participant-type

: Craft School

Front entrance to the Denton Maker Center. James Thurman

The Denton Maker Center, a non-profit organization, strives to be the central location for creative making in the greater North Texas region. This is accomplished by providing activities and resources that nurture a community of makers. Activities include workshops (both in-person and online), exhibitions, sales, open studio times, and related special events. Resources include tools/equipment, expertise of personnel, safe workspace, exhibition space, and a retail store. Generation of public interest and appreciation is accomplished through promotion of these activities and resources through personal networking, social media, website, print materials, and shared distribution by aligned institutions.

Denton,
TX
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Paper Wood
Logo. CTA

The Cowboy Trades Association (CTA) is a coalition of master artisans, cultural advocates, and heritage organizations working to preserve the living traditions of the American West—while building new opportunities for the future.

Our Roots

  • Founded in 2023 under the fiscal sponsorship of Vista 360° (Jackson, WY)
  • Born from a partnership with the Jackson Hole History Museum
  • Created by artisans featured in the inaugural Saddle Up! exhibit

What We Do

  • Exhibitions – Touring Saddle Up! Western Handmade Art & Gear to museums and cultural centers, featuring 60+ artisans across Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado
  • Education – Hosting hands-on workshops with masters like:
    • Keith Seidel – Saddlemaking (Cody, WY)
    • Christy Sing Robertson – Hatmaking (Jackson, WY)
    • Amy Erickson – Silversmithing (Evanston, WY)
  • Preservation & Innovation – Documenting artisan techniques through video and oral histories, and creating new pathways for apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, and rural job growth
  • Equity in Opportunity – Supporting apprentices from all walks of life—ranch kids, veterans, recent graduates, and career changers—so that the trades are open to anyone with the passion to learn

Powell,
WY
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Other
BARN's facility on Bainbridge Island, WA, is home to eleven member-run studios. BARN/Rick Gordon

BARN (Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network) is a regional center for craft on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Our dedicated volunteers and staff provide fun, welcoming spaces where everyone can explore creativity, learn new skills, work with others, and give back to the community.

BARN operates eleven member-run studios spanning woodworking, glass arts, fiber arts, metal fabrication, culinary arts, jewelry making, and more. Since opening our 25,000-square-foot facility in 2017, we’ve grown to serve over 1,400 members with 2,700+ classes and events annually. BARN’s mission centers on growing and inspiring creative community through craft, learning, and service.

Beyond skill-building, BARN members actively contribute to the region through dozens of community service projects—from building furniture for at-risk youth to preparing meals for community events. We believe everyone can be creative, and we offer comprehensive tuition assistance and programming designed to remove barriers to participation. Whether someone is a complete beginner or seasoned artisan, BARN provides the tools, expertise, and supportive community to help creativity flourish.

Bainbridge Island,
WA
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
The second floor metalsmithing studio at Brooklyn Metal Works. Photo: Brian Weissman

Brooklyn Metal Works (BKMW) is a non-ferrous metal art studio that offers professional workspace for the development of art, objects, and jewelry. In addition we offer concept and technique based classes and workshops for all levels of learning. Our exhibition space and artist lecture series promotes artists, designers and makers from the metalsmithing field and beyond. Our studio prioritizes creating a safe and sustainable working and learning environment, complete with a wide inventory of tools and equipment. Responsible studio practices and stewardship of resources are at the core of our vision.

Our collaborative setting is designed to foster exploration, encourage experimentation, and strengthen the knowledge base of all involved. Brooklyn Metal Works promotes and furthers critical dialogue among those who practice, write, and invest time and energy into the field of jewelry and metalsmithing.

Brooklyn,
NY
Craft School Gallery Other
Metal Other
Hand-forged John C. Campbell Folk School sign. Photo provided by John C. Campbell Folk School

Tucked away in the mountains of western North Carolina, the John C. Campbell Folk School (“the Folk School”) offers weeklong and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, photography, writing, and more. Our non-competitive and small-sized classes are offered year-round on a scenic 270-acre campus, attracting students from all over the world. The Folk School transforms lives, bringing people together in a nurturing environment for experiences in learning and community life that spark self-discovery. “I sing behind the plow,” the Folk School’s motto since its founding in 1925, reflects the importance of lifelong learning and growth while finding joy throughout every step of the process.

Brasstown,
NC
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
Brandy Clements, 4th Generation Chair Weaver with Rosie at the woven chair museum. Nathan Rivers Chesky

Silver River Center for Chair Caning is the nation’s only chair caning school & museum. Operated by David Klingler and Brandy Clements (a 4th generation chair weaver), it has recently re-located to Weaverville, NC just a few miles north of Asheville. During their 15 years in the River Arts District, they wove over 10,000 chairs hand taught hundreds of sessions to aspiring weavers, furniture makers, and those who just want to save their heirloom chair.

