I heard some exciting news. There's going to be an art show in Cambridge Springs on Friday, March 21. It will be held at Kelly Run Gallery on Main Street. The featured artist will be Bill Campbell, age 89, who used to own and operate the famous Campbell Pottery Shop. However, don't expect to see pottery at the art show.

I'm visiting with Bill at his workshop in Cambridge Springs. This is the same workshop where there used to be a kiln. That kiln produced beautiful Campbell Pottery that was sold locally and in 49 states across the country. When Bill retired four years ago, the kiln was replaced with a woodturning lathe. Bill still wanted to put his artistic talent to use in retirement. So, he returned to a skill he learned years ago.

"I had done enough stuff with a lathe. I thought maybe I'll just buy a lathe and tinker around with that. The more I did it, the more I liked it,” says Bill.

Bill had no intentions of selling his wonderful wooden bowls. He created them just for the love of woodturning.

"Up until now, I haven't been really selling the work. Most of it, I've given away up to this point which has gotten me a lot of friends,” Bill says with a laugh.

Rod Miller and his wife own Kelly Run Art Gallery. Of course, Rod is a big fan of Bill Campbell. He's been nudging Bill to showcase his wooden bowls for quite some time.

"I started talking to him,” remembers Rod. “I said, 'Why don't you do a show?’ He was like, 'I don't know. I don't think so. Maybe some day.”

Bill finally gave in.

"Rod kept pushing me to do a show. I finally decided to let him have one,” declares Bill.

Since his retirement, Bill has been coming to this shop every day taking a block of wood and a chisel and turning that wood into a bowl. The bowl is then sanded, textured, and colored. Just like his pottery, the finished products are beautiful. Finally, this famous potter will be showing and selling his creations made from wood.

"It's just something that I sort of fell in love with,” says Bill. “And I do it because I want to, not because I need to."

The art show featuring Bill Campbell and his beautiful wooden bowls will be held at Kelly Run Gallery on Friday, March 21st.  Bill will be at the gallery from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Kelly Run Gallery is located at 264 South Main Street in Cambridge Springs.