Furniture Design & Woodworking
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, mortiser, 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.
The Furniture Society and Anderson Ranch are partnering this year to offer a scholarship for one BIPOC applicant to attend a workshop for the 2024 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. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Anderson Ranch is happy to extend a 20% tuition discount* in summer one- or two-week adult workshops for Furniture Society members. Please register online and then email reg@andersonranch.org with your membership information and we will make the adjustment once you are in the system. You are also welcome to call 970-924-5089 to register. *Please note that the Furniture Society discount cannot be combined with any other discount, scholarship or special offer.
Betsy Alwin
Visiting Director of Ceramics and Expanded Media
Betsy Alwin is a sculptor working across mediums. She has two decades of teaching and curriculum experience including serving as the Dean of Skowhegan School of Painting & Drawing for several years. She attended Skowhegan, holds an MFA from Illinois State University, a BFA in Sculpture and a BA in Spanish language from Minnesota State University. Her work has been exhibited widely, including the Berkshire Botanical Gardens (Mass MoCA), the National Botanic Gardens in Washington D.C., AIR Gallery, New York, The Phipps Center, Hudson WI, the Waiting Room Gallery, Edina, MN, Burnet Fine Art Advisory, Wayzata, MN and Rubine Red Gallery in Palm Springs, CA. Public commissions include sculptures at the Onoden Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan, Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, MN and Silverwood Park in St. Anthony, MN. She is the recipient of numerous awards including a 2022 Artist Individual Support Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Alwin recently served as co-curator with Steve Locke for the exhibition Distance: Works on Paper at Dorsky Gallery in Long Island City, NY. Her work will be featured in the Clio Art Fair in New York City this May. Alwin is a member of the Minneapolis collective Rosalux Gallery and exhibits her work at Rubine Red in Palm Springs, CA
Anderson Ranch Campus
Upcoming Workshops
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Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 3 - 14, 2024
9AM - 5PM
In the Round: CNC Carving
Jomo Tariku
Tuition $1,390
Code W0101-24
Delve into the world of computer numerically controlled (CNC) furniture part making in this introductory fabrication workshop. Technology has propelled contemporary design in countless unexpected ways throughout history, and this class considers the modernization of traditional furniture design across cultures, Participants are encouraged to explore their unique artistic voice as they design furniture parts such as legs, backrests, stretchers, and decorative elements on paper and then translate it into Rhinoceros 3D through basic 2D CAD (computer-aided design) followed by 3D modeling. Students delve into best practices in material preparation, CNC hold down methods, tools and supply, etc. Final projects are cut as double sided 3D parts on the CNC routers and then finished by hand.
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Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 17 - 21, 2024
9AM - 5PM
Willow Basketry Trio
Daniel Brockett
Tuition $1,110
Code W0302-24
This workshop explores three different styles of traditional willow basketry. Students learn to weave a Zarzo flower basket, rib-style foraging basket, and a stake-and-strand shopping basket. In addition to exploring the basics of the craft and becoming acquainted with willow as a material, there will be opportunities for creative choices with color, patterns, and weave styles. Please note this work is hand, wrist, and shoulder intensive. All the willow for this workshop is grown, harvested, and prepared by the instructor at his farm in Pennsylvania. Participants also learn about sustainable willow growing and harvesting practices.
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Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 24 - 28, 2024
9AM - 5PM
Bending Light
Laura Kishimoto, Elish Warlop
Tuition $1,110
Code W0403-24
What are the qualities of light that inspire? This exploratory workshop delves into the dynamic properties of light and how it can be shaped and manipulated as a physical material. Rather than incorporating a light source to illuminate a woodworking project, woodworking techniques are used to transform our perception of the light itself. We explore luminosity, translucence, and shadow through the organic lens of bent wood. Students learn basic wiring and are introduced to freeform bent lamination techniques as they prototype a light of their own design.