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MUSEUM FOR ART IN WOOD INVITES VISITORS TO EMBRACE REBELLIOUS APPROACHES TO ART IN WOOD ART IN NEW EXHIBITION, AMERICAN GRAFFITI: PAINTING, DYEING, AND SURFACE DESIGN IN WOOD
The exhibition presents diverse uses of paint, dyes, modeling, and shaping on woodturned and carved objects to challenge the modern qualities and tropes of woodworking
Photos: HERE
Philadelphia, PA | December 19, 2025 – Museum for Art in Wood (141 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106) opened a new exhibition, American Graffiti: Painting, Dyeing, and Surface Design in Wood (American Graffiti), highlighting the dynamic and unique characteristics of wood as a medium. Curated by the Museum’s Assistant Curator Amrut Mishra, the exhibition features selected works from the permanent collection with a focus on artists who brought an audacious, expressive, and often quirky spirit to contemporary wood craft. These artistic approaches signal a movement rooted in the late-twentieth century that recognizes the sculptural characteristics of wood by challenging conventional standards that valorize its natural features. American Graffiti is on display in the Museum’s Fleur and Charles Bresler Research Library from now through April 26, 2026.
For American Graffiti, Mishra curated a selection of 20 objects by 15 artists, showcasing the multifaceted artistry of wood and inviting viewers to discover the unorthodox of contemporary art in wood. Some artists work with turning, carving, and sculpting to emphasize the importance of color and surface design in wood. Others use wood as a canvas for realistic sculptures, adding automotive lacquer, fiberglass, milk paint, and dye to highlight the intentional surface work. Taken together, these artists offer a tongue-in-cheek response to collectors, enthusiasts, and critics who limit their appreciation of art in wood to the naturally occurring beauty of the material, including its grain figure and chatoyancy.
One of the artists featured in American Graffiti is American wood sculptor Betty Scarpino, whose contemporary work combines fluid motion with intricate detail. In her piece, “She Sails,” Scarpino created a sculpture as a tribute to Letty Esherick, wife of renowned furniture maker Wharton Esherick, depicting a painted figure posed with arms outstretched atop a ship bearing Letty’s name. The work serves as a metaphor for letting go of judgment and sailing forward unburdened. Critically acclaimed Vietnamese-American artist Binh Pho was known for his use of airbrushing, woodturning, painting, and art glass to create elaborate vessels and sculptures. His piece, “The Last Day,” demonstrates his ability to transform a block of wood into a storytelling vase form with intricately carved surface details, brightly painted symbols inspired by his Vietnamese heritage, and inlaid glass and metalwork.
The exhibition also features “Trumpot,” a collaborative piece by Canadian woodturner Michael Hosaluk and Pennsylvania-based woodturner Mark Sfirri that illustrates their knack for bringing whimsy and charm to art in wood. Hosuluk’s signature bright colors and painted imagery lend emotion to the spherical figure, while Sfirri’s inventive multi-axis woodturning brings together the typically unrelated elements of a teapot and a trumpet.
For visitors who want to learn more about a specific piece featured in American Graffiti or the permanent collection, the Museum uses special QR Codes that direct visitors to a Smartify page with additional details such as the materials or wood used by the artist.
Other artists featured in American Graffiti include: French sculptor and contemporary woodturner Jérôme Blanc; English woodturner and author Mike Darlow; Oregon-based sculptor and educator Michael De Forest; Philadelphia-born woodworker Giles Gilson; English maker Louise Hibbert; California-based sculptor and painter Connie Mississippi; American sculptor and commercial photographer Hap Sakwa; California-based contemporary woodturner Merryll Saylan; North Carolina-based wood sculptor David Sengel; Vermont-based woodturner Alan Stirt; and leading Dutch woodturner Maria Van Kesteren (1933–2020).
Visitors to the Museum for Art in Wood can view one of the most extensive institutional collections of contemporary art in wood. Admission is free, which allows guests to view its permanent collection comprising over 1,400 objects and rotating exhibitions. The Museum’s collection is a testimony of this thriving field and includes turned objects, sculptures, studio furniture, installations, videos, and more. The public can also access the full catalog of objects using the Comprehensive Collection Search on the Museum for Art in Wood website. These efforts enable greater access to the Museum’s extensive body of work on display in its permanent collection, either remotely or while they’re exploring the display cases in the dedicated collection display.
In addition to the permanent collection, the Museum maintains an extensive archive documenting the field of art in wood and curated exhibitions in the Fleur and Charles Bresler Research Library. Consisting of over 1,000 books, manuscripts, and journals, the research library preserves the history of woodturning and woodworking. The library also includes the Earl Powell Artist Research Files, which contain over 25,000 images and international artists’ records. The library provides a detailed look at the art form’s continuing evolution within the broader field of contemporary art. Members of the Museum have free access to the archives for research.
American Graffiti: Painting, Dyeing, and Surface Design in Wood is generously supported by the Cambium Giving Society of the Museum for Art in Wood, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Bresler Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and Windgate Foundation.
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About the Museum for Art in Wood:
The Museum for Art in Wood is the international leader for contemporary art and creativity in the material of wood. The Museum engages, educates, and inspires the public through the exhibition, collection, and interpretation of contemporary art in wood. Founded in 1986 and sited in Philadelphia, the Museum for Art in Wood serves a local and international community. It has built its reputation by providing opportunities for makers and visitors to experience craft directly, through participatory programming; seminal exhibitions and documentation; and the growth, conservation, exhibition, and care of its permanent collection. The Museum’s practice of keeping these resources free and available to the public emphasizes its commitment to building a democratic and inclusive community. Visit museumforartinwood.org to learn more.