Hawaii celebrates their own

Spark by Luke Shaffer won "Best of Show" at Hawaii’s Woodshow Brad Goda

The 2023 Hawaii’s Woodshow, Na La‘au o Hawai‘I, was held at the Hawaii Opera Plaza in Honolulu from Oct. 29 to Nov. 8. The annual fine woodworking exhibition is presented by the Hawaii Forest Industry Association.

The show calls for work made of wood from Hawaiian-grown tree species, particularly those that have been planted and brought to maturity in Hawaii. It also aims to encourage the public to plant native and non-native high value hardwoods for future generations.

Hope chest by Bob Butts from Hawaii’s Woodshow Brad Goda

The show featured 91 pieces from 48 makers in three categories: Master, Main, and Novice.

Luke Shaffer won Best of Show for “Spark”, a Steampunk-style wooden robot dog made with milo, koa, copper and epoxy. Other winners in the Master class included Frank McClure (Award of Excellence), Bob Butts (Award of Distinction), and Mats Fogelvik (Award of Merit).

Classical guitar by David Gomes (Hawaii’s Woodshow) Brad Goda

The show also includes the Imagination + Inspiration Student Challenge which encourages hands-on learning and understanding of forest resources amongst high school and university-level students.

Learn more at hawaiiforest.org.