Furniture Design & Woodworking
Code: W0808-23
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Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Curved Elements
Jul 24 - 28, 2023
9AM-5PM
Concept
This workshop is about transforming straight lines into curved ones. Focusing on basic wood-bending techniques, students experiment directly with the medium to explore ideas and expand its design potential. Steaming, soaking. and weaving wood are methods that can achieve unique organic lines and forms with infinite possibilities. Curved surfaces can also be generated through the interlacement of additional fiber-based materials. This week of exploration emphasizes experimentation and play with linear elements, resulting in forms ranging from maquettes to prototypes for future sculptural and design projects.
View All Furniture Design & Woodworking Workshops
Media & Techniques
Ash, splint, reed, long strand chair cane, bending, twisting, interlacing, weaving techniques, form/mold making, drying methods
Supply ListFaculty
Yuri Kobayashi
Yuri Kobayashi is a sculptor/furniture maker whose work moves between the fields of craft, art, and design. Born and trained in Japan, she taught for many years at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Christine Lee
Christine Lee has an interdisciplinary art, design, and science practice. Her work has been exhibited at venues such as SOFA Chicago, Traver Gallery, SF Museum of Craft and Design, and the Museum of Arts and Design. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Art at Arizona State University.
Yuri Kobayashi, Woven III
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].
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
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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Level I
Students are new to Furniture Design & Woodworking and have no formal training.
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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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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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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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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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Light, Playful Prototyping
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Tuition $1,200
Code W1413-26
Light, playful prototyping is a key element for developing new ideas in the studio. This exploratory workshop delves into rapid, fast-paced prototyping to help generate ideas focused on light, form, and material. Students begin by iterating with paper to achieve form, explore luminosity, translucence, and shadow. Through the organic lens of bent wood, we tie it all together with contemporary lighting design. Students design and prototype their own light fixture, blending basic wiring and digital fabrication tools like laser cutting with wood bending methods such as hot pipe bending and bent lamination.
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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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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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Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of furniture design. Students are highly motivated and have multiple portfolios of their artwork.
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Portfolio Review Required
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of furniture design and know how to use machine and hand tools competently and safely. Students are highly motivated and have multiple portfolios of their artwork and are professionals in the field.
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Studio Session
Jan 4 - 8, 2027
9 AM - 5 PM
January Studio Sessions: Furniture Design & Woodworking
Betsy Alwin
Tuition $1,000
Code ZSW0101a-27
Anderson Ranch’s Studio Session approach provides artists the opportunity to work on independent projects while receiving regular one-on-one mentoring and critique sessions with Anderson Ranch artistic staff and interns. Each participant receives an assigned studio space, orientation and access to equipment, as well as five hours of weekly technical guidance in the Ranch’s state-of-the-art facilities. This program affords artists the experience enjoyed by national and international artists who access our state-of-the-art studios. Participants may expand their practices, take artistic risks, try new media or complete works for exhibition. *Bench and gluing rooms open 24 hours a day. LIMITED machine tool room access from 9am – 5pm and evening open tool room hours 7pm – 9pm Monday through Thursday. Studio Sessions are available to artists with prior experience in woodworking, tools, and safety. All participants will be required to attend safety orientations for the facilities and specific tools they will use. they will use. TO APPLY: Portfolios will be accepted on a rolling basis. Instructions on how to submit your portfolio are as follows: Submit digital images of your work via email directly to Betsy Alwin, Artistic Director of Ceramics and Expanded Media, [email protected] . Include 3-5 images of your work with image identification that lists the title, media, dimensions and year of each image. While not required, it is helpful to see an artist statement addressing the images you send. Include “Advanced Portfolio Review” in the subject line of your email, as well as the studio session you are applying for. Please provide a phone number where you can be reached and a link to your website. Please contact Betsy Alwin with any questions at [email protected] or 970-924-5054