Furniture Design & Woodworking
Code: W1005-21
-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Sculpting Wood
Aug 9 - 13, 2021
9AM-5PM
Concept
Consider the origins of material. Consider the tree as a central element of form. It can be easy to disassociate milled lumber from it’s true source, but in this unique introductory woodworking workshop, students start with locally salvaged tree limbs and branches and learn to mill their material into lumber that maintains some natural characteristics. We explore and embrace the formal qualities of the wood in conjunction with individuals’ conceptual interests to create a small functional object or sculptural carving. Demonstrations cover jointing, planing, and other stationary machine use, as well as power carving techniques. Join us for a week of experimentation and play with trees.
Media & Techniques
Power tools, material selection, power carving, gluing techniques
Supply ListFaculty

Hugh Hayden
Hugh Hayden was born in Dallas, Texas in 1983 and lives and works in New York City. He holds an MFA from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. His work was the subject of a solo exhibition at White Columns in New York in 2018. His work has been included in numerous group exhibitions including JTT, New York (2018); Clearing, New York (2018); Tanya Bonakdar Gallery (2018); PPOW Gallery, New York (2017); Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York (2017); Postmasters Gallery, New York (2016); MoMA PS1, Rockaway Beach, New York (2014); Socrates Sculpture Park, New York (2014); and Abrons Art Center, New York (2013), among others. He is the recipient of residences at Glenfiddich in Dufftown, Scotland (2014); Abrons Art Center and Socrates Sculpture Park (both 2012), and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (2011).

Hugh Hayden, America, 2018
Join Waitlist for Sculpting Wood
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].
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.
You Might Also Be Interested In>

-
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.
-
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.
-
IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of furniture design. Students are highly motivated and have multiple portfolios of their artwork.
Jun 2 - 13, 2025
9AM-5PM
Digital and Organic: Wood Bending and the CNC
Laura Kishimoto
Tuition $1,650
Code W0101-25
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.

-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 9 - 20, 2025
9AM-5PM
Bulk, Bulges, and Raw Edges: Upholstery Basics
Tina Ortman
Tuition $1,650
Code W0202-25
Restore furniture or enhance original designs with the addition of pattern, texture, and comfort in a workshop that explores the possibilities of upholstery. Starting with a basic chair, we strip the layers to discover how an upholstered piece is constructed, then reverse the process by installing webbing, springs, and padding with the final embellishment of fabric. Whether your interest lies in adding upholstery to your own furniture designs or renovating existing furniture, students come away with the knowledge of the basic tools, techniques, and materials of upholstery. Furniture to be upholstered must be approved by the instructor before the workshop starts.

-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jun 23 - 27, 2025
9AM-5PM
Making a Basic Puzzle Box
Kagen Sound
Tuition $1,380
Code W0404-25
Students make their own unique puzzle boxes using hand tools based on the traditional methods of Japanese Himitsu-Bako. Students learn how to use a high precision miter box, pull saw, and a hand plane to make secret sliding dovetail mechanisms. The workshop challenges the student to do precise work with hand tools in a process that is both meditative and satisfying. The workshop includes a detailed demonstration of making traditional Japanese parquetry veneer called "Yosegi Zaiku.”