2025 New England
Woodworking Competition

We invite you to join us for the 3rd annual New England Woodworking Competition, held this year on Sunday, November 9th, from 3 – 8pm. The event will take place in the Granite State Room in the MUB Center at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. The always-entertaining Tom McLaughlin will return as our Master of Ceremonies, and we’re also excited to have two luminaries from the woodworking world as Keynote Speakers: the talented wood carver and sculptor Jeffrey Cooper, and legend in the field Mike Pekovich, editor of Fine Woodworking Magazine.

3rd Annual New England Woodworking Competition

Sunday, November 9, 2025
From 3pm – 8pm
Granite State Room, MUB Center
University of NH, 83 Main St. Durham, NH 03824

Get Directions

View the 2025 Competition Catalog

Tom McLaughlin
Master of Ceremonies

Jeffrey Cooper
Wood Carver & Sculptor

Mike Pekovich: Editor of Fine Woodworking Magazine

The event is sponsored by the Guild, in partnership with the New Hampshire Furniture Masters, who serve as judges and provide a companion exhibit featuring some of the Masters’ works of art. We are fortunate to have outstanding makers and educational resources here in New England. This competition provides a space for woodworkers to exhibit their skills and for the community to admire high-quality woodworking. Reflecting the Guild’s commitment to education, many pieces showcase techniques learned through our programs.

If you’re new to woodworking or an accomplished veteran and have not yet joined our Guild, learn more about why you should join.

Rules for Entry

Entries are limited to objects made primarily of wood. Other materials like brass and glass are acceptable as long as they are an integral part of the design.
Space on the exhibition floor permitting, each entrant may submit any number of pieces, but only two pieces are eligible for judging. The exhibition committee may reject anything over two pieces due to space constraints.
The show committee reserves the right to reject a piece it deems unacceptable for any reason.
A piece must not have been previously entered.
All pieces must remain on the floor until the completion of the event and must be removed that evening.
All entries, except for carving and turning pieces must be displayed on a base or pedestal. Bases for tables, cabinets and other large freestanding items shall be 4-6” tall and approximately 6” larger in all directions than the item being displayed. Smaller item such as bowls, jewelry boxes etc. will be displayed on a table provided by the Guild. A pedestal will not be necessary for those smaller pieces.
All bases and pedestals must be painted a flat/matte gray (Rust-Oleum Smoke Gray Flat Protective Enamel available at Lowes – Item #2953438 | Model #366346. or Amazon – Rust-Oleum 334017 Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Primer, 12 oz, Flat Gray (or something similar).
Wall hanging pieces will need a wall-suitable display for the piece or an easel. Carvings and turnings will be displayed on a supplied table.
Although there will be people available to monitor the show at all times, we are not responsible for damage to, or loss of, pieces on display. Insurance coverage for pieces on display is the responsibility of the entrant.
Instructions for delivery of entries will be provided once we get closer to the date but will be the morning before (Saturday, Nov 8th) from 10-12. Pieces will be placed by the guild committee member in charge of display. Their decisions are final.
A photo of your piece is required at the time you submit your entry form and will be used in our digital catalog. If the photo is not available at the time of submission, there will be an opportunity to provide an image at a later date.
PLEASE NOTE: Late entries might not be included in the show unless the entrant contacts the show chairman and makes appropriate arrangements.

Register

Participant Classification for the Woodworking Competition

We’re excited to announce a change in our participant registration process this year, designed to ensure a more equitable and rewarding competition experience for everyone. Please carefully read the category descriptions below and honestly indicate the category that best reflects your current skill level and experience. While this is a self-classification process, the competition committee reserves the right to review and may request a revision to your indicated category to maintain the integrity of the competition.

Our goal with this new system is to “level the playing field,” allowing all participants to be judged alongside peers with similar levels of expertise.

Registration closes October 26, 2025. This is a hard stop as we need the time to organize the event.

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Award Categories

Best in Show ❯

The winning piece should exhibit the best qualities of most of the following categories.

❮ Best in Show

Judges Awards (3) ❯

Each of the three judges will pick, entirely at their own discretion, a piece that they think is deserving of an award but did not seem to fit into other categories.

❮ Judges Awards (3)

Best Original Design ❯

Original designs are new and unique and are not derived from previous art or style.

❮ Best Original Design

Best Traditional Piece ❯

Pieces in this category may be reproductions, interpretations, or representations of any historic style.

❮ Best Traditional Piece

Best Contemporary Piece ❯

Awarded to the piece that best reflects our times and challenges tradition in a style that is innovative and current.

❮ Best Contemporary Piece

Best Carving ❯

This includes all carvings either in relief or in the round to be viewed from all directions.

❮ Best Carving

Best Turning ❯

Pieces in this category include vessels, sculptural pieces and turnings that generally have the grain perpendicular to the lathe bed or pieces that have been turned with the grain parallel to the axis while being held at both ends (furniture parts, sculpture and spindles).

❮ Best Turning

Best Decorative or Technical Detail ❯

Awarded to the piece that displays the best application of surface decoration or design elements such as carving, veneering, inlaying, laminating, burning, painting, etc.

❮ Best Decorative or Technical Detail

Best Student Awards ❯

This award will be made to the “best” pieces submitted by elementary, middle school, high school, and post-high school students (college/technical or trade schools), depending on the number of entries.

❮ Best Student Awards