Furniture Design & Woodworking
Code: W0101-25
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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.
Digital and Organic: Wood Bending and the CNC
Jun 2 - 13, 2025
9AM-5PM
Concept
In this innovative workshop that bridges woodworking and digital fabrication, we utilize the CNC Router to fabricate jigs and molds for bending and cutting joinery. Bending represents a dramatic departure from most traditional fine woodworking. Rather than working with rectilinear geometry, students lean into the materiality of wood and explore its natural strengths through curvature. Reference faces are often non-existent and require unique joinery, creative thinking, and novel use of machinery. Basic drawing techniques in Rhinoceros 3D are introduced as students design and prototype a project specific to their personal style.
Media & Techniques
Wood, jigs, digital processes, CNC router, Rhinoceros 3D, Aspire CAM, design, bent lamination, steam bending
Faculty
Laura Kishimoto
Laura Kishimoto is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She creates sculptural furniture best 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, Vaulted Stools
Join Waitlist for Digital and Organic: Wood Bending and the CNC
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.
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, 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 2025 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 tuition discount* in summer one- or two-week adult furniture design and woodworking workshops** for Furniture Society members at the student membership level or above. Please email reg@
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
Supplies
- 4' x 4' Sheet of 3/4 MDF
- 4' x 4' Sheet of 3/8 bendy Plywood
- 4" Foam Paint Rollers, Glue Trays
- Adhesive-Backed Cork
- Air-Dried Quartersawn Lumber
- Blue Masking Tape
- Brown Craft Paper
- Cloth Measuring tape
- Constructional Thickness Veneer
- Double-Sided Tape
- Duck EZ Start Packing Tape
- Glue
- Mixing Cups
- Paste Wax
- Scissors
- Scrap wood
- Screws
- Stir Sticks
What you need to bring
Optional Tools and Supplies
- Apron**
- Blue Masking Tape**
- Bubble Wrap**
- Cardboard boxes**
- Combination square or engineering square
- Erasers**
- Laptop and Mouse
- Materials that you would like to incorporate into the project
- Metal Ruler**
- Packing tape**
- Pencils**
- Personal Dust Mask (N95 or higher) or Respirator**
- Personal Hearing Protection
- Personal Safety Glasses**
- Sharpies**
- Sketchbook**
- Tools you own that you would be unhappy without
* 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: Tuition 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 the tuition 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.
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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Jan 5 - 23, 2026
Monday-Friday, 9AM - 5PM
Participants may register for one, two, or three weeks
TUITION is $1,255 per week or $3,765 for three weeks
January Studio Sessions: Furniture Design & Woodworking
Lane Preston
Tuition $1,255
Code ZSW0101-26
Anderson Ranch’s January Studio Sessions provide artists the opportunity to work on independent projects while receiving 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 some morning group demonstrations and / or critiques. 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. *Studios are open 24 hours a day and on weekends for students enrolled in multiple weeks, with limited use of equipment due to safety requirements. The machine rooms are only available when monitored – weekdays 9 AM-5 PM. Evening monitoring hours are Mondays - Thursdays, 7 – 9 PM. IMPORTANT DETAILS: Students will be responsible for all material costs associated with their projects. Participants who register for multiple consecutive weeks will gain access to the studios on weekends (with the exception of the machine rooms due to safety constraints.) Private dorm rooms are available at Anderson Ranch for one, two or three weeks for an additional fee; click here to view January 2025 lodging options. TO APPLY: Applicants must submit project proposals or portfolios for approval. Contact Betsy Alwin to apply: [email protected]