Furniture Design & Woodworking
Code: W0807-25
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Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Sculptural Lighting Design with Biomaterials
Jul 21 - 25, 2025
9AM-5PM
Concept
In this workshop, students design and make custom sculptural lighting. We create a hanging pendant or table-top lamp from a combination of wood and other translucent biomaterials such as bioplastics, paper, bark, or found materials. We discuss media experimentation, shadow play, surface patterns, texturing, and luminosity with an emphasis on exploring how material interacts with light. Students gain experience making biomaterials and employ creative woodworking skills, and each student creates an illuminating sculptural wood lamp that they can take home.
Media & Techniques
Wood, found media, biomaterials, lighting components, electrical components, lamp supplies, pendant kits, switches, plugs, sockets, LEDs, edison bulbs, bioplastic ingredients, glue, epoxy, clamps, steam box, bandsaw, fabric iron, heat gun, jigs, saws, sewing machine, hot plate, microwave, woodworking, wood bending, joinery, lighting design, lamp construction, media experimentation, illumination
Faculty

Adrien Segal
Adrien Segal is a sculptor based in Oakland, CA. She received a BFA in Furniture Design from California College of the Arts, where she now teaches. She incorporates both digital tools and analog fabrication processes to create evocative sculptures in a variety of media including wood, metal, and glass. Her work encompasses studio-based projects as well as public art commissions.

Fiona Bell
Fiona Bell (Guest Scientist/Artist) is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Computer Science at the University of New Mexico. Combining biodesign, material science, and computer science, she develops novel biobased and biodegradable materials that integrate with digital technologies to create ecologically sustainable bio-digital interfaces.

Adrien Segal, Untitled
Join Waitlist for Sculptural Lighting Design with Biomaterials
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
- Baking Trays
- Bandsaw
- Clamps
- Drill Press
- Hand Tools
- Heat Gun
- Hot Plate
- Iron
- Jointer
- Planer
- Pots
- Router
- Sewing Machine
- Silicon Baking Mat
- Spatulas
- Tablesaw
Supplies
- Agar
- Aluminum Foil
- Brad Nails
- Clamps
- Edison Bulbs
- Food dye
- Glue
- Glycerin
- LEDs
- Pendant Kit
- Plugs
- Sand Paper**
- Screws
- Sockets
- Switches
- Wax Paper
What you need to bring
Required Tools and Supplies
- Personal Dust Mask (N95 or higher) or Respirator**
- Personal Hearing Protection
- Personal Safety Glasses**
Optional Tools and Supplies
- Blue Masking Tape**
- Bubble Wrap**
- Cardboard boxes**
- Erasers**
- Materials that you would like to incorporate into the project
- Packing tape**
- Pencils**
- Sharpies**
- Sketchbook**
- Tools you own that you would be unhappy without
- Water Bottle
* 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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Summer Studio Session: Furniture Design and Sculpture, Week 1
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Tuition $1,250
Code W1417-25
Engage with two of Anderson Ranch’s exceptional studios—Furniture Design and Sculpture—in this interdisciplinary session. Participants will have access to both the metal and the Maloof Wood Barn machine shop, enabling the creation of mixed media furniture or sculptural objects. The session encourages the integration of diverse processes, including metal sand casting, inlay, welding, metal patination, lighting, and traditional wood joinery, fostering innovation across materials and techniques. Participants may also choose to work exclusively in the wood shop or the sculpture studio. Studio Sessions at Anderson Ranch Studio Sessions at Anderson Ranch provide artists with a unique opportunity to pursue independent projects while receiving personalized mentorship and critique from Anderson Ranch artistic staff and interns. Each participant is assigned a dedicated studio space and receives an orientation, access to specialized equipment, and opportunities for group demonstrations and/or critiques. Artists may choose to register for either a one-week or two-week session. This program reflects the experience of nationally and internationally recognized artists who work in our state-of-the-art facilities. Studio Sessions offer an ideal environment to expand your practice, explore new media, take creative risks, or complete work for exhibition. Studio Access and Hours Studios are open 24 hours a day; however, access to machines and equipment is limited due to safety requirements. Machine rooms are only available during monitored hours: weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM, and evenings Monday through Thursday from 7 to 9 PM. IMPORTANT DETAILS: Participants are responsible for all material costs associated with their projects. Some materials with a limited supply will be available for purchase in the studios. Studio Sessions are available to artists with prior experience with tools and safety. All participants will be required to attend safety orientations for the facilities and specific tools they will use. Participants are expected to be self-directed in the development of their projects. Each participant can anticipate receiving approximately one hour per day of focused individual guidance and instruction from Anderson Ranch staff. TO APPLY: Applicants must submit project proposals and portfolios for approval. Applicants who wish to access either the woodshop, the metal sculpture facilities, or both must have prior machine operation experience in the respective studios. Portfolios will be accepted on a rolling basis. Instructions on how to submit your portfolio are as follows: • Submit digital images of your work in one single PDF (as opposed to individual JPG attachments) via email directly to Betsy Alwin, Artistic Director of Ceramics and Expanded Media at [email protected] • The single PDF must be less than 10 MB to be considered. • Please send a short paragraph of how you plan to use the studio session time listing your goals and techniques. • Include 3-8 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. • Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will not be reviewed. Please address all questions to [email protected]

