2024 Class Schedule
Contemporary Casework
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The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship - Rockport ME
Co-taught with Owain Harris
This course is designed for both intermediate and experienced woodworkers seeking to refine their skills and push the boundaries of creativity in casepiece design through the artful use of veneer. Participants delve into the principles of casework construction focusing on innovative design, precision joinery, and the use of diverse materials. Students will learn to harness the characteristics of veneer by exploring how it can be used to create patterns, contrasts, and unique designs that elevate their furniture to a new level of sophistication.
Receiving personalized guidance and feedback throughout the two-week course, students come away with knowledge and practice in:
Contemporary design principles specifically tailored for veneered casework.
Techniques to develop designs utilizing drawing tools, models, and mock-ups.
An understanding of veneer selection, preparation, and the unique characteristics of different species.
The use of both solid wood and modern engineered materials in fine furniture.
Advanced skills in precision joinery, including edge banding, mitered corners, and other techniques specific to veneer applications.
Chairmaking for Teachers
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Rollinsford NH, Hosted by The Chairmaker’s Toolbox
Assistants: TBD
This class will focus on design and pedagogy, addressing all aspect of creating a chair from concept drawings to models, mock ups, drafting and construction. The topics will range from material technology, ergonomics, structures, process and tooling. The class will include deep dives on tool maintenance, sharpening, essential chair studio builds like steamboxes, shavehorses, bending forms and other jigs. Students may build chairs, however the core intention is to empower future chairmaking instructors by breaking down the complex process of teaching and building. The goal is not to take home a chair, but to learn how a chair goes from concept to creation.
Who should apply: Applicants needn’t be expert chair makers or even comfortable with the process of designing and building from scratch, but this class will skim over the basics of wood technology and safe machine use and so as to jump full force into designing and building. As such, this class is most appropriate for students who have experience woodworking, teaching, have already built a chair, and are now looking to learn how to teach & design their own pieces. All applicants must identify as historically excluded or outsiders in the field of woodworking.
Intro to Windsor Chairmaking
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Fireweed Community Woodshop - Minneapolis MN
Assistant: Wu Hanyen
Popular in 1600 and 2022, this ancient chair style is still a darling of the contemporary furniture field. Starting from a green log students will learn to split, soak, and shape their way to a finished piece of furniture. In this class we will cover the essential techniques required to build a classic Windsor side chair – we will also cover a variety of approaches to furniture design including maquettes, drafting and creating original patterns. The instructor will share plans and techniques for building a small kiln, steam box, bending forms, and a shavehorse so that students return home empowered to design and build their own chairs. Whether you are new to woodworking or an experienced maker, Windsor chair making will deepen your appreciation for the strength and versatility of wood and the power of hand tools.
Bones of a Windsor
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Port Townsend School of Woodworking - Port Townsend WA
Assistants: TBD
Popular in 1600 and 2022, this ancient chair style is still a darling of the contemporary furniture field. Starting from a green log students will learn to split, soak, and shape their way to a finished piece of furniture. In this class we will cover the essential techniques required to build a classic Windsor side chair – we will also cover a variety of approaches to furniture design including maquettes, drafting and creating original patterns. The instructor will share plans and techniques for building a small kiln, steam box, bending forms, and a shavehorse so that students return home empowered to design and build their own chairs. Whether you are new to woodworking or an experienced maker, Windsor chair making will deepen your appreciation for the strength and versatility of wood and the power of hand tools.
Wicked Clean - Intro to Broom Making (VIRTUAL)
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Virtual through Peter’s Valley School of Craft
2 Virtual Evening Sessions: Tues/Tues, April 10 & 17 | 6pm - 7:30pm
If you are interested in making a full-size broom, handled broom, or designing your own pieces, this class is for you. Learn to design and tie everything from a small whisk broom to a full sized or double headed floor sweeper. This class will survey material sourcing, broom construction, plaiting or weaving for decorative handles, specialty tools, hand grips & techniques.
