My name is Lewis Laskin, and I’m excited to announce a Jimmy Possum chair class in my hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. The class is from June 22 to June 26, 2026, and registration opens February 20 at https://marylandhall.org/studioarts-ws.
Background
Three years ago, I wandered into the Jimmy Possum exhibit at Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery in Launceston, Tasmania, and I was captivated. Shortly thereafter, I wrote about the chairs and my experience in Tassie (“Tasmania”), which you can read here.
| Walnut JP chair on display at Maryland Hall; primarily handplane work | White oak and walnut JP chair; primarily drawknife work |
Building my first two JP chairs scratched the itch, but it didn’t cure it. So I’ve resolved to make JP chairs, too. Some 150 years after the first Jimmy Possum chair was built in Tasmania, students will learn to make their own, unique JPs in Annapolis – about as far away from Tassie as physically possible!
Curriculum
JP chairs are easily identifiable by their unique legs, which pass through the seat and into the arms. Not only are they surprisingly comfortable, but their folk origins allow for broad design flexibility. Students will be encouraged to personalize their chairs, and I will bring a variety of modern and antique stick chairs for inspiration.
We will be using green wood (high moisture content) and a minimal toolset, authentic to the JP folk tradition. Much of the week will be spent sitting on Lefkowitz shavehorses with locally-forged drawknives in hand. Every student will go home with a completed chair, the skills to build another and a good understanding of wood behavior. Historically, JP chairs are not saddled, but you will have the opportunity to carve your seat if you’d like.
- Schedule: June 22 – 26, 2026, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Capacity: Six students
- Tuition: $1,400
- Materials Fee: $100 for oak and poplar; +$100 to upgrade to oak and quartersawn walnut
- Ages: 16+
- Prerequisites: All experience levels welcome
- Tools: Provided
- Tuition Assistance:
- Through the School: Maryland Hall offers need-based assistance for students under 18 and for students 55+. (The amount of assistance is based upon availability of funds.)
- Through the Instructor: Financial need-based scholarship can reduce tuition by 60 percent (from $1,400 to $560). Application form accessible through enrollment page.
Location
The class will be hosted by Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, a non-profit performing arts and education center in Annapolis. This will be the first chairmaking course in Maryland Hall’s history, and it might even be the first public Jimmy Possum chair class in the United States!
The school is less than a mile from Annapolis’s historic downtown, best known for its charming brick buildings, the Naval Academy, Maryland blue crab and its proximity to the Chesapeake Bay. June is a great time to visit; we’ll be in crab season, and– don’t sweat – the school will have just completed installing their brand-new HVAC system.
Please email lewis@avocations.studio with any questions.
— Lewis Laskin