-
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 skills and knowledge of sculpture. Students are highly motivated, have a minimum of five years experience in the field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Typical students are academics and professional artists.
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Level V
Sep 8 - 12, 2025
9AM-5PM
Summer Studio Session: Furniture Design and Sculpture, Week 2
William Lanzillo, Lane Preston
Tuition $1,250
Code W1518-25
Engage with two of Anderson Ranch’s exceptional studios—Furniture Design and Sculpture—in this interdisciplinary session. Participants will have access to both the metal and the Maloof Wood Barn machine shop, enabling the creation of mixed media furniture or sculptural objects. The session encourages the integration of diverse processes, including metal sand casting, inlay, welding, metal patination, lighting, and traditional wood joinery, fostering innovation across materials and techniques. Participants may also choose to work exclusively in the wood shop or the sculpture studio. Studio Sessions at Anderson Ranch Studio Sessions at Anderson Ranch provide artists with a unique opportunity to pursue independent projects while receiving personalized mentorship and critique from Anderson Ranch artistic staff and interns. Each participant is assigned a dedicated studio space and receives an orientation, access to specialized equipment, and opportunities for group demonstrations and/or critiques. Artists may choose to register for either a one-week or two-week session. This program reflects the experience of nationally and internationally recognized artists who work in our state-of-the-art facilities. Studio Sessions offer an ideal environment to expand your practice, explore new media, take creative risks, or complete work for exhibition. Studio Access and Hours Studios are open 24 hours a day; however, access to machines and equipment is limited due to safety requirements. Machine rooms are only available during monitored hours: weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM, and evenings Monday through Thursday from 7 to 9 PM. IMPORTANT DETAILS: Participants are responsible for all material costs associated with their projects. Some materials with a limited supply will be available for purchase in the studios. Studio Sessions are available to artists with prior experience with tools and safety. All participants will be required to attend safety orientations for the facilities and specific tools they will use. Participants are expected to be self-directed in the development of their projects. Each participant can anticipate receiving approximately one hour per day of focused individual guidance and instruction from Anderson Ranch staff. TO APPLY: Applicants must submit project proposals and portfolios for approval. Applicants who wish to access either the woodshop, the metal sculpture facilities, or both must have prior machine operation experience in the respective studios. Portfolios will be accepted on a rolling basis. Instructions on how to submit your portfolio are as follows: • Submit digital images of your work in one single PDF (as opposed to individual JPG attachments) via email directly to Betsy Alwin, Artistic Director of Ceramics and Expanded Media at [email protected] • The single PDF must be less than 10 MB to be considered. • Please send a short paragraph of how you plan to use the studio session time listing your goals and techniques. • Include 3-8 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. • Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will not be reviewed. Please address all questions to [email protected]

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]