Windsor Side Chair Design & Build
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The North Bennet Street School - Boston MA
Co-taught with Charles Thompson
Starting from a log, students learn to split, soak, and shape their way to an elegant, custom chair. This course provides a balanced approach to design & build skills - covering traditional chairmaking skills while also introducing students to the design process. Each student will have the opportunity to customize an essential form provided by instructors - creating structurally similar objects with variations in crest positioning, part shaping, and spindle layout.
Class discussions will cover the principles of chair design and construction, material technology, ergonomics, and tooling as well as the theory and practice of tapered mortise-and-tenon joinery, and the moisture differentials that are at the core of the Windsor joinery system. This workshop is perfect for beginners as well as experienced students who are ready to dive into chair design.
Intro to Broom Making
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Hatchspace - Brattleboro VT
If you are interested in making a full-size broom, handled broom, or designing your own pieces, this class is for you. Class discussions will explore the history of broomcorn and broom making in America and will survey a variety of contemporary and historical brooms to inspire your design ideas.
Learn. Learn to design and tie everything from a small whisk broom to a full sized or double headed floor sweeper. This class will survey material sourcing, broom construction, plaiting or weaving for decorative handles, specialty tools, hand grips & techniques.
Make. After one short weekend students will walk away with a variety of beautiful and functional brooms including whisks, turkey wings, short handled hearth brooms, a full sized floor sweeper, and more.
2 Sessions: Sat/Sun, March 16 & 17 | 9:00am - 5:30pm | Class will break for a 1/2 hour lunch each day.
Intro to Broom Making
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Hobby Shop - Boston MA
Assistants: TBD
Contemporary Windsor Chair
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Austin School of Furniture and Design - Austin TX
Assistants: TBD
Popular in 1600 and 2022, this ancient chair style is still a darling of the contemporary furniture field. Starting from a green log students will learn to split, soak, and shape their way to a finished piece of furniture. In this class we will cover the essential techniques required to build a classic Windsor side chair – we will also cover a variety of approaches to furniture design including maquettes, drafting and creating original patterns. The instructor will share plans and techniques for building a small kiln, steam box, bending forms, and a shavehorse so that students return home empowered to design and build their own chairs. Whether you are new to woodworking or an experienced maker, Windsor chair making will deepen your appreciation for the strength and versatility of wood and the power of hand tools.
Two Slat Chair & Slat Carving
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Eric Cannizzaro Chair Maker - Charlotte, VT
Co-taught with Eric Cannizzaro
Octagonal parts will be shaped with the drawknife and spokeshave. Slat mortises are routed, rung mortises are made with the drill press. After initial shaping of parts and fitting slat joinery, we will develop patterns and carve them into our slats with a series of gouges. After assembly chairs can be painted with milk paint or clear finished in class. A variety of colors of shaker tape will be available to choose from to weave the seat. Aspen Golann and I are co-teaching this class and allowing up to 5 students.
The Bones of a Windsor
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Port Townsend School of Woodworking - Port Townsend, WA
Many new woodworkers dream of the day when they can gain the skills and confidence to construct their very own chair. Join guest instructor Aspen Golann, who will help to demystify this classic form and guide each student through the process of designing and building this time-tested piece of furniture in this six-day course.
The Chairmaker's Toolbox: Stick Chair Class
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Lost Art Press - Covington, KY
Lead Instructor: Chris Schwarz - Assistant: Aspen Golann
This class is an introduction to building stick chairs – a vernacular form of furniture that has been around for centuries. Most stick chairs were built by amateur woodworkers or farmers who made chairs in the off-season. They were built with available materials and a small tool set. And unlike many formal furniture styles, such as Windsor chairs, stick chairs have far fewer rules and established forms. In fact, you are unlikely to ever find two identical stick chairs. This class is an introduction to building these chairs with a small kit of hand tools, a band saw and wood available from any lumberyard. Students will be provided with a wide variety of different chair patterns so they can personalize their chair by changing the undercarriage, rainbow, hands, sticks and comb.
Intro to Broom Making: Handbrooms & Sweepers
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The North Bennet Street School - Boston, MA
Learn to design and tie everything from a small whisk broom to a full sized or double headed floor sweeper. After one short weekend students will walk away with a variety of beautiful and functional brooms including whisks, turkey wings, short handled hearth brooms, a full sized floor sweeper, and more. This class will survey material sourcing, broom construction, plaiting or weaving for decorative handles, specialty tools, hand grips & techniques.
