Craft Weekend
The Folk Art Guilds’ Craft Weekend is held annually in August. Course offerings range from traditional crafts to new media technology. Taking place in the lush and beautiful Finger Lakes region, Craft Weekend is an opportunity for students at all levels to explore and learn something new. Dive deeper with the support of knowledgeable instructors and fellow students and experience an unforgettable Summer event at the Folk Art Guild. Subscribe to our newsletter below to be notified of 2025 courses and registration.
Past Craft Weekend Courses
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Listening to the Clay
Come explore all aspects of clay in the first craft studio established at the Guild. We will begin with exercises that breakdown barriers and open up the creative possibilities of pottery. Then students will have the opportunity to throw on the wheel, sculpt, hand-build, and more, under the guidance of experienced potters. We will also explore early firing techniques, so that you can witness and take part in the creation of a pot from start to finish. A great class for beginners and seasoned potters alike.
About the Instructor
Master Potter, Annie Schliffer has worked in the studios of the Rochester Folk Art Guild for many years. She has studied and taught pottery at centers in China, Peru, India and North Carolina and has incorporated many of these learned techniques into her current repertoire. Her work is displayed in museums and private collections throughout the world.
$40 OPTIONAL firing fee
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Making Meaning & Minding the Mystery
This workshop positions writing as a reflective and transformative practice—a practice that cultivates space for listening more deeply to the “still, small voice within.” Our aim will be to use writing as a creative instrument for connecting the myriad and often mysterious strands of our inner and outer worlds and as a tool to make our self-discoveries more legible.
In the spirit of curiosity and non-attachment, we’ll write to build bridges between past experiences and present emotions with the intent of resisting the flat narrative, the dominant account, the single story. Instead, we’ll honor the more elusive tangles by digging into the dynamic and multi-dimensional roots of the stories we tell ourselves and others. We’ll seek to better integrate these stories and thicken our texts with greater honesty, nuance, and clarity; to reconcile the parts of our experiences that we’ve left or kept unstoried as a means of fostering continued engagement with an evolving and more integrated sense of ourselves.
Participants will be invited to engage throughout the weekend with an intentional series of short readings and reflective prompts, afforded time for quiet writing and contemplation, and provided space to meaningfully share their writing and insights with good company.
About the Instructors
Curt and Nani Nehring Bliss are avid readers and writers who harbor a special love for the reflective impulse. With over 50 years’ experience between them as educators, instigators, and hosts, Curt has long served as a professor of English and Humanities at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, New York, where Nani has also enjoyed a decades-long career in service to writing- and values-based initiatives campus wide. They owe much of their interest and innovation as reflective practitioners to Bard College’s Institute for Writing and Thinking where both were trained and Curt remains as a Faculty Associate and member of the Institute’s Advisory Board. Beyond academics, Curt and Nani co-conspire to tender the sweet life in the Finger Lakes where they keep showing up, just your good neighbors doing their best to live lightly and make from scratch, to school and un-school, to cultivate and rewild, to make music and merry. And, if they’re lucky... to inspire an occasional moment of grace in this world of endless change.
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Learn to Turn
A huge interest in turning wood has developed in recent years. Woodturning is on a creative wave, similar to that of studio pottery a generation ago. Responding to this phenomenon, the Guild Woodshop is offering an in-depth green woodturning workshop that will take the participant further into this rewarding form during the Craft Weekend. Each participant will work on an individual lathe and course content will be tailored to experience level. The emphasis will be on vessels; a beginner with no prior experience can fashion a functional bowl from an unseasoned blank by the end of the first class. From there, questions of form, proportion and design will arise. An advanced turner will be able to go further into refinement of technique, stock preparation, various methods for holding work, and sharpening and finishing questions.
About the Instructor
David Barnet has been a full-time woodworker since 1975, when he began his apprenticeship with the Rochester Folk Art Guild. The Woodshop is a vital part of the continuing craft tradition that has distinguished the Guild since the first exhibit of crafts in 1961. Hardwood furniture, folk toys, and woodturnings are produced and sold in the East Hill Gallery and on Etsy at @folkartwood. David has taught turning at all levels to many students through individual classes and Craft Weekends. He continues to produce functional work, particularly bowls for serving and presentation. In 2022 he had the opportunity to refine techniques with renowned turners Stuart Batty and David Ellsworth. He participates as a member of the Finger Lakes Woodturners, offering demonstrations to the chapter.
