Furniture Design & Woodworking
Code: W0404-26
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II
Level II
Students have experience working with stationary machines and power tools and are familiar with basic principles of joinery and 3-D design.
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III
Level III
Students have some formal training in 3-D design, experience with a variety of materials and fabrication processes, and know how to use machine and hand tools competently and safely. Students have a portfolio of their artwork.
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of furniture design. Students are highly motivated and have multiple portfolios of their artwork.
Bent Laminations in Vessels
Jun 22 - 26, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Tuition: $1,250.00
Course Fee: $300.00
Registration Fee: $45.00
Concept
Learn how to transform planar bends into faceted, sculptural vessels. This week-long workshop explores how to adapt the age-old technique of coopering (think staved wine and whiskey barrels) to cut angled joinery along bent laminated surfaces. Combining traditional and modern approaches, students learn to design profiles using basic Rhino skills to cut on the CNC, combined with a variety of woodworking machinery. We experiment with radial symmetry and create unique curved parts to achieve unique forms in wood.
View All Furniture Design & Woodworking Workshops
Media & Techniques
Wood, bent lamination, mold making, jig making, coopering
Faculty
Laura Kishimoto
Laura Kishimoto is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She creates sculptural furniture characterized by its spatial complexity and curiously organic form. Her work is featured in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum in Colorado and the Mint Museum in North Carolina.
Laura Kishimoto, Heptagonal Vase, 2025
Tuition: $1,250.00
Course Fee: $300.00
Registration Fee: $45.00
Join Waitlist for Bent Laminations in Vessels
Thank you for your interest in the waitlist. When space in a workshop or program becomes available, registration will open on the website. Everyone on the waitlist will be emailed to alert them of the opening. This ensures that everyone has an equal opportunity to register for the workshop or program.
Workshop Details
Workshop Supplies
For general information about studio access, shipping, and more, please visit our info page.
If you have any questions regarding your supplies for your workshop, please contact Lane Preston, [email protected].
Provided by Anderson Ranch
Equipment
- Aspire CAM
- Bandsaw
- Cabinet scrapers
- CNC router
- Compression straps
- Digital calipers
- Drill bits
- Dust masks
- Hearing protection
- Jointer
- Kitchen scale
- Luthier iron
- Mini angle grinder and sanding discs
- Planer
- Rhino 3D
- Safety glasses
- Spokeshaves w/ convex sole
- Steam box
- Digital calipers
- Flush cut saw
- High CFM shop vac
- Dowel plate
- Push/pull toggle clamps
- Hold down toggle clamps
- 4" HD foam paint rollers and trays
- Kitchen scale (for glue)
- Scissors and Xacto knives (1 per person)
- Stewmac ultimate scraper
Supplies
- 4'x4' of 3/4" MDF*
- Constructional thickness veneer - 1/24"*
- 1/2" oak dowels*
- 1/16" Adhesive-back cork
- Wood glue
- Brown craft paper
- Sandpaper
- Tape
- Screws
- Spray can of shellac
- Baltic birch plywood*
- 65 lb cardstock
- Mixing cups
- Sharpies
What you need to bring
Optional Tools and Supplies
- Hearing protection (20 dB or greater)
Supplies
- Safety glasses**
- Dust mask (N95 or higher) and/or respirator**
- Combination square or engineering square
- Metal ruler**
- Sketchbook/ notebook**
- Apron**
- Tools you own that you will be unhappy without.
- Laptop and computer mouse
- Any materials that you may want to incorporate into your project.**
- Any materials that you may want to use to pack up your project to take home.**
* Available for purchase in the studio.
** Available to purchase at the Anderson Ranch ArtWorks Store for 10% off. The store aims to stock comparable items, though specific products from the supply list may vary based on inventory.
Learn more about shipping supplies and artwork to and from the Ranch in the Student Handbook.
Lodging & Meals
Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations.
NEW: Course fees includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of course fees for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.
We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.
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
Related Events
Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts
Making Art Accessible
Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.
Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.
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