If you are interested in making a full-size broom, handled broom, or designing your own pieces, this class is for you. Class discussions will explore the history of broomcorn and broom making in America and will survey a variety of contemporary and historical brooms to inspire your design ideas.
Looking Good: Sculptural Mirror Making
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Pocosin Arts - Columbia, NC
Assistant: Chelsea Witt
Make playfully expressive mirrors while learning essential woodworking skills. We will cover everything from the safe use of machines and hand tools, to power carving, and a wide range of joinery techniques. Students are encouraged to explore experimental and expressive designs as we transform this household object into sculpture. Aspen will also demonstrate the ancient process of mirroring clear sheet glass using silver chemicals.
Collaborative Design Workshop
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Peter Galbert Chairmaking Studio, Rollinsford, NH
Instructor: Peter Galbert - Assistants: Aspen Golann & Kelly Harris
This class is a continuation of a workshop Peter Galbert taught to a small group of professional woodworkers in 2022. The inaugural class consisted of Audi Siosi, Sarah Watlington, Lacey Carnahan, Kelly Harris and Aspen Golann. Pete led the group through the process of designing a Windsor chair from scratch. It was wildly successful and we are going to offer it again this year. The original class will return and we are looking for two new chairmakers to join the crew.
This design class will focus on all aspect of creating a chair from concept drawings to models, mock ups , drafting and construction. The topics will range from material technology, ergonomics, structures, process and tooling. The class will choose two designs to push through the process. This is not a class to build and take home a chair, it’s to learn how a chair goes from concept to creation.
Sit Down For This: Designing & Building Chairs
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Anderson Ranch Art Center - Aspen, CO
2 week chair design & build workshop
In this workshop, students start by building a classic Windsor chair with hand tools. Class discussions cover the principles of chair design and construction, and students are encouraged to build a stool, bench, or sculptural form of their own design alongside their classic side chair. We cover a variety of approaches to seating design including maquettes, drafting, and digital drawing. Prior experience with turning or hand tools will be helpful but not necessary.
Broom Making Weekend: Deep Cleaning & Functional Sculpture
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John C Campbell Folk School - Brasstown, NC
Learn to design and build functional and sculptural brooms. Make a variety of traditional whisk brooms including handheld sweepers, whisks, turkey wings, short-handled hearth brooms, and more. We will cover materials choices and sourcing, broom construction, plaiting or weaving for decorative handles, specialty tools, hand grips, and techniques. Gain an introduction to the history of broomcorn and broom making in America and explore the technical and design principles you'll need to design your own broom forms. All levels welcome.
Wicked Clean: Traditional Appalachian Broom Making
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John C. Campbell Folk School - Brasstown, NC
Get whisked away in a week of broom making. Practice traditional construction techniques, flex your design muscles, and explore the intersection of form and function. Learn to make traditional handheld whisk brooms including turkey wings, pot scrubbers, and hearth brooms, experimenting with weaving, sewing, handles, and other flourishes. Then, attempt a full-size floor sweeper or a double headed marriage broom. Depart with the technical confidence and creative flow to build and design your own sculptural sweepers.
Intro to Broom Making: Handbrooms & Sweepers
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The North Bennet Street School - Boston, MA
Learn to design and tie everything from a small whisk broom to a full sized or double headed floor sweeper. After one short weekend students will walk away with a variety of beautiful and functional brooms including whisks, turkey wings, short handled hearth brooms, a full sized floor sweeper, and more. This class will survey material sourcing, broom construction, plaiting or weaving for decorative handles, specialty tools, hand grips & techniques.
If you are interested in making a full-size broom, handled broom, or designing your own pieces, this class is for you. Class discussions will explore the history of broomcorn and broom making in America and will survey a variety of contemporary and historical brooms to inspire your design ideas.