Additional $50 material fee
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Eco-Printing Using a Natural Dye Garden
Dahlias, Zinnias, Cosmos, Coreopsis, Madder, Weld and Indigo are just a few of the beautiful plants you can grow in a Natural Dye Garden. You can also find plants like Cotinus, Sumac, Japanese Maple and Geraniums that can make incredible prints on natural fabrics. Learn how to identify each plant and which are the best seeds to make the most beautiful dyes for lasting and lightfast color.
Learn how to pick leaves and flowers that give beautiful Eco Prints and make Natural Dye Baths. We will experiment with two kinds of Eco Printing. We will learn how to Eco Print with no mordent and with mordents to get stunning and lasting results.
This class is both good for beginners and those that have previous experience with Eco Printing and Natural Dyeing. Advanced students will have the opportunity to hand embroider and paint with Natural Dyes to embellish their pieces.sense of ourselves.
Participants will be invited to engage throughout the weekend with an intentional series of short readings and reflective prompts, afforded time for quiet writing and contemplation, and provided space to meaningfully share their writing and insights with good company.
About the Instructor
Graduated from Boston University in 1963 in Philosophy. Later in 1968 went to Empire State College, while living in Rochester, New York and got a degree in Weaving. For this degree I studied at RIT, with master weaver, Ruth Holroyd, and at The Rochester Folk Art Guild. Since then, I have continued to study, through workshops and classes in spinning, weaving, natural dyeing, felting, knitting, eco printing and shibori. I live right next door to the Folk Art Guild in Middlesex, New York. I have taught classes in spinning, many kinds of felting, natural dyeing, knitting and shibori. My husband and I also sponsor master teachers who come to Canandaigua and teach felting, natural dyeing, and shibori, Katazome, Indigo Dyeing, Kyuchechi and more. We have had artists from Japan, Germany, England, Canada and the US come and teach. Some of the have been: John Marshall, Michelle Whipplinger, Inge Bauer, Joan Morris, Charllotte Kwon, Jorie Johnson and Elin Noble . With each teacher I have increased skills in my area of interests.
$50 material fee to be paid to the Instructor. Students will also be asked to bring additional materials for the course.
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Learn to Weave
This weaving class is an introduction to the wonderful world of weaving! In it you will learn how to create a weaving project from start to finish. You will learn to plan a project incorporating the concepts of color, texture, pattern and structure working on your own assigned floor loom. Each student will plan and wind a warp, dress the loom and weave. Each step is demonstrated with students working individually to learn the process and produce their own unique projects. We will begin with a plain weave cotton scarf and, depending on their progress, each student will weave one to two more projects of their own design and choosing. Sue will be available at all times for consultation and encouragement. Come learn this fascinating, traditional craft!
About the Instructor
Susan Szczotka Susan Szczotka is a retired feline veterinarian who first learned to weave from Truus Radin at Craft Weekend in 2011 at the Rochester Folk Art Guild. Since that time she has advanced her knowledge and techniques at many specialized weaving conferences around the country. She is currently a member of the Shuttles and Spindles Guild in Newark Valley, NY, the Weaving Guild of Rochester, and is a member and former vice president of the Syracuse Weavers’ Guild in Syracuse, NY. She has won numerous awards for her textiles and is represented by two galleries in upstate New York. In July of 2023 she mounted a solo show of her rep weave and raku pottery at the Artisan Gallery of the Binghamton Arts Council. Weaving on several types of looms and sometimes dyeing her own fibers, Sue is known for her complex patterns in scarves and shawls, usually made from Tencel, bamboo or alpaca. She also makes fine table linens and towels.
Brought up on a farm on an island in the SW Delta of the Netherlands, Truus Radin graduated from the School of Social Work in Amsterdam. In the early 70’s she was initiated into weaving by Adele Akers, a well-known weaver in New York City, who also introduced her to Peter Collingwood’s rug-weaving techniques. Truus later took a workshop with his son, Jason. After that she spent a summer at the Penland School of Crafts in intense weaving workshops. During her more than 30 years at the Rochester Folk Art Guild, Truus has participated in every aspect of fiber arts, from herding sheep to spinning, dyeing, knitting and weaving the wool. Her finished work includes jackets, shawls, scarves, ponchos, hats and small rugs.
