LEARN WITH GOODS FROM THE WOODS
Goods from the Woods® (GFTW) develops and cobrands workshops, conferences, public lectures, and other learning opportunities in two subject tracts: natural resource management and forest product-based business development and support.
To register call 888.649.8705 for registration information. Space is limited.
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Whimsy Wooden Mechanics, Thursday, September 18th
Per Helldorff merges the traditions of functional wooden gears and cogs with expressions of Swedish folk art objects. Create a whimsical wooden mechanical piece of folk art with visiting international master artisan. In the Swedish slojd tradition, Per will lead participants through the mechanics and engineering of moving wood.
This course is designed for adults and can accommodate all skill levels.
Where: MacRostie Art Center, Grand Rapids, MN
When: Thursday, September 18th
Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Cost: $70 (includes lunch and materials)
Register: Call 1-888-649-8705 or email woods@uslink.net
Class size is limited, so please act now.
Download flyer
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Spoon Making Workshop, Friday, September 19th
Course led by visiting internal folk artisan, Per Helldorff. Lead by Per participants will use the Swedish techniques and traditions of hand carving wooden spoons from freshly cut birch. Each student will use the simple hand tools of the Swedish spoon carver, such as the axe, gouge and knife to shape and finish a wooden spoon starting from a birch log. Participants will appreciate the functional and beautiful Swedish slojd tradition of hand carved wooden spoons.
This course is designed for adults and can accommodate all skill levels.
Where: MacRostie Art Center, Grand Rapids, MN
When: Friday, September 19th
Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Cost: $70 (includes lunch and materials)
Register: Call 1-888-649-8705 or email woods@uslink.net
Download flyer
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North House ‘Out N’ About’ Workshops at the 'Up North' Marketplace
To complement the activities at the ‘Up North’ Marketplace, North House Folk School is offering two courses of varying length at the Marketplace. Classes will be limited to ten students on a first come first served basis. Advanced registration is recommended. Registration is made by calling North House Folk School at 888.387.9762.
Sweet Grass Basketry Workshop
Work with locally harvested sweet grass, cattails, and sedges learning the art of coiling a sweet grass basket. We'll incorporate an elegant Lake Superior agate as a base for the basket. Hands-on instruction provides students with an introduction to the traditions and skills of basket weaving and discussion about how to identify growing sweet grass and gathering materials for future projects. Lunch will be provided for students as they tour the ‘Up North’ Marketplace, meeting other artisans and craftspeople. No experience necessary. Register by contacting North House Folk School at 888-387-9762.
Instructor: Paula Sundet - Paula has been gathering grasses and brush to make traditional crafts for the past 20 years. A resident of Northern Minnesota, Paula has a deep appreciation for the Northwoods and its resources and likes to convey that appreciation through her basket weaving and twig furniture. Paula recently completed her MA in anthropology which focused on Native American cedar as well as bulrush basket and mat weaving. She shows and sells her work at the Johnson Heritage Post and area art stores.
Where: 'Up North' Marketplace
When: Saturday, September 20
Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Cost: $70 (includes materials)
Register: Call North House Folk School at 888-387-9762
Hand Crafting a Northwoods Paddle Workshop
Create a traditional paddle used by Northwoods travelers for hundreds of years. In this workshop you learn about wood selection and wood grain considerations as well as paddle sizing and the theory of shape as applied to handles, shafts and blades. Participants will leave the course with a custom-designed canoe paddle constructed with simple hand tools, including a traditional spokeshave and blockplane. Lunch will be provided for students as they tour the ‘Up North’ Marketplace, meeting other artisans and woodworkers. No experience necessary. Register by contacting North House Folk School at 888-387-9762.
Instructor: Mike Schelmeske - Mike's interest in Native American and Scandinavian traditions has kept him constantly pursuing boreal forest crafts and materials for project ideas. He particularly finds utility craft intriguing and the thought of putting his crafts to work on an everyday level keeps him searching for the next project. Whether it’s carving toys for his daughter, Aurora, or shaping canoe paddles from a crooked knife he fashioned from an old file, Mike's ingenuity and approach to craft is refreshing.
Where: 'Up North' Marketplace
When: Sunday, September 21
Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Cost: $70 (includes materials)
Register: Call North House Folk School at 888-387-9762
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Experience 'North House On the Road'
The spirit, mission and vision of the North House Folk School have captured the imagination of many people, from Lake Superior’s North Shore to Greater Minnesota and far beyond. Traditional crafts of the northern hemisphere, combined with the stories and rich cultural history of its indigenous people, are the medium for providing creative and meaningful experiences for individuals, families and groups. In discovering the cultural heritage of the north, participants at North House integrate the technologies of the past with those of today, expanding their personal perspective and elucidating both the present and the future.
Visit the North House exhibit area to witness craft in process and see examples of projects learned in the classroom. Projects include Swedish-style wooden spoon carving, boatbuilding traditions of the north, north woods paddle making, pine needle basketry and more. A number of resourceful books that inspire the craftsperson will also be available for purchase.
Download flyer
Presenting demontrators:
Dan Strootman, Wood-Canvas Canoe Construction (Saturday – Sunday)
Paula Sundet, Sweet Grass Basketry (Sunday)
Mike Schelmeske, Paddle Making (Saturday)
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Living Green, A Woodland Conference
September 19th
Presented by Itasca County Woodlands Committee and the U of M Extension.
For more information go to www.myminnesotawoods.umn.edu. Download brochure
An exciting, versatile workshop will be held Friday, September 19, 2008, at Wendigo Lodge in Grand Rapids. The event is one day prior to the annual Goods from the Woods Up North Marketplace and coordinates the similar themes of woodland resources, products, and lifestyles. The workshop will be held from 9:00 am-3:00 pm.
The woodland workshop offers multiple concurrent classes, including four different sessions every hour. Classes will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about their woodland and related wildlife and green topics. The day-long workshop will also provide opportunities to enter into a conversation with professionals about your specific woodland needs.
Class topics include a variety of topics such as: bears, birds, ruffed grouse, deer, birch products, woody florals, maple syrup, forest insects, woody biomass, woodland management, carbon credits, woodland tax, sustainability, and alternative (green) lifestyles.
If you own woodlands and want to manage and learn more about them, this woodland workshop is for you!
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Wheres the Wood(s) Mill Tour
On this field trip, you will tour a sustainably managed forest in the Sugar Hills landscape and a local mill.
Sugar Hills includes a 26-acre lake, 77 acres of wetlands and Big Thunder Peak, one of the highest named summits in the state. This beautiful mixed hardwood forest is home to abundant and diverse populations of wildlife.
At the mill, you will walk through the process of producing sustainable timber products in a way that assures the forests survival. Bring rain gear. We will provide beverages and snacks.
Trip leaders:
John Rajala, President, Liila Forest Products Company
Art Norton, Field Representative, The Nature Conservancy
For more information, visit www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/minnesota/events/events4723.html
Where: Wheres the Wood(s) Mill Tour
When: Saturday, September 20
Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Register: Contact Jana Pastika at (218) 727-6119 or jpastika@tnc.org
