Wood Week 2020
Overview
Chips, shavings and sawdust: they’ll be on campus in abundance during this annual favorite: Wood Week 2020. Choose from a dozen courses, including returning favorites in bowl carving with Jon Strom, spoon carving with Fred Livesay and Mike Loeffler, Krympburkar: Scandanavian-Style Shrink Boxes with Paul Linden & Jim Sannerud, and figure carving with Harley Refsal. Or, try something new with Bruce Futterer (Carving Facial Detail), Liesl Chatman (Kolrosing), or Jock Holmen (Dragon Head Carving). All courses are open for registration now.
As always, Friday, March 6 will be the Carver’s Conference, a day full of demonstrations, workshops, skill shares and community gatherings, including the rare mid-winter pizza bake. All enrolled students are encouraged to come early or stay late to partake of this extra benefit. Those not enrolled for a class may purchase a $25 pass to attend Carver's Conference.
Featured Instructor: Peter Follansbee
We are excited to welcome Peter Follansbee back to campus in celebration of his new book from Lost Art Press, Joiner's Work. Peter will teach two courses in 17th century decorative carving and offer a public talk on Friday, March 6 following the pizza bake.
“If you like green woodworking, Joiner’s Work is doctoral thesis on processing furniture-shaped chunks of lumber from the tree using and axe, froe, hatchet and brake. If you are into carving, Peter dives into deep detail on how he festoons his pieces with carvings that appear complex but are remarkably straightforward. And if you love casework, “Joiner’s Work” is a lesson on the topic that you won’t find in many places. Peter’s approach to the work, which is based on examining original pieces and endless shop experimentation, is a liberating and honest foil to the world of micrometers and precision routing.” - Lost Art Press
Full event schedule available here in PDF format, or below.
Wood Week courses are open for registration — register now!
Event Details
EVENING TALKS | 7pm Tuesday-Saturday, Red Building
Join us each night for tales of wood from beyond our shores. Each night will feature a presentation from an instructor who has recently traveled abroad and returned with stories to share. Free, open to all.
| Tuesday, March 3 | Marybeth Garmoe: Scandinavia |
| Wednesday, March 4 | Jarrod Dahl: Japan |
| Thursday, March 5 |
Mike Loeffler: Scandinavia |
| Friday, March 6 | Peter Follansbee: Featured Presentation (see below) |
| Saturday, March 7 | Liesl Chatman: New Zealand |
OPEN SHOP | 8pm Tuesday-Sunday, Red Building
As a special perk of Wood Week, North House will be open for students to carve away the evenings. Bring your own project; hosted by a volunteer instructor. Note: some hand tools will be available for use, but students are encouraged to bring their own.
CARVER’S CONFERENCE | Friday, March 6
As a special feature of this week, all classes will take a break on Friday to allow everyone to participate in presentations, demonstrations, films and shared meals. Participation in the Carver’s Conference Day is included in the tuition for all woodworking courses. All others are welcome to attend for a $25 fee; click here to purchase a pass, or call 218-387-9762 for information.
Demonstrations | 9am - 12pm, Blue Building
In the morning, we’ll gather for presentations from three makers on particular skill sets. Observe, ask questions and learn.
9am Dawson Moore Spoon Carving and the Spoon Mule
10am Rose Holdorf Post and Rung Stool Making
11am Angela Robins Small Carved Vessels
Chili Potluck | 12:30 - 1:30pm, Blue Building
North House will provide the chili (veg and gluten free friendly), you bring a small lunch accompaniment to share: crackers, cheese, pickles, cookies, fruit, whatever. BYO woodenware to use and share!
Mini Film Fest | 1:30-5:00pm, Blue Building
1:30 Another Work is Possible Mortise and Tenon, 77 min, 2020
3:00 The Spoon, the Bowl and the Knife, Jogge Sunqvist, 71 min, 2015
4:30 Hands: The Cavan Cooper, David & Sally Shaw-Smith, 26 min, 1981
Demonstrations | 1:30-4:30, Red Building
The afternoon will feature an informal gathering of instructors at work in the woodshop. Come watch, ask questions and start planning for the class you want to take next year.
- Peter Follansbee: carved oak panels
- Fred Livesay: spoons
- Mike Loeffler: carved bird bowls
- Liesl Chatman: kolrosing
- Paul Linden: shrink pots
- Jim Sannerud: carved patterns and textures
- Jarrod Dahl: knutkorg baskets
- Jon Strom: bowl carving
- Bruce Futterer: carving details
- Harley Refsal: flat plane carving
- Kerry Lambertson: axe hafting
- Jock Holmen: dragon head carving
5:30pm | Wood-Fired Pizza Potluck, Blue Building
The classic North House student gathering makes a rare winter appearance! We will fire the brick oven and making plenty of pizza dough; you provide the rest. If everyone brings a topping or two, we’ll have a great smorgasbord of options. Come early (5pm) for Happy Chopping Hour to prep toppings. Baking will start at 5:30.
7:30pm | Featured Presentation: Forty Years in Green Woodworking — A Craft Genealogy with Peter Follansbee, Blue Building
Peter will explore the deep roots and new branches of his career in traditional green woodworking over the last four decades and share stories of the many people who have inspired him along the way.
8:30pm | Open Shop, Red Building
Bring your carving knife, bring an instrument, come hang out in the woodshop.
Latest Update:
View recent changes →Course Offerings
9am-5pm
Bowl Carving with Axe, Adze and Gouge
9am-5pm
Carved Decoration: 17th-Century English Style
9am-5pm
Scandinavian Style Flat-Plane Figure Carving
9am-5pm
Wooden Spoon Carving Traditions
9am-5pm
Knutkorg: The Scandinavian Knot Basket
9am-5pm
Fitting a Custom Axe: From Handle to Sheath
9am-5pm
Kolrosing: Decorative Line Carving
9am-5pm
Carved Decoration: 17th-Century English Style
9am-5pm
Kuksa Carving: Traditional Scandinavian Drinking Cup
9am-5pm
Meat Preservation: The Basics and Beyond
9am-5pm
Large-Scale Dragon Head Carving
9am-5pm