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Beyond the Selfie: Discover Your Creative Voice
Our smartphones boast powerful cameras, yet making truly captivating images requires more than just technology. This workshop invites you to embark on a transformative journey, exploring your world through a “new lens” and unlocking your creative potential.
More Than Just Techniques: While you’ll gain many valuable technical skills to elevate your phone photography, the true focus of this workshop lies in seeing -- awakening your perspective, powers of observation and imagination. Through simple engaging exercises and discussions, you’ll delve deeper, learning to see the world with fresh eyes and translate what you discover into expressive photographs.
A Space for Exploration and Growth: By slowing down and mindfully engaging with the present moment as you make and view your images, you’ll gain deeper insights into your thoughts, feelings and artistic vision. This relaxed, supportive workshop environment fosters experimentation and collaboration, gently guiding you to expand your creative horizons, and self-discovery.
You will:
Shift your perspective to see and re-connect anew with the world.
Explore your creativity and translate your experiences into expressive images.
Discover the inner rewards of authentic expression.
Unlock your creative potential in a supportive environment.
Develop technical proficiency in cellphone photography.
REQUIREMENTS: The only requirements are a modern cellphone (iPhone 7 onward preferred, Android accepted) and an open mind. (Optional only: laptop with Photoshop Elements)
Workshop is limited to 8 participants. Questions about the workshop are welcomed. Simply email the instructor, Jim Lemkin at: jlemkin@crocker.com
Jim Lemkinstudied photography with Minor White, William Giles, Nathan Lyons and Harold Edgerton. He has taught photography and filmmaking at Harvard, SUNY and other colleges, schools and workshops. He has worked mainly as a holistic doctor specializing in preventive medicine and as a documentary filmmaker and photographer. His work has aired nationally on PBS and elsewhere. He has given workshops to teachers that explore holistic thinking as a way to problem solve anything using filmmaking. A recent project, Does My Voice Count, is a traveling photographic exhibit with public conversations on the legacy and present realities of voter suppression, which includes a case study of Mississippi Black voters. Jim has studied and practiced in the traditions of Taoism, Gurdjieff, Native American, Advaita Vedanta and Dzog Chen Buddhism for more than 50 years.
What To Expect
You will be oriented to the property and directed to your sleeping space to unload your belongings. Campers are welcome to choose a spot in nearby orchards and set up tents. We will all gather for a Welcome Lunch at 12 pm. After, you will meet with your instructors and fellow students for your first afternoon together in the workshops.
The event price includes daily meals, your lodging or camping, and 18 hours of formal in-studio instruction. Open studio time is available in the evening after meals. In addition, an optional Iyengar Yoga class is offered each morning before breakfast at 7am. All lodging is shared dormitory style with access to shared bathrooms, some of which are outside the room areas. Individuals will need to traverse the property on grass and gravel pathways to move between buildings and studios.
Ample time is included to enjoy Summer while discovering some of the Guilds’ varied acreage, hiking, and swimming in the pond. Enjoy meeting new people while lingering over wholesome meals prepared by our dedicated chefs. Evenings allow for more studio time if desired, or more diverse, participant-directed activities such as star gazing, primitive skills, nature walks, games, music, or storytelling around an open fire.
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7:00 am - Iyengar Yoga (optional)
8:00 am - Breakfast
9:15 am - Morning Studio Session
12:30 pm - Lunch
2:00 pm - Afternoon Studio Session
6:00 pm - Dinner
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$625 LODGER
Includes: Indoor lodging, workshop tuition, optional yoga class, Daily Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.$550 CAMPER
Includes: Outdoor camp space, workshop tuition, optional yoga class, Daily Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.$325 YOUTH CAMPER
Includes: Outdoor camp space, workshop tuition, optional yoga class, Daily Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Youth must be under 18 years of age and accompanied by a camping parent/guardian.$425 COMMUTER
Includes: Workshop tuition and Daily Lunch. Yoga class and breakfast are optional for an additional cost each day.$275 YOUTH COMMUTER
Includes: Workshop tuition and Lunch. Youth must be under 18 and over 8 years of age. Yoga class and breakfast are optional for an additional cost each day.Please inquire about family discounts and work-study positions.