Ross Safford

Ross Safford is a master baker. He has worked largely with at-risk youth and families, getting food to those in need. He currently works with at-risk youth in schools. He is a huge Boston Red Sox fan and loves to sing.  At MMFS, you can often find him teaching with Bryce Johnson, another community-focused baker.

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Karen Rognsvoog

Karen Rognsvoog has been teaching fiber art  classes for over twenty years, including Natural Plant Dyeing, Japanese  Shibori, Silk Painting and Block Printing on Fabric.  She is also an instructor of Watercolor Painting and Printmaking.  Karen teaches at several locations, including  North House Folk School, the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, and the Hopkins Center…

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Fred Livesay

Fred livesay helps a student in spoon carving

Fred Livesay is a crafts instructor and restoration carpenter residing in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a founding instructor of North House Folk School.  He teaches various crafts at folk schools, art centers, museums, and gatherings in the five-state area, and is a frequent guest instructor at Spoonfest, Edale, England. Primarily a woodworker, he is…

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Jim Lammers

A retired architect, Jim Lammers brings many years of drawing experience as he trained when freehand sketching was integral to the study of architecture. Jim had his own architecture and planning practice for 25 years.  He taught for many years at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture and currently is a guest lecturer at…

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Mary Jo Harris

Mary Jo Harris lives in the knitting mecca of Madison, WI. She has been a teacher all of her adult life and has formally taught knitting for about 15 years at various Sheep and Wool Festivals, Fiber Festivals, Knit-In’s, and teaches locally for Madison College, Olbrich Gardens, and Sunset Yarns. In the last several years,…

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Diane Gamm

I took early retirement from 9-5 jobs to pursue my creative interests: pottery, photography and more recently, botanical printing and natural dyes. My art studio is a converted ice fishing house on wheels I moved into my backyard in Minneapolis, to be close to my garden plants for natural dyes and botanical printing. Along with…

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Peter Juhl

Peter Juhl has been balancing stones for twenty-five years. He creates and photographs the work along the North Shore of Lake Superior, where the spectacular beaches provide ideal raw materials as well as a clean and colorful backdrop. In 2013 he published the first widely available guidebook on the art form: Center of Gravity: A…

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Bryce Johnson

Bryce Johnson has been baking bread since he was a teenager and has been teaching bread classes for 10 years. In 2010, he guided the church where he served as pastor, White Bear Lake United Methodist Church, to build a community bread oven.  In retirement he has been making and selling bread at the Scandia…

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Molly Sanford

Molly Sanford advocates for reuse and repair by spreading hands-on skills like sewing, welding, woodworking, and general troubleshooting. Molly believes that extending the lifespan of our belongings can be a joyful way to combat consumerism and climate change. She has taught a variety of hands-on classes at Fireweed Community Workshop (formerly Women’s Woodshop), Leonardo’s Basement, and the University…

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Kirsten Skoglund

Kirsten Skoglund

Kirsten Skoglund is a fixture in the Twin Cities knitting and yarn world. She has always known how to knit, as far as she can remember, and loves the whole creative process. In fact, she describes herself as compelled to knit and can’t imagine her life without knitting. Kirsten was co-owner of Lila and Claudine’s,…

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Kim Gordon

Kim is a fine artist, graphic designer, illustrator and teacher. She attended the University of Wisconsin- Madison where she received a BS in Art Education. She has received additional training at the University of Minnesota, The Center for Book Arts and Minnetonka Center for the Arts. She has participated in many group, juried and one-person…

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The Hanji Crew

The Hanji Crew

When Libby Pomroy joined a folk-art class at her daughters’ Korean Saturday school, she was quickly hooked on hanji, Korea’s unique, strong-fibered paper that lends itself beautifully to intricate paper cutting. She shared the craft with friend Kat Wesley, who found it irresistible. Together, they created the Hanji Crew, a small business that teaches hanji…

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Leslie Granbeck

Leslie Granbeck

Leslie Granbeck is a feltmaker and instructor born and raised in Minneapolis. Since 2007, Leslie has been sharing her knowledge of fibers and their magical transformation into felt. She teaches traditional wet felting, nuno felting, and her favorite – sculptural seamless felting. Her classes are full of color, creativity and adventure. They also include a…

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Be Your Best Self!

It may be the International Day for Achievers but you don’t need to feel pressured by us to be anything except your best self! When you take one of our hands-on traditional skills classes, you’ll gain confidence in your abilities — and create something that makes you proud. So, what’s coming up? Fermenting and Making a Glove Basket are this Saturday,…

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Judy Sell

Judy Sell

Judy Sell has been creating dishes and vintage jewelry for over 25 years. She has been on HGTV: Crafters Coast-to-Coast and has been a Minnesota State Fair, Fine Arts, Blue Ribbon winner. She teaches mosaic art and our vintage jewelry tree classes.

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Lucky!

This St. Patrick’s Day we wish you the traditional luck o’ the Irish, no matter what your family traditions.  At MMFS we know we’re lucky to be located in such a beautiful place near the St. Croix River where the natural beauty has inspired artists for generations.  Did you know that in less than an…

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1 + 1 + Infinite Possibilities!

We think that making art makes the world a better place. And, if you team up with someone to learn a craft together, that’s an even more powerful way to spread some goodness. This month, partner with a younger friend and learn the art of Pysanky – Ukrainian Decorated Eggs or how to tap your maple trees for delicious golden syrup. Or plan a garden together!…

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Nurture Your Hidden Talents

Did you know that many U.S. presidents had secret talents? It’s true! George Washington was a dancer and Eisenhower was a painter.* From performing music, stilt-walking, script-writing and more, U.S. leaders made time to follow their passions. At Marine Mills Folk School, we’re here to support you on your creative journey. Whether you’re interested in Hand Stitching or Food Preservation, Photography with a…

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Wayne Manthey

Wayne Manthey is a nationally known drum maker and teacher of drum making.  His approach is spiritual, honoring the animals who provided the hides and the trees who donated the wood. “As I started making drums, I was especially interested in the vibration of rawhide and the sound it makes.  Once I was able to…

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Greg Kraft

Greg Kraft

Originally from North Dakota, Greg worked as a prison therapist while pursuing art, carving and sculpture using a variety of different materials including ice (first place co-winner in the 1998 Winter Carnival Ice Sculpture-Amateur Contest!), silver, antler, wood, leather and scrimshaw.  Now a full-time artist, Greg makes sculptures by inviting nature to steel.

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Somali Museum Artists

Minnesota is the home of many outstanding artists of the Somali diaspora. MMFS is pleased to be welcoming Ardho Ismail, Hawa Aden, Halwa Daud, and Amina Shire to teach Finger Weaving! The Somali Museum’s mission is to celebrate and promote Somali culture and art, and they accomplish this mission in part by supporting the new…

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