John Snyder

John was born in a suburb Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957. He is one of 7 children born to parents of modest means. He was the first in the family line to graduate college. He studied Electrical Engineering at the Ohio Institute of Technology in Columbus Ohio and worked in his field of study for 43 years. John has retired from engineering and now resides in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years.

John has appreciated and explored the art of wood from an early age when his grandfather took him under his wing. It was his grandfather’s emphasis on strength and function that laid the foundation for John’s further exploration into form and beauty.

John is always looking for unique and classic forms where he gains insight and inspiration. As an executive in business, and in leisure with his wife, John’s extensive travels around the world have greatly influenced his art. The technique for his segmented “Basket” piece was inspired by a tile pattern in a Santa Barbra hotel. The classic vase shapes were influenced museums in Florence, Rome, Corfu, and Paris.

Ohio Institute of Technology, Electrical Engineering
University of Phoenix, Management

John’s work was featured in the San Diego “Design in Wood” exhibition in 2012. In the summer of 2014, John was 1 of 25 woodcraft artists selected to participate in “Rising”, an international, curated, annual exhibition organized by the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) in Phoenix. John's work was also available in the gallery at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara from 2012-2018.