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We Are Water Ely on display now through June 16th at the HUB!

Voyageur paddles the Ely Folk School Birch Bark Canoe and smiles at the camera above her.

Building community by providing learning experiences that celebrate the wilderness heritage, art, history, culture, and craft of the people of northern Minnesota.

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Ceramics made at Ely Folk School

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Spring Edibles foraged at Ely Folk School Nourishment class

Close Up of stitching on the Ely Folk School Birch bark canoe

The Ely Folk School
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From the Blog

Ely Folk School is Hiring!

Ely Folk School is Hiring!

Ely Folk School is Hiring!

The Ely Folk School is celebrating its tenth birthday this summer and is looking forward to embracing the future with abundance. We are...

To Be A Folk School

To Be A Folk School

To Be A Folk School

The following text is adapted from EFS Executive Director Lucy Soderstrom's Tuesday Group presentation from February 4, 2025. Should you...

We Are Water Ely

We Are Water Ely

We Are Water Ely

The Ely Folk School is excited to bring the We Are Water MN exhibit from the Minnesota Humanities Center to Ely this spring! We Are Water...

@elyfolkschool on Instagram

We have a fun volunteer opportunity for you! Help make the Ely Folk School wild rice hand pies for the Spring Bonfire!

Volunteers can join us at EFS on Thursday May 1 at 10 am to make hand pies in community or can reach out for the recipe and make hand pies from home to bring to the bonfire.

Reach out to learn more!

We have a fun volunteer opportunity for you! Help make the Ely Folk School wild rice hand pies for the Spring Bonfire!

Volunteers can join us at EFS on Thursday May 1 at 10 am to make hand pies in community or can reach out for the recipe and make hand pies from home to bring to the bonfire.

Reach out to learn more!

The We Are Water MN exhibit is being unloaded and set up down at the Ely Area Community Hub! Tonight kicks off nearly 2 months of the exhibit's stay here in Ely, and a slew of accompanying events. Join us TONIGHT at 5:30pm for the opening reception, which includes a performance from the Reflections Dance Company.

We've already had some admirers stop to take in the mini water tower installation (we see you Happy Days Learning Center kiddos!) and there's plenty more all-ages fun that'll be ready this evening. Stop by to share your own water story and hear tales from community members about what water means to them... or share a "fish tale" and pick up a pin on the way out. There's plenty to learn and keep you engaged! The exhibit will be available to see daily from 9am-5pm through June 16th.

See you at The Hub tonight!

The We Are Water MN exhibit is being unloaded and set up down at the Ely Area Community Hub! Tonight kicks off nearly 2 months of the exhibit's stay here in Ely, and a slew of accompanying events. Join us TONIGHT at 5:30pm for the opening reception, which includes a performance from the Reflections Dance Company.

We've already had some admirers stop to take in the mini water tower installation (we see you Happy Days Learning Center kiddos!) and there's plenty more all-ages fun that'll be ready this evening. Stop by to share your own water story and hear tales from community members about what water means to them... or share a "fish tale" and pick up a pin on the way out. There's plenty to learn and keep you engaged! The exhibit will be available to see daily from 9am-5pm through June 16th.

See you at The Hub tonight!

Happy Earth Day from the Ely Folk School!

Whether it's paddling our birch bark canoe on Shagawa Lake, crafting with the resources from the Northwoods that surrounds us, or, yes, making highly fashionable fern headbands at Kid's Makers Morning... We rely on and appreciate the natural world that makes Ely, Minnesota (and our local region) a great place to teach, learn, and live.

Stop by the school this week to learn about the classes and events we're offering this spring that help you get outside, or that bring the bounty of the outside... inside!

Thanks Earth, we love you!

💚 🌎 🌿 💙

Happy Earth Day from the Ely Folk School!

Whether it's paddling our birch bark canoe on Shagawa Lake, crafting with the resources from the Northwoods that surrounds us, or, yes, making highly fashionable fern headbands at Kid's Makers Morning... We rely on and appreciate the natural world that makes Ely, Minnesota (and our local region) a great place to teach, learn, and live.

Stop by the school this week to learn about the classes and events we're offering this spring that help you get outside, or that bring the bounty of the outside... inside!

Thanks Earth, we love you!

💚 🌎 🌿 💙

There's still a week left to express interest in the stone masonry classes we'll be running in partnership with the Steger Center this summer! Instructors Aurora Whalstrom, Ian McKiel, and Jim Sullivan work hard to pass along the skills of working with stone and mortar to interested students... and the three classes offered this summer are specifically targeted to local students from Northern Minnesota. If you're someone who could use the knowledge gained during the courses to start or improve your masonry skills for your own at-home projects or in a professional work capacity, consider filling out an interest form!

