A Revolution in Wood: The Bresler Collection celebrates the magnificent gift of sixty-six pieces of turned and carved wood to the Smithsonian American Art Museum by the noted collectors, Fleur and Charles Bresler. Works by some of the best-known wood artists in the United States highlight the expressive capacity of craft's most organic material, and display wood turning's growing sophistication. Nearly half of the artworks in the exhibition are on public display for the first time. Masterpieces by the field's pioneers, including David Ellsworth, William Hunter, Mark and Melvin Lindquist, Edward Moulthrop, and Rude Osolnik, demonstrate the extraordinary range of expression achievable on the lathe, the medium's foundational tool. Compelling recent works by Ron Fleming, Michelle Holzapfel, Hugh McKay, Norm Sartorius, Mark Sfirri, and many others reveal the advent of new techniques, including multi-axis turning, the incorporation of secondary materials, and a strong focus on carving. The Bresler collection illustrates these evolving techniques and aesthetics, which has led to increased use of the term "wood art" rather than "wood turning" to describe the medium. Nicholas R. Bell, curator at the Renwick Gallery, organized the exhibition. The museum produced a five-minute film, with VideoArt Productions, featuring interviews with Fleur Bresler; artists David Ellsworth and Mark Sfirri; and Kenneth R. Trapp, former curator-in-charge at the Renwick Gallery.

Publication
The catalogue, published by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and distributed by Random House, is written by Nicholas R. Bell with a foreword by Elizabeth Broun, the museum’s director, and includes an interview with Fleur Bresler by Kenneth R. Trapp, former curator-in-charge at the Renwick Gallery. Bell's essay examines contemporary wood art's historical roots and its rapid growth since the 1970s, with a focus on how its development outside the studio craft movement shaped the current field. Bresler's interview offers a window on the collector's passion and highlights her twenty-five-year dedication to wood and the artists she considers family.

The section “Wood Art at the Renwick Gallery” illustrates in color more than 200 objects by more than 100 artists in the museum's wood-art collection, marking the first time this premier public collection is available in print. A Revolution in Wood is available for $45 (hardcover) in the museum store, online, and at book stores nationwide.