Local Student Wins Woodworking Award

Former MUS student Zander Murren Doherty has been passionately working away in his Montecito workshop this summer, building a variety of wooden creations and winning local and national competitions for his work. 

Each May, the Santa Barbara School District hosts a local student woodworking competition; this year Zander built a very special rocking chair inspired by the designs of notable furniture maker, Sam Maloof. The sleek walnut rocking chair, which took Zander over 200 hours to build and perfect, was awarded “Best in Show,” along with several other awards. The rocking chair was successfully submitted and selected for the national student woodworking competition, Freshwood at AWFS (Association of Woodworkers & Furnishings Suppliers), the largest woodworking fair in North America, held in Las Vegas. Zander was accepted into the show as one of just 20 high schoolers in the entire country, with 40 total student competitors – 20 high schoolers and 20 post-secondary students. “I was honored to be chosen to compete, and I built a special crate to transport the chair to Las Vegas,” Zander told us during a visit to his shop earlier this week. 

The show took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center last month, with the awards ceremony on July 27. Zander’s rocking chair took both first place in the seating category and was also the recipient of the competitive “People’s Choice Award.” The people’s choice award included winning a Pantorouter, valued at $2,400, for the winner’s school’s woodshop. Zander tells us his woodshop teacher, Dos Pueblos Industrial Arts teacher Mr. Chris Mollkoy, has been extremely supportive, and attended the show in Las Vegas. “He was thrilled that I won!” Zander said, adding that his passion in woodworking has also been deeply supported by his parents and sister. 

Zander is the first student in Santa Barbara history to qualify and compete in the Las Vegas show. He begins his senior year at DPHS next week, and tells us he plans on spending his free time completing the many commissions he is working on, which include tables, cutting boards, chess boards, and more. 

To learn more about Zander and see his work, visit www.zanderswoodworks.com.