💪😤

Learn the tricks of the trade through the Center's Shackleton Hut replica project (one of which will be exclusively for women-identifying students) or the Dry Stone course... And a major thank you to the Steger Center for helping to provide knowledgeable instructors, camping opportunities, and meal plans in the name of accessibility and community-based educational growth!

🪨⚒️🪨

Interest forms will close on April 29th, and the first round of invitations to register will go out on Friday, May 9th. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more, follow the link in our bio for course descriptions .

Shackleton Hut (women only), M-F July 21-25

Shackleton Hut (all gender), M-F August 11-15

Dry Stone Course with Stonemaster Jim Sullivan, M-W August 18-20

There's still a week left to express interest in the stone masonry classes we'll be running in partnership with the Steger Center this summer! Instructors Aurora Whalstrom, Ian McKiel, and Jim Sullivan work hard to pass along the skills of working with stone and mortar to interested students... and the three classes offered this summer are specifically targeted to local students from Northern Minnesota. If you're someone who could use the knowledge gained during the courses to start or improve your masonry skills for your own at-home projects or in a professional work capacity, consider filling out an interest form!

💪😤

Learn the tricks of the trade through the Center's Shackleton Hut replica project (one of which will be exclusively for women-identifying students) or the Dry Stone course... And a major thank you to the Steger Center for helping to provide knowledgeable instructors, camping opportunities, and meal plans in the name of accessibility and community-based educational growth!

🪨⚒️🪨

Interest forms will close on April 29th, and the first round of invitations to register will go out on Friday, May 9th. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more, follow the link in our bio for course descriptions .

Shackleton Hut (women only), M-F July 21-25

Shackleton Hut (all gender), M-F August 11-15

Dry Stone Course with Stonemaster Jim Sullivan, M-W August 18-20

ASL is a uniquely accessible language that enables full communication for hard-of-hearing and Deaf individuals.

Learning ASL offers the opportunity to form connections with the Deaf community and cultivate friendships/relationships outside of the hearing world. Plus, multilingualism boosts our concentration, listening and thinking skills!

Follow the link in our bio to learn more and register.

ASL is a uniquely accessible language that enables full communication for hard-of-hearing and Deaf individuals.

Learning ASL offers the opportunity to form connections with the Deaf community and cultivate friendships/relationships outside of the hearing world. Plus, multilingualism boosts our concentration, listening and thinking skills!

Follow the link in our bio to learn more and register.

The Ely Folk School Spring Bonfire is just three weeks away!

We love celebrating our community and the upcoming summer season at this annual event.

Make sure your calendar is marked for Wednesday, May 7 (right before Fishing Opener!). We'll be at Semers Park from 5-7 pm

Pictured is Aaron Kaercher, Brian Strom, and Nick Holtz, who played at the 2024 Bonfire. This year, we'll be hearing the sweet tunes of local band, Stony River!

The Ely Folk School Spring Bonfire is just three weeks away!

We love celebrating our community and the upcoming summer season at this annual event.

Make sure your calendar is marked for Wednesday, May 7 (right before Fishing Opener!). We'll be at Semers Park from 5-7 pm

Pictured is Aaron Kaercher, Brian Strom, and Nick Holtz, who played at the 2024 Bonfire. This year, we'll be hearing the sweet tunes of local band, Stony River!

Are you curious about color? Do you want to dive deeper into the world of dyes, in a nontoxic, homemade way?

Join our Natural Dying from Start to Finish class with Sally Koski.

Over the course of three Friday sessions, we'll cover dyeing natural fibers with natural dyes from the beginning of the process to end. Natural dyes and fibers will be discussed and examples presented. We'll go through the process of scouring fibers and preparing fibers for natural dyeing (using mordants and tannins). We'll learn about natural dyes, how to make a dye bath, how to dye natural fibers, and modify colors. We'll explore the colors of 4 different natural dyes.

Follow the link in our bio to learn more and register.

Are you curious about color? Do you want to dive deeper into the world of dyes, in a nontoxic, homemade way?

Join our Natural Dying from Start to Finish class with Sally Koski.

Over the course of three Friday sessions, we'll cover dyeing natural fibers with natural dyes from the beginning of the process to end. Natural dyes and fibers will be discussed and examples presented. We'll go through the process of scouring fibers and preparing fibers for natural dyeing (using mordants and tannins). We'll learn about natural dyes, how to make a dye bath, how to dye natural fibers, and modify colors. We'll explore the colors of 4 different natural dyes.

Follow the link in our bio to learn more and register.

Applications for our Marketing & Hospitality Manager position close tomorrow!

Join us at the Ely Folk School, where we focus on community building through offering learning experiences in Northwoods Crafts and Skills.

If you've been thinking about applying - now's the time!

Learn more about the job and how to apply here: https://www.elyfolkschool.org/post/ely-folk-school-is-hiring

Applications for our Marketing & Hospitality Manager position close tomorrow!

