Friendship Is Good for Your Health
There’s an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S. Learn how folk art and hands-on crafting with others creates community and is good for your health.
Read MoreAlex Yerks
Alex Yerks is a self taught traditional wood carver focused on what he calls items of “kitchenalia” or “kitchen sloyd.” His wide range of expertise in making traditional craft objects includes hewn bowls, spoons & utensils, cups, shrink pots, wooden sculptures, forging his own carving tools, and helping other tool makers design long lost tools…
Read MoreJoAnne Sabin
JoAnne has been a beekeeper since 2005 and a beekeeping instructor and speaker for over a dozen years. She is a member and librarian for the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association (MHBA) and a member and on the Board of Directors for the Honey Bee Club of Stillwater. She is also an avid gardener and photographer and…
Read MoreLia Falls
Lia Falls is a singer and songwriter who has been leading a community song circle in St Croix Falls, Wisconsin for the past 8 years. She teaches Full Voice, Vocal Playground, and Yoga of the Voice in classes and as a private vocal coach. Lia is dedicated to sharing the aural tradition of spreading songs, and to the conviction that singing is everyone’s birthright…
Read MoreGigi Nauer
Gigi Nauer is a life-long Minnesotan. She was raised in a family of musicians and has spent a lifetime playing, singing, and teaching. When she was six, Gigi found a ukulele and a picture book of chords. That was all she needed to figure out her first chord, and she was hooked. Decades later, she…
Read MorePhil Moody
Phil discovered spoon carving about 5 years ago, just in time for a global pandemic. While not forgetting about spoons his focus has shifted after seeing some pictures of Scandanavian knutkorg baskets. Drawn to crafts that are challenging yet easily accessible (few tools and easily scavenged materials) the knutkorg basket fits these strict requirements. Like many crafters, Phil…
Read MoreCharlie Prokop
Charlie has been making flutes for over 15 years. An avid woodturner, currently the President of the Minnesota Woodturners Association, he has demoed the making of flutes in multiple venues and taught many classes on how these beautiful instruments are constructed.
Read MoreSharon Knutson
I have crafted most of my life. I started embroidering fish on burlap at my grandma’s house when I was little. I’ve dabbled in many things along the way, embroidery, crewel, needlepoint, cross stitch, and quilting among others. Knitting and spinning have been my primary focus for many years now. There is something about spinning…
Read MoreAlycen Brothen
Alycen Brothen is an embroidery and rug hooking artist from Minnesota. She is a passionate learner of handcrafts who has been needleworking since childhood. She believes in embracing the process, turning mistakes into happy accidents, and having fun.
Read MoreLynn Berens
Lynn Berens is an avid crafter and gardener. She enjoy sewing, needle felting, counted cross stitch, and embroidery. Lynn loves to grow natives, annuals, perennials, and vegetables. She harvest seeds from most of my plants every fall. Lynn is a retired elementary school Librarian and teacher. Lynn’s work can be found on Etsy: Bloomandgrowmn
Read MoreMeg Brunston
Meg Brunston (they/them) is a fiber artist and tufting instructor in Minneapolis, MN. Their work is translated through multiple mediums, including tufting, weaving, apparel construction, and crochet. These mediums allow Meg the opportunity to cultivate a brighter, more powerful relationship to themselves, revealing a mixture of emotion through color, movement, space, and shape. Meg recognizes…
Read MoreChristine Shoemaker
Christine Shoemaker is a certified ANFT Forest Therapy guide from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). She has been a resident of Oakdale for 5 years and grew up in the surrounding area. Christine is the founder of Sky Meets Water Forest Therapy LLC.
Read MoreJanice Hunton
West-African Drumming Ensemble Janice Hunton taught at the Perpich Center for Arts Education for 27 years and lead the African Drumming Ensemble there for 15 years. She studied West-African music at the University of St. Thomas, Hamline University, and has traveled two times to the Dagara Music Center in Ghana.
Read MoreChristen Pentek
Christen (they/them) is a fiber artist creating practical pieces from the earth for over 25 years. Their art includes found and natural elements, nature, and sustainable methods. They work predominantly with wools and fibers made in Minnesota’s fibershed, including wolf; as part of the wolf pack, they’ve had the privilege of working with fiber shed…
Read MoreBeth Mercer
Beth is largely self taught band weaver (using books and online videos) through she has benefited by taking classes from visiting instructors and participating in special interest groups at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. She is a retired database administrator who has a passion for fiber arts including wool processing and spinning, weaving, knitting, sewing…pretty…
Read MoreEric Berglund
Eric teaches our broom-making classes. From Eric: “After forty years in the commercial construction industry, retirement has given me the opportunity to embrace craft. I discovered I have a passion for broom tying and basket weaving. Crafting brings me so much joy, it’s my happy place!”
Read MoreA Brief History of Pom-Poms
Where do Pom-Poms come from? Learn their history!
Read MoreThe Genius of the Folk School Model
Folk schools originated in the 1850s as part of a movement to provide individuals a way to gain self-knowledge and purpose in connection with their community through lifelong learning.
Read MoreWoodworking Studio Coming in Spring 2023!
After much discussion and planning with our woodworking friends, we’re excited to announce that we are opening a woodworking studio in Spring 2023! Woodworking classes have been on our course calendar since we opened our doors in October 2018. We currently offer Wooden Paddle Building, Spoon and Open Carving, Kolrosing, and more — and the…
Read MoreSpoons, New Beginnings & Woodcarving
Spoons are symbols of new beginnings … …from a baby’s first bite to a woodcarver’s first foray. When someone is interested in learning to carve wood, they’ll often choose to start with a spoon. So much learning goes into the art form: wood selection, tool usage, curing, and even history. Form and function are explored. Risk-taking is…
Read MoreI Was Hooked! Foraged & Farmed Holiday Wreaths
Lindsay Ellis has a new holiday tradition, thanks to the Foraged & Farmed Holiday Wreaths class at Marine Mills Folk School. As she gears up for her third year of taking the class, Lindsay shares what makes this activity so special for her and her family. “This will be the third year that my mom,…
Read MoreFred Livesay to Teach at Marine Mills Folk School
Internationally renowned woodcarver will lead an Advanced Spoon Carving workshop Woodcarvers are invited to attend a special two-day Advanced Spoon Carving workshop with Fred Livesay at Marine Mills Folk School. “We’re so excited to be able to feature Fred at this two-day workshop,” says Kirsten Skoglund, program director for Marine Mills Folk School. “Fred will…
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