Intro to Windsor Chair Making
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Pinecroft School of Woodworking - Berea, KY
Assistants: Kelly Harris, Alexandra Mavrikis
Popular in 1600 and 2022, this ancient chair style is still a darling of the contemporary furniture field. Starting from a green log students will learn to split, soak, and shape their way to a finished piece of furniture. In this class we will cover the essential techniques required to build a classic Windsor side chair – we will also cover a variety of approaches to furniture design including maquettes, drafting and creating original patterns. The instructor will share plans and techniques for building a small kiln, steam box, bending forms, and a shavehorse so that students return home empowered to design and build their own chairs. Whether you are new to woodworking or an experienced maker, Windsor chair making will deepen your appreciation for the strength and versatility of wood and the power of hand tools.
Brooms & Brushes + Artist Talk
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Boston, MA
Learn to design and build functional and sculptural brooms. Make a variety of traditional whisk brooms including handheld sweepers, whisks, turkey wings, short-handled hearth brooms, and more. We will cover materials choices and sourcing, broom construction, plaiting or weaving for decorative handles, specialty tools, hand grips, and techniques. Gain an introduction to the history of broomcorn and broom making in America and explore the technical and design principles you'll need to design your own broom forms. All levels welcome.
Intro to Broom Making: Handbrooms
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The North Bennet Street School - Boston, MA
In this action-packed, one-day class students will learn to make a variety of functional, beautiful handheld whisk brooms. We will cover turkey wing, hawks tail, pot scrubbers, cake testers, and round hearth brooms as well as plaiting or weaving for decorative handles.
Sotheby's Americana Symposium
The Work of Rest: The History & Practice of Windsor Chairmaking
Lecture & Demo by Aspen Golann & Kelly Harris
A range of talks relating to recent research in the fields of American Art and Decorative Arts. The symposium will start promptly at 10:00 AM and end approximately at 5:00 PM. If you wish to attend, click here or contact RSVP@Sothebys.com
Intro to Windsor Chairs
Austin School of Furniture & Design - Austin, TX
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Advanced Broom Making (VIRTUAL)
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Join us for a deep dive into full-scale broom making! We will practice traditional construction techniques while flexing our design muscles, and exploring the intersection of form and function. Class will begin with a short handled hearth broom and end with a full sized floor sweeper. We will also cover woven handles, sewing patterns, and other decorative flourishes. By the end of the demo, students will have all of the information needed to source material, make or find broom handles, and design and build their own pieces in a variety of sizes and styles. All levels welcome; Introduction to Broom Making: Online recommended for students interested in handheld brooms like turkey wings, hawks tails, and pot scrubbers.
Introduction to Broom Making (VIRTUAL)
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Learn to design and build functional and sculptural brooms! In one short session, students will learn to make a variety of functional, beautiful brooms, including handheld sweepers, whisks, and turkey wings. These traditional brooms are an excellent introduction to the craft as well as the perfect jumping off point for a deeper dive. We will cover material sourcing, broom construction, specialty tools, hand grips, and a little bit of plaiting or weaving for decorative handles. Students will leave with 2-3 small hand brooms and enough supply to make more, as well as the knowledge to experiment with their own designs. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a new way to apply a lifetime of craft experience, broom making is an exciting and accessible craft. All levels welcome. Also, check out the Advanced Broom Making class on November 17!
Intro to Windsor Chairs
Florida School of Woodworking - Tampa, FL
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Hard & Soft: Sculptural Brushmaking
Haystack School of Craft - Deer Isle, ME
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The Chairmaker’s Toolbox: Stick Chair
Lost Art Press - Covington, KY
Lead Instructor: Chris Schwarz - Assistant: Aspen Golann
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Sculptural Brush Making
Port Townsend School of Woodworking - Port Townsend, WA
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Brushmaking
Hawaii Craftsmen - Donkey Mill Art Center, Holualoa HI
Hone your carving skills, flex your design muscles, and explore the intersection of form and function by transforming this humble household object into sculpture. Students will fabricate wood and fiber objects that engage, elevate or subvert the brush, creating functional and conceptual manifestations of this simple tool. We will cover handle selection, wood shaping, fibers, and compound angle drilling. Students will also learn how to tie a classical handbroom with tampico fibers. Traditional whisk brooms are an excellent introduction to broomcraft as well as the perfect jumping off point for a deeper dive. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a new way to apply a lifetime of craft experience, brush making is an exciting and accessible craft. All levels welcome.