A dedicated group of woodturners founded the Southern Arizona Woodturners Association on January 15, 2005. The group first met as guests of the Woodchippers at the former Hughes Aircraft Plant, now Raytheon, located in Tucson, Arizona. The founding members were Jim Beaman, Art Zirnheld, George Lewis, Bob Willman, Richard Anderson, Lynne Yamaguchi, Wally Dickerman, and Sam Scalzo.

SAZWA is a chapter of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW), a global nonprofit dedicated to promoting the art of woodturning. AAW welcomes anyone interested in woodworking, including woodturners of all skill levels, institutions, and individuals passionate about the craft. Membership connects you with a worldwide community of woodturning enthusiasts and includes a subscription to AMERICAN WOODTURNER, renowned as "The most informative and widely read woodturning publication in the world."