Albert LeCoff

Albert LeCoff

Albert B. LeCoff (born 1950) is an American arts administrator, non-profit leader, curator, and author who focuses on woodturning as a studio art form in the United States. He co-founded the George School woodturning symposia (1976–1981), was a founding organizer of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) in 1986, and founded and directed the Museum for Art in Wood in Philadelphia, formerly the Wood Turning Center. He also initiated the International Turning Exchange, now called the Windgate Arts Residency Program in Wood.

Early life and education

LeCoff was born in Philadelphia in 1950. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Arts & Crafts from Antioch University–Philadelphia in 1974. Between 1973 and 1975, he apprenticed with Israeli-born woodturner Manny Erez.

George School symposia

In the late 1970s, Albert and his twin brother Alan LeCoff, together with educator Palmer Sharpless, organized ten woodturning symposia at the George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania. These biannual events were among the first national gatherings of studio woodturners in the U.S.

The 1981 symposium featured the first juried exhibition of turned wood objects in North America, which led to the publication of A Gallery of Turned Objects.

Founding of the AAW

In 1986, LeCoff joined forces with David Ellsworth, Dale Nish, and others to establish the American Association of Woodturners, a nonprofit organization devoted to advancing the art and craft of woodturning. The first AAW symposium was held at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. LeCoff's organizational experience was instrumental in shaping the format of AAW events and publications.

Wood Turning Center and Museum for Art in Wood

Later in 1986, the LeCoff brothers founded the nonprofit Wood Turning Center in Philadelphia. During Albert LeCoff’s tenure as executive director, the Center mounted art exhibitions, organized international conferences, and established a permanent collection and research library.

In 2011, it was renamed the Center for Art in Wood, and in 2023 it became the Museum for Art in Wood.

International Turning Exchange

In 1995, LeCoff established the International Turning Exchange (ITE), a residency program that brought together artists, scholars, and photojournalists for collaborative work and public exhibitions. Renamed the Windgate Arts Residency Program in Wood, ITE has hosted hundreds of international participants and remains one of the most respected programs of its kind.

Publications

LeCoff has edited or contributed to more than 25 publications, including:

• A Gallery of Turned Objects (1981)
• Lathe-Turned Objects: An International Exhibition (1988)
• Wood Turning in North America Since 1930 (2001, with Yale University Art Gallery)
• Connections: International Turning Exchange 1995–2005 (2005, with Glenn Adamson and Tanya Harrod)
• Turning to Art in Wood: A Creative Journey (2011)

Awards

• 2003 – Honorary Fellow, American Craft Council
• 2008 – Lifetime Achievement Award, American Association of Woodturners
• 2011 – Honored by the City of Philadelphia and the Collectors of Wood Art

Personal life

Albert LeCoff is the twin brother of Alan LeCoff. In 1990, he married Tina Van Dyke.

See also

• American Association of Woodturners
• Museum for Art in Wood

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