Furniture Design & Woodworking
Furniture Design & Woodworking Studio in Aspen / Snowmass
The Furniture Design & Woodworking studio at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snowmass Village near Aspen, Colorado, is a fully equipped professional woodworking facility designed to support immersive studio practice and advanced craftsmanship. Housed in the Maloof Wood Barn, the studio offers dedicated bench space, industrial-grade machinery, hand tools, and digital fabrication resources, including CNC integration—supporting both traditional woodworking techniques and contemporary design processes.
Interested in enrolling? Explore the full schedule of Furniture Design & Woodworking workshops at Anderson Ranch.
The Furniture Design & Woodworking program at Anderson Ranch draws upon the world of studio furniture, but pushes the boundaries of woodworking by mixing contemporary and traditional techniques and incorporating alternative materials. Anderson Ranch offers an inspiring range of workshops for all levels in topics such as cabinetry, wood bending, kinetics and carving.
The Maloof Wood Barn, divided into a machine room, assembly room, and bench room, provides participants the ideal workshop for realizing technical and creative goals. The machine room houses stationary equipment including SawStop table saws, jointers, planers, bandsaws, drill presses, edge sander, disk sander, drum sander, spindle sander, radial arm saw, chop saw, router table and multi-router. In the assembly and bench rooms, a library of clamps, hand tools, and hand-held power tools line the walls for student use to complete their woodworking projects.
Don’t know where to start? View the skill levels for Furniture Design & Woodworking workshops.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a historic, rustic campus that features gravel pathways and uneven terrain that may pose challenges for individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. We strive to provide accommodations to ensure all guests can access and enjoy our programs and facilities. With advance notice, our staff can offer personalized assistance and coordinate access to studios and campus spaces. For questions or to request an accommodation, please contact us at (970) 923-3181 or [email protected].
The Furniture Society and Anderson Ranch are partnering this year to offer a scholarship for one BIPOC applicant to attend a workshop for the 2026 summer season. This opportunity includes tuition for a one-week workshop, room and board for a Furniture Design and Wood workshop, and a 1‑year membership to The Furniture Society. Applications will be accepted now through January 4, 2026. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Anderson Ranch is happy to extend a 20% tuition discount for summer one- or two-week adult furniture design and woodworking workshops for Furniture Society members at the student membership level or above. Please email [email protected] with your Furniture Society membership information prior to registering and we will send you a promo code to complete registration with your discount applied. You are also welcome to call 970-924-5089 to register after verifying your membership with us. **Please note, this discount must be approved prior to registering and cannot be applied retroactively. The Furniture Society discount does not apply to Advanced Mentored Studies programs or Destination Workshops, nor can it be combined with any other discount, scholarship or special offer
Lane Preston
Studio Coordinator, Furniture Design and Woodworking
Lane Preston, originally from Houston, Texas, received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an emphasis in Photography and Sculpture in 2016. After graduation he worked as an exhibitions coordinator and photographer for art and design galleries to put on exhibitions all over the world. In 2021, he went to Florence, Italy, for his MFA in Furniture Fabrication and Design, after teaching abroad for two years.
Anderson Ranch Campus
Upcoming Workshops
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O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jul 6 - 10, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Delight in the Miniature: Model-Making
Sung Ho Kim
Tuition $1,200
Code W0606-26
Discover the power of the miniature to capture imagination in this unique introduction to architecture through model-making. Students explore making as a way of thinking while learning the woodworking and technical skills involved in creating a model. They learn how to visualize the organization of space and develop their own innovative techniques for representing the built world in miniature. We focus on woodcraft, technique, design, and ideas through the instructor’s visionary and transformative processes, grounded in the knowledge of historical and contemporary design practices. Students develop their own models for spaces—real or imagined—gaining confidence, curiosity, and insight into the development of our built environments.
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III
Level III
Students have formal training in critical issues of 2-D art making, experience with public critiques and a solid portfolio of their artwork.
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of painting and drawing. Students are highly motivated and self-directed, have a minimum of five years experience in their field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Portfolio review is required for admittance to some Level IV classes.
Jul 13 - 17, 2026
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: July 13, 15, & 17, 9AM-12PM
Beyond Judgment: The Work of Critique
Paula Crown, Liz Ferrill
Tuition $150
Code D0734-26
In Against Interpretation, Susan Sontag writes, "What is important now is to recover our senses. We must learn to See more, to Hear more, to Feel more." This community focused, discussion and critique-based workshop encourages artists to investigate their artistic intentions within a supportive environment of critical thinking, looking, and responding. As a cohort of artists who are active participants in the act of observation and interpretation, the intention is to expand one's understanding of how to speak about the work of our peers without judgment or categorization. Though this is not a traditional critique class, we focus on building skills in how to guide a studio visit with questions, avoiding art world sound bytes but rather spotlighting authentic and unique feedback. This workshop is for serious artists who are searching for community, dialogue, and honesty within a cohort. Participants are encouraged to bring physical work as well as digital images to share and discuss, with emphasis on awareness and being present among the group. TO REGISTER: Please contact Lindsey Yeager, Studio Coordinator of Painting, Drawing & Printmaking, at [email protected] to inquire about attending this workshop.
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I
Level I
Students are new to Furniture Design & Woodworking and have no formal training.
Jul 20 - 24, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Beginning Furniture Design
Brad Reed Nelson, Hayami Arakawa
Tuition $1,250
Code W0807-26
This workshop for beginning woodworkers focuses on introducing and demystifying the wide world of woodworking. Beginning with design creation, students spend the week making basic stools and small tables, exploring how to make their designs come to life. Students learn how to operate and understand woodworking machinery, focusing on safety and craftsmanship. Students leave with beautiful, personalized, well-built furniture that stands the test of time and adds a unique flair to any living or workspace.