From The Editor – March 2026

Investing in our Bedrock

Dear NWSSA Family,

Having spent the last few years conducting research and focus groups at our Washington and Oregon symposia, I’ve seen firsthand the brilliant ideas and immense talent within this group and it’s an honor to be the one who gets to help bottle that magic and send it to your mailboxes every three months.

In This Quarter’s Issue:

The stories in this issue perfectly capture the “integrity of chaos” and the spirit of exploration that defines us. You’ll join John Strohbehn as he recounts his journey from the hills of Dayton to the jungles of Maui, discovering that a hammer and chisel are the best tools for wanderlust. We sit down with the legendary Arliss Newcomb, who reminds us that “art saves lives” and shares her journey of founding the Women’s Hand Carving group. We also take a bike ride with Ed Salerno into the historic sandstone quarries of Tenino, and join Alison Jean Cole and her “co-conspirators” as they pull back the curtain on the least-broached subject in our craft: the science (and many woes) of glue.

For those who feel the pull of the mountains, Pat Barton shares a beautiful photo essay on the history of our Dunite quarry trips, honoring the legacy of Karl Huffbauer and the generous spirit of Corky Smith. Finally, don’t miss our virtual Shop Tour with Tom Small, whose “Neolithic” rhythm on Cady Mountain is sure to inspire your next session at the bench.

Looking Ahead: The Proposed Expansion

In January, I approached the Board with a proposal to increase our journal by four pages (one printed sheet) in a direct response to the “wants and needs” you shared with us at Pilgrim Firs and Suttle Lake. Our goal is to add:

• A full-color community gallery spread to showcase finished works between symposia
• Member shop tours with video links on NWSSA’s YouTube Channel.
• Dedicated space to acknowledge the mentors who make NWSSA feel like home
• An old-fashioned “Ask/Offer” classifieds section to keep tools and stone moving within our community.

Reality of the “Stone”

To make this happen, we are looking at an increase of approximately $300 per quarter (about $5 per member, per year). While that may seem small, our funds from auctions, grants, and membership dues—which haven’t increased in a decade—are already earmarked for scholarship pools, workshops, and essential administration. The Board is currently considering if we can move forward with even a trial run of this expansion. Because this publication is the heartbeat of our communication, I believe it is worth the investment. And this is where I’m hoping you can help.

How You Can Help Us Grow

If you look forward to these journals and want to see these updates become a reality, there are several ways to support the cause:

1. Donate via our New Online Form: We have created a dedicated donation portal to make supporting the journal seamless. This form allows you to earmark your contribution specifically for the “Journal Expansion Fund” so your dollars go directly to these new pages. (You can visit https://l1nq.com/zcCXS or use the QR code below.)
2. Lobby: Reach out to your Board representatives and let them know why the journal is valuable to you and that you support the expansion.
3. Send us Advertisers!!! If you know of quarries, tool vendors, or local businesses that would benefit from reaching our community, send them our way to keep our journal self-sustaining.
4. Write and Participate: Share your knowledge! Suggest an article or nominate an “Unsung Hero.” I need your photos, your “Asks,” and your “Offers” to fill these new pages.
5. Maintain Your Membership: It is easy to forget to renew until you’re signing up for an event, but this is our primary engine. Our membership fee hasn’t increased in a decade while costs have—staying current is a huge help.
6. Use the Website: Engaging with our digital resources helps take the pressure off the print journal to be “everything for everyone.”
7. Share Your Old Journals: If you don’t archive them, share them with friends, family, doctor’s offices, or schools. It’s an excellent way to share what we do and bring in new sculptors. New members mean new art, new stories, new knowledge, and a stronger community… which gives us even more to share with you, once a quarter, with love.

A journal, much like a carving, is a labor of love. It takes a significant amount of work to find the right “grain” in our stories—to source writers, edit, organize layouts, and send the final piece out into the world, only to begin the process again. As Tamara mentioned in her letter, our strength lies in our collective effort and this journal is a primary way we help one another as the community resource that every one of our members receives–thanks for letting me be a part of it.

With love and gratitude,

Leah Editor, NWSSA Journal