In 1997, some French turners combined to form the Association Francaise pour le Tournage D'art sur Bois (the French Association for the Turning of Art in Wood, or AFTAB). They subsequently arranged a touring exhibition of their work which travelled all over France. The organization is energetic and inventive, continuing to organize seminars, exhibitions, and other events.

In 1998, Gerard Bidou published Woodturning in France, which was the first serious documentation of many of the new art turners. Although Bidou acknowledges the influence of turners from outside of France, he proudly states, "...this impact should not lead us to forget the stable values of traditional French culture". The book covers the full gamut of work, from excellent offerings such as the classic and elegant sculptural forms of Philippe Bourgeat , to the derivative and clumsy attempts at wit by Pierre Antoine. In such a rapidly developing field, a book like this creates an important snapshot of past work and allows us to see how quickly work improves. Already the work looks dated as the quality of French work grows apace.

The exhibition of turned wood art held in the church of Puy St Martin at the 2000 Journées Mondiales

It is not hard to choose the most significant event in recent years. In 2000, the Journees Mondiales (World Conference) was held in the village of Puy-St. Martin in the Drome region of southeastern France. This gathering set a new standard for such events. It was village-based, involving everyone from the children to their grandparents, while the wine, food and music were as important as the wood. Turners from all over the world agreed it was the best conference ever held - a veritable Woodstock of turning. The village church hosted the largest exhibition of wood art ever held in Europe and 10,000 visitors poured through to see what the French and the world had to offer. For the first time, a French museum, le Musee de Lochieu, bought pieces from woodturners as art.
The next event is already being organized and afficionados from all over the world will gather again in this wonderful village in 2003.

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