We’re starting a school?!
Woodspirit School of Traditional Craft, Ashland, WI
Jarrod & Jazmin organize a wide variety of courses and events that empower people to learn new skills and create with their hands.
For years Jarrod and I kept looking at the empty car repair shop down the street and thinking, “Wouldn’t that make a great wood shop?” Last summer we hosted some great courses in our backyard under a big tent, but we knew we needed a better place to teach classes. And it did seem like Jarrod was out-growing the turning workshop in the basement. When we got an inside tip that Pete was going to sell, we jumped into action. And here we are less than 4 months later on the first day of demolition.
The Awesomest Crew Ever
Jarrod and two trusty friends/crew members are renovating the first floor, taking down the roof and adding a second floor. Sounds simple right? Ha! For those who have done construction, you know those actions have so many subtasks it can make you dizzy. Not to mention it’s February in the North? Yeah it’s like 9 degrees F and we got 12 inches of snow in the past couple days! I’ve been pulling my hair out over daily rising construction/lumber costs and ordering lists of materials. Is it too early in the day for one of Jarrod’s cocktails?
We’ve also been doing a lot of sweet talking. We have asked our craft friends to come teach courses or be interviewed on Zoom—thanks guys! I am feverishly filling in all the details for 7 months of courses and events on our new school website: woodspiritschool.com.
Will people show up for workshops this year at Woodspirit School of Traditional Craft? We sincerely hope so.
Shop Tour via Zoom, Spoon Carving on a Spoon Mule, Make a Danish Cord Stool with Dawson Moore of Michigan Sloyd
This year we’ll have just one classroom above the turning studio/woodshop—the yet to be built (I’m trying not to panic) second floor. It will be a fairly cozy space—big enough for 6 work tables or a circle of chairs. We are limiting class sizes as we test out the new space, though we will also have access to the first floor shop and outdoor space as well when the weather warms up.
We scheduled Zoom interviews, shop tours, and demonstrations in the hopes that people will connect to our school and enjoy meeting some of our craft friends and instructors from the comfort of their homes. For those up for a trip North, we have chair making, spoon carving, pole lathe turning, willow basketry, blacksmithing, and textile in-person classes on the program. We are building it and we hope you will come!
There are opportunities for all levels of involvement with our school—from signing up for a 1.5 hour free Zoom with Barn the Spoon and Jarrod talking about craft education, to a half-day steam-bending session at J.W. Swan & Sons Boatworks in nearby Washburn, to the Pole Lathe: BUILD FORGE TURN course that lasts 7 intense days here in Ashland. For locals and seasonal visitors, we are hosting a Craft Night & Potluck twice a month.
Our long term vision includes adding another building to the property that will have a bigger classroom or two which can double as a community hall, a little gallery/retail space and kitchen.
Here is the lot that was Pete’s 3rd Street Repair Shop with fencing underway.
Our short term plan after completing the second floor addition is to add landscaping to this open grassy double lot that incorporates dye plants and beds for growing flax/linen and indigo. We will have community garden days focused on planting basket willow which will later supply material for future weaving classes. And speaking of future classes, we will be asking some of our international craft friends to teach next year when the coast is clear for travel.
We will be inviting friends and supporters to donate to the finishing touches of the classroom—pine flooring, work tables, classroom chairs, storage sheds, in-floor heating, etc. by organizing a fundraising campaign. More on that soon. If you want to keep in touch, join the school newsletter.
This area—Chequamegon Bay—is absolutely beautiful in the summer. Take a craft workshop, bring your swim suit for a dip in Lake Superior, go for a hike, join us for a potluck. We hope you find some way to connect with our school this year.
Woodspirit School of Traditional Craft, Ashland, WI
Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior, Ashland, WI