Anderson Ranch will be closed from September 20th-28th. We will reopen on September 29th.

Furniture Design & Woodworking

Code: W0705-24

    • O

      Open to All

      Students of any skill and knowledge level.

Puzzle Boxes

Jul 15 - 19, 2024

9AM - 5PM

Concept

This class explores the Japanese art of making secret opening boxes in three stages. First, students create a box infrastructure. Next, they cut plates of wood, which slide in a sequence and stay attached to the framework. Finally, it is assembled and a finish is applied. After each student completes an initial warm-up puzzle box, Kagen will reveal a number of other wooden mechanisms and decorative inlays meant to disguise and hide moving parts. Students are then encouraged to design and build their own custom puzzle box variation. The class focuses primarily on hand tool use with the aid of a few miniature router table set-ups that assist in cutting notches for moving parts and joinery.

 

Interested in taking this class? A new section has been added. Click here to learn more.

Media & Techniques

Pre-milled domestic hardwood, thick veneer, hand-sawing, jig-sawing

Supply List

Faculty

Kagen Sound

Kagen Sound has been a full-time puzzle box maker for 25 years. After studying math in college he gravitated towards the form as an expression of logic and riddles. His puzzle boxes have won numerous awards in the worldwide puzzle collecting community, and are considered an artform that intersects with mechanical puzzles and woodworking.

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Kagen Sound, Pinwheel Box

Join Waitlist for Puzzle Boxes

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.

FURNITURE SOCIETY LOGO

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@andersonranch.org with your Furniture Society membership information  upon registering and we will apply the discount to your tuition. You are also welcome to call 970-924-5089 to register. *Since the welcome dinner and lunches are included in workshop tuition (at a cost of $130 per week), a 20% discount is applied after subtracting the cost of these meals. **Please note, this discount must be approved upon 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

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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: 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]

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