 2015 - Группа авторов - Страница 8
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Woodcarving Illustrated
|
HOLIDAY 2012
publisher’s
note
WCI’s 16th Anniversary
I recently ran into one of our charter subscribers in Manhattan at
a trade show. I knew he was for real when he mentioned the photo
of my son Alex at right from one of the first few issues. Given that
Alex is now taller than me (and his sister Hannah is keeping pace),
I took it as a sign that I should write a bit more frequently.
The excellence of our team means I haven’t had to write, I guess.
Just as the kids are pretty independent these days, so is the magazine. Even
with Shannon Flowers moving to Florida, the team just keeps chugging along
creating interesting new issues. Mindy Kinsey, Bob Duncan, and Shannon do
an excellent job running the magazine. Sometimes I get a bit jealous—they
get to do all the fun stuff, like discovering new contributors and interesting
projects, while I get stuck with paperwork and “administrivia.” And, in
addition to our regular issues, they have been busy turning out some
amazing special issues, like the
Pyrography
magazine that came out back in
March. Look for another issue next year.
It’s hard to believe, but this year marks the 16th year of
Woodcarving
Illustrated
and the 21st anniversary of Fox Chapel Publishing, the magazine’s
parent company. Although carving hasn’t changed as much as other types of
woodworking, I’ve seen power carving increase sharply over the years. The
high-end bird carving showcased at places like the Ward Foundation’s Ocean
City, Md., show has declined in popularity. And, of course, the Internet is a
powerful blessing (and a curse some days) that has changed how we work.
Over the years, our little magazine has managed to find subscribers in
49
countries. Our Web forum, where carvers go to share info and chat about
their latest projects, has more than 1,500 active members and is the largest
carving forum on the Internet. Sites like Etsy.com are allowing many carvers
to make some money from their craft—a nice bonus in these tighter economic
times. And recently,
WCI
was chosen by Lowe’s, the hardware and home
improvement chain, to be featured in the checkout pockets of more than
1,000 of their stores.
One thing I miss is the chance to get together in a big way like we used
to at our Open Houses. The last one, held in 2006, drew more than 1,000
people to our office and warehouse in Lancaster County, Pa. It was a bit
overwhelming space-wise, but now that we have expanded, we’re looking at
holding another Open House in 2013. I’d be happy to hear from those who
were at our last event—what should we keep or change from last time? Please
drop me a note or send an e-mail (
) with your
thoughts.
It has been a great 16 years. My thanks to all of our faithful readers, our
many talented contributors, and, of course, Shannon, Mindy, and Bob for
creating fascinating issues. Together, the readers, contributors, and our team
have created a wonderful community of creative carvers.
Here’s to many more years of fun and creativity!
Alan Giagnocavo
Publisher
Our first cover (above) from
Christmas 1997, and images of our last
Open House in 2006 (below).
Alex and Hannah
today (above),
and Alex as he
appeared in
WCI
Issue 4 (right).
