Plant-Based Woodworking: October 25 - 30, 2026, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg TN
In this workshop, students will explore greenwood chairmaking techniques from an ecological and plant-oriented perspective. Each participant will build a classic greenwood post and rung stool with a seat woven of local plants. Students will learn all the necessary techniques, from riving green logs, shaping parts by hand, understanding and crafting wet/dry joinery, and weaving seats. This workshop emphasizes working holistically, connecting woodworking technique to the natural history and ecology of the plants used. Class activities will include a field trip into the forests of the Great Smoky Mountains to visit trees in their natural habitat, alongside readings on forest ecology, dendrology, and greenwood technique.
Tree Withness: Making Ground Dialogues Series, October 27, 2024, APE Gallery, Northampton MA
“Witness trees” are living trees which have been recognized for their living presence at significant events in human history. The National Park Service maintains a “Witness Tree Protection Program,” which distinguishes trees which have survived battles, lived alongside historic figures, or witnessed the signing of important agreements. While the contemplation of these trees invites us to enter into history on a more generous arboreal clock, the overall concept is decidedly human-centered and nationalistic. What if we become tree-centered instead, and focus on witnessing the long-lasting lives of trees, so much more enduring than our own, centering these venerable plant relatives in our communities?
The event will begin in the barn at Bramble Hill Farm, with a presentation about witness trees, and then segue into experimentation with playful ways of turning the direction of our attention tree-ward. We’ll meet the trees of Bramble Hill Farm, learning more about who they are and what they are doing, learning about the history of the land at the farm, and imagining into the past, present, and possible futures of these trees and their environment. We will cultivate an attitude of “tree withness,” an experiment in interspecies empathy. Activities will include walking, writing, visual exercises, and short discussions.
To Understand a Tree: An Experiential Workshop with Gina Siepel
Join us for an exploratory, hands-on workshop, where we will explore connections between the forest, the tree, and the material of wood. Led by artist Gina Siepel, in collaboration with a naturalist from the Schuylkill Center, we will undertake a guided exploration of the forest. During this workshop, we’ll practice tree identification using field guides and online tools, and we’ll have an overview of the anatomy and physiology of trees. We will also take the opportunity to study the material in depth, splitting logs and other found materials and exploring the life of the tree through an examination of the wood itself.
May 26 - 31, 2024, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg TN
This workshop will be an interdisciplinary and playful exploration of the relationship between green woodworking, forest ecology, and the human body. Green woodworking centers the use of simple hand tools and provides an in-depth experience of wood as a plant material. We will work holistically, connecting woodworking techniques with supportive physical practices, and understanding the material of wood as a part of the forest habitat in which it grows. Class sessions will include green woodworking, walks in the local forests, field observation, discussion, and study of the physiological aspects of chair and stool design. Students will learn fundamentals of green wood construction as well as introductory dendrology (the study of trees), and leave the class with a completed greenwood stool. Students of all experience levels are welcome to join us in this ecologically-engaged woodworking experience.