They are considered experts in their field and ambassadors of the craft. They teach both in-person and online at the school and on YouTube, as well as on location at craft schools like Arrowmont & John C Campbell Folk School. They travel the country spreading the love of chairs across the land, speaking at museums and craft shows, teaching kids, adults, and anyone who finds themselves in their presence.

Silver River is an Official Education Center of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Their new instructional book, The Woven Chair, published by Blue Hills Press is launching alongside their grand re-opening New Years 2026.

Weaverville,
NC
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School Gallery Museum
Fiber Mixed Media Other Wood
Aqueduct (2016) detail by Courtney Mattison. Glazed stoneware and porcelain. 250 x 250 x 50 cm (98 x 98 x 20 in). Courtesy of the artist. Images courtesy Glen McClure for Virginia MOCA. Included in the 2026 exhibition "Clay Sustains: Vessels of Change" on view January 17-April 5, 2026 that will feature 15-20 established ceramic artists focusing an exceptional body of work on issues of environmental crisis and cultural sustainability. Part of the Art Center's 2025-26 exhibition series "Centering: Clay and Community"

About the Palo Alto Art Center:
The Palo Alto Art Center is your place to see and make art, activate your creativity, and expand your community. Created by the community, for the community in 1971, the Palo Alto Art Center provides an accessible and welcoming place to engage with art. We engage approximately 150,000 people every year through a diverse range of programs.

Palo Alto,
CA
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Paper
Sonoran Glass School ink drawing. Sonoran Glass School copyright

The Sonoran Glass School is a public-access educational center for glass art. Our mission is to actively engage established and emerging artists of all ages and abilities in the glass arts and to teach a full range of glass-working techniques. Our facility offers four studios for the many types of glass-working including kiln forming, glass blowing, torch working, and coldworking. We strive to share our passion and knowledge for the glass arts with the public through educational classes, experiences, seminars, and community events.

Tucson,
AZ
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Glass
Pittsburgh Glass Center.Ed Massery

Founded in 2001, Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) is a nonprofit, public access glass art school where anyone can take classes, explore the contemporary glass gallery, shop for glass gifts, and watch live glassblowing demonstrations.

Since its opening, PGC has educated nearly half a million individuals, contributed to the ongoing development of the city’s East End, and made Pittsburgh a significant hub in the international studio glass community.

A multimillion-dollar expansion in 2024 nearly doubled its capacity, allowing it to meet the increasing demand for glass programs and studios. PGC continues to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming environment that encourages everyone, from the casually curious to the master artist, to learn, create, and be inspired by glass.

Pittsburgh,
PA
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Glass
Jan weaving on a rigid heddle loom. Photo by Max Woltman

Fiber Arts on 4th is the hub for loom weaving, spinning, dyeing, basketry, felting, gatherings, workshops, inspiration, and all things fiber arts in New Mexico.

We are dedicated to strengthening the amazing community of fiber artists throughout New Mexico by acting as a hub to connect people in the Albuquerque area to all the other amazing fiber arts programs and projects throughout the state. New Mexico’s history and culture of fiber arts runs very deep, from indigenous people going back thousands of years, to Spanish conquistadors nearly 500 years ago, to today’s vibrant community consisting of all types of fiber artists.

Our campus is 7,500 square feet of buildings on 1.5 acres in beautiful Los Ranchos, NM in Albuquerque’s historic North Valley new the Rio Grande River. We also have a 15 passenger van so we can run excursions out to museum shows, fiber arts sales, guild events, and workshops around the state.

We invite you to visit the Land of Enchantment and stay awhile to learn about it’s rich history in fiber arts, and maybe come take a workshop or do some shopping in our store while you are here!

Los Ranchos De Albuquerque,
NM
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Fiber
Diane Kilgore Condon, The Ackerman Gallery, SCGA

The Sumter County Gallery of Art (SCGA) is a non-profit, community-based art and arts education institution in Sumter County.

Sumter,
SC
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School Gallery
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
Exterior view of Craft Contemporary Photo courtesy of Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles. Image: Marc Walker.

⁣Founded as a museum in 1973, Craft Contemporary reveals the potential of craft to educate, captivate, provoke, and empower. With a focus on contemporary art made from craft media and processes, Craft Contemporary presents dynamic exhibitions by established and emerging artists and designers who are often underrepresented in larger art institutions. Craft Contemporary complements these exhibitions with a creative line-up of educational programs, including hands-on workshops led by professional artists. Craft Contemporary cultivates an environment for people in Los Angeles to deepen their relationship to art, creativity, and one another.

Los Angeles,
CA
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School Gallery Museum
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood