Steve Van Houten
Steve is a semiretired engineer with a longtime involvement in folk and bluegrass music. He wasa longtime member and volunteer with the Minnesota Bluegrass Association as well asan enthusiastic jammer and sometime performer. He is not a published or recorded songwriterbut says his music has been well-received.
Read MorePam Heaton
Pam has been teaching as a certified clogging instructor, locally, for 25 years! “It is my passion and I love sharing this traditional American dance with anyone willing to give it a try. I love that it is an activity that all ages can participate in together. It is great fun and great exercise, mentally…
Read MoreMelanie Harding
Melanie Harding is an Environmental Education leader and a self-proclaimed nature nerd, basedin St. Paul, MN. She has 30 years of experience engaging people in the science and beauty ofnature. She is also an avid gardener and loves teaching people about indoor and outdoor composting.
Read MoreKevin Klein
Kevin teaches oil painting classes and tells this story of how he got started: “When my son was a baby, we started watching Steve Ross’s dad’s show to help fall asleep. One day I saw an ad in community edwith Kristi Nelson, a CRI (Certified Ross Instructor). I thought I’d give it the old college…
Read MoreRick Yonker
Rick is currently a science and technology specialist for Farmington Schools, in Farmington, MN. He has been tinkering with wood for most of his life and has been building bows since 1996. He is an instructor at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN and has taught traditional bow making there since 2003. Rick…
Read MoreCathy & Mike Mackiewicz
Cathy and Mike Mackiewicz started Bone Lake Meadows Apiary, have been keeping bees forover 23 years and have hives in various locations along the St. Croix River Valley. “Our apiaryaims towards sustainable beekeeping. As beekeepers it’s our job to set up our bees to succeed.We do this by placing our bees on organically farmed land,…
Read MoreMarine Mills Folk School Hires First Executive Director
Kate Seitz will lead folk school as its first executive director.
Read MoreCommunity Takes Center Stage at the Marine Fall Festival
The Marine on St. Croix community is coming together on Saturday, September 16 to celebrate the beauty of autumn and handcrafted art in the St. Croix Valley.
Read MoreLizzie Christian
Lizzie Christian is a self-taught printmaker based in Minneapolis. She runs a one-woman art business under the name Rare Press, and focuses on blockprints, painting, and textiles. She loves sharing the joy of blockprinting with others through local workshops as well as through her Patreon community. Plants, portraits, and patterns are themes that weave through…
Read MoreMarine Fall Festival Returns September 16
The Marine Fall Festival hosted by Marine Mills Folk School will be held from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, September 16. Drop in and enjoy a variety of activities at the free community festival located on the grounds of Marine Mills Folk School.
Read MoreMandora Young
“I was born in Vientiane, Laos. I came to the United States in 1979 as a refugee to California. Ilearned Hmong embroidery from both my mother and grandmother who are skilled in cross-stitching, reverse applique, and story cloth stitching. I enjoy teaching Hmong embroidery tostudents, adults, and anyone who wants to learn about Hmong paj…
Read MoreFriendship 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 – some…
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 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 has…
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 fiber into yarn and…
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 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…
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