We had such fun in last year’s Chairmaker’s Toolbox class that we’re doing it again! Chris will be leading a group of six in a free stick chair class in the Lost Art Press shop Sept. 18-22, 2023. The scholarship covers both tuition and materials for the chair.
The emphasis of this class is to teach those who are underepresented in our ranks, and to help create a new generation of woodworkers who teach. There are two spots available for students who have some chairmaking experience and want to teach others, and four spots for students with little-to-no chair experience but who have some sort of active teaching practice (elementary school math, academic writing, shop maintenance in educational facility, podcasting, etc).
The class is being organized by Aspen Golann, who runs The Chairmaker’s Toolbox. You can find out about all the Chairmaker’s Toolbox education opportunities via this link (where you’ll find links to “apply here” for each class, including this one).
As Aspen notes in her description on the Chairmaker’s Toolbox, I am the designated shop lurker for this class…but lurking pays off. Last year’s group is the one that finally inspired me to make a stick chair (I just had to wait until they left so I had my bench back). Then I bought my own scorp…so color me inspired.
– Fitz
p.s. Chris will write more about the class when he’s back in town, and answer questions about donations etc.
2023 right?
Yes (I just added that – thanks!)
Will you be looking for contributions to the costs again? Happy to give a little.
That’s very kind, Gary. Chris will let y’all know more when he’s back and can write about it (though I’m sure the answer will be thank you and yes!)
Please let us know how we can donate to support such a great cause!
Hey, for those of you who donated, I want you to know it was a life changing opportunity for me (I am the dude in the apron, bandana and fresh kicks in the picture). I am a public high school teacher in rural Nebraska working in a poor community teaching Skilled and Technical Sciences (what used to be called Shop). My Furnituremaking class is currently working on three legged creepies adapted from the ADB, and by the end of the school year, the goal is to replace our garbage plastic classroom furniture with stick chairs the students make.
This is the second year the Furnituremaking class has existed, and the first year we got very little done, partly due to my lack of experience with staked furniture. This year is already different thanks to my week in Kentucky last summer.
Those of you who donated contributed to a bunch of poor brown kids being introduce to the stick chair tradition, and allowed me to study under Chris, a dream of mine that I would otherwise not have been able to do with my school-teacher salary.
Seriously, I can’t thank you all enough.
(If you want to see what my students are doing, I post on twitter @STSeehusen)
Don, it’s great to hear about your experience with the class. I was lucky enough to take Chris’ chair class in September and I agree that it was life-changing. But my experience isn’t going to help future generations like yours will so good on you! I was happy to contribute toward the expenses for your class and I’ll be happy to do it again for the next one.
So glad to hear this Don.
That is why schools should still teach shop class. If you’re in a rural area, you probably have access to trees, branches and other sources of wood. A few kids learning to make staked furniture could make a difference in a community and for themselves and their families.