Join us at the Ely Folk School, where we focus on community building through offering learning experiences in Northwoods Crafts and Skills.

If you've been thinking about applying - now's the time!

Learn more about the job and how to apply here: https://www.elyfolkschool.org/post/ely-folk-school-is-hiring

We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who filled out our Community Survey last month! Here's a word cloud of the first word that comes to folks' mind about EFS. We appreciate all the honest and helpful feedback. Winners of the gift card drawing have been notified and we look forward to incorporating the community feedback into our programming and operations. We'll share more about some of our big plans for the year soon!

We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who filled out our Community Survey last month! Here's a word cloud of the first word that comes to folks' mind about EFS. We appreciate all the honest and helpful feedback. Winners of the gift card drawing have been notified and we look forward to incorporating the community feedback into our programming and operations. We'll share more about some of our big plans for the year soon!

"We Are Water MN" is coming to Ely, Minnesota!!

What is "We Are Water MN" you might be asking...? Well, it's a collaboration with the Minnesota Humanities Center focused on telling our community's water stories by bringing together personal narratives, historical materials, and scientific information. "We Are Water MN" consists of a museum-quality traveling exhibit with custom pieces that highlight our some of our town's storytellers, history, and unique watershed dynamics.

The exhibit will be on display starting Thursday, April 25th and will be free to enjoy until mid-June at the Ely Area Community Hub down on Miners Drive! As part of the exhibit's tenure here in Ely, the Folk School will also be offering up some concurrent events through the end of April and May that highlight our connection to water. Expect more fun come May, but in the meantime look for events with "We Are Water" in the title--they are sure to be fun, engaging, and informative!

"We Are Water MN" is coming to Ely, Minnesota!!

What is "We Are Water MN" you might be asking...? Well, it's a collaboration with the Minnesota Humanities Center focused on telling our community's water stories by bringing together personal narratives, historical materials, and scientific information. "We Are Water MN" consists of a museum-quality traveling exhibit with custom pieces that highlight our some of our town's storytellers, history, and unique watershed dynamics.

The exhibit will be on display starting Thursday, April 25th and will be free to enjoy until mid-June at the Ely Area Community Hub down on Miners Drive! As part of the exhibit's tenure here in Ely, the Folk School will also be offering up some concurrent events through the end of April and May that highlight our connection to water. Expect more fun come May, but in the meantime look for events with "We Are Water" in the title--they are sure to be fun, engaging, and informative!

INSTRUCTOR HIGHLIGHT: LAURA BERLAGE

Laura Berlage is... REALLY cool. You could describe her as a contemporary Renaissance woman; she lives and works on her family’s century-old homestead farm outside Hayward, WI and does everything from fiber arts to creative writing, to music and storytelling--she never tires of the magic of transforming ideas into form and overlapping narrative and visual.

Laura also loves working with the many and beautiful natural materials from her farm—especially the wool from her sheep. Completing her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College in 2011, Laura continues her lifelong passion for learning with engaged, hands-on teaching for small groups to encourage creativity, imagination, and expression.

Although she lives in Hayward, WI, Laura is able to teach remotely at the Ely Folk School, and share her love of folk craft that way. Join us at the Ely Folk School for a class with her as a virtual teacher! She has two on the calendar:

Stash Busters: Stitch a Flower Pin Cushion
Saturday, April 26th from 2-4pm

Needle Felt A Loon
Saturday, July 26th from 1-4pm

INSTRUCTOR HIGHLIGHT: LAURA BERLAGE

Laura Berlage is... REALLY cool. You could describe her as a contemporary Renaissance woman; she lives and works on her family’s century-old homestead farm outside Hayward, WI and does everything from fiber arts to creative writing, to music and storytelling--she never tires of the magic of transforming ideas into form and overlapping narrative and visual.

Laura also loves working with the many and beautiful natural materials from her farm—especially the wool from her sheep. Completing her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College in 2011, Laura continues her lifelong passion for learning with engaged, hands-on teaching for small groups to encourage creativity, imagination, and expression.

Although she lives in Hayward, WI, Laura is able to teach remotely at the Ely Folk School, and share her love of folk craft that way. Join us at the Ely Folk School for a class with her as a virtual teacher! She has two on the calendar:

Stash Busters: Stitch a Flower Pin Cushion
Saturday, April 26th from 2-4pm

Needle Felt A Loon
Saturday, July 26th from 1-4pm

INSTRUCTOR HIGHLIGHT: Jess Edburg

Have you met the illustrious Jess Edburg?? She wears many hats, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others. She teaches Norwegian Lefse (a delicious potato flatbread) classes here at the Ely Folk School, as well as root beer making classes.

Her day job is as the executive director of the Dorothy Molter Museum and she hosts the