Courses

There are few things as beautiful and satisfying as watching the flight and arc of an arrow as it leaves the string of your bow. Arrows are part of who we are. We know that crafting arrows was a part of the earliest peoples who relied on bows and arrows…

Movement is a principle of visual art that seeks to move the viewer's eye around and through the work. In weaving, this can be created in a multitude of ways - from manipulating threading drafts and treadling patterns, to color placement and proportions. This webinar will focus on several essential…

Hand-stitched mending can be a gateway to creative expression, as well as a way to care for our textiles, the people we love, and our planet. In this workshop we'll build skills for useful and beautiful stitching from simple to invisible to decorative. We'll try out hand-sewing techniques including darning,…

Remember the last time your feet were too cold to enjoy wonderful wintry weather? Do away with rigid, non-breathing footwear and discover the traditional footwear of the North: mukluks, the perfect footwear for your snowshoeing adventure. The flexibility of the natural materials used in construction allows the foot to generate…

Spring is coming and that means you probably need a new hat and a new hobby! Learn the very simple craft of finger crochet in this online workshop. Find one skein of size 6 bulky yarn, rustle up a pompom if that’s your look, bring all ten fingers and you’re…

Landing a fly gracefully on a quiet inland lake or gently on a rushing river is an experience everyone should have. In this workshop taught by Erik Swenson and Aaron Gerlovich you'll be introduced to the basic techniques of dropping a fly 50-60 feet out, as well as the fundamentals…

Imagine casting a fly to a feeding fish more than 50 feet away, allowing the fly to drift naturally through clear slow-moving water, and then watching the fish surface and take it in. That successful moment in fly fishing doesn’t happen by accident. This course is designed as an intensive…

Early July marks the peak of northern Minnesota’s famous hexagenia mayfly hatch, a time when brook and rainbow trout readily rise to a dry fly on Minnesota’s designated streams and trout lakes. This course is scheduled to take full advantage of this fly-fishing opportunity. Beginners, as well as experienced fly…

The North Shore area of Lake Superior provides some highly prized fly fishing opportunities. Many inland lakes are stocked with rainbow, brown and brook trout, and are accessible by float tube. Tributaries to Lake Superior contain trout and salmon species and are accessible by foot. This course is for the…

Over the course of three evenings we'll explore the constellations, planets and naked-eye highlights of the spring season with an emphasis on understanding the movement of the stars and celestial cycles. Through knowledge we can nurture a closer connection to the night sky and better appreciate our place in the…

The Grand Marais and Beyond course is designed for the enthusiastic photographer, amateur or professional, with an emphasis on storytelling with your photography. Led by editorial photographer Layne Kennedy, you will explore and photograph the scenic shores of Lake Superior, create portraits of local folks, photograph history of the region…

Rosemaling is a decorative painting style originating in Norway. The Gudbransdal style of rosemaling originated in the Gudbransdal region and is recognized by foliage of the acanthus leaf. This course emphasizes the basic technique for painting these acanthus scrolls. Students will apply their skills to a 12’’ lidded box. This…

There are so many possible uses for this bag that the only name that does it justice is “project tote.” Carry needlework, kindling, tablet or farmers’ market treasures in style. This durable hand-sewn project tote is made of vegetable tanned leather that will develop a lustrous dark honey patina as…

A beautiful and sturdy leather tote can last a lifetime. This class will introduce leatherworking skills and design techniques that may be applied to a variety of future projects. In this class, we will make a hand-stitched, leather tote – perfect for toting a laptop or several books. The finished…

Design, weave, and sew your own custom wool tote bag, perfect for all of your north woods adventures. You’ll create a custom bag approximately 15” x 15” x 3”, woven with a basic twill structure. After designing and weaving their wool yardage, students will gain experience fulling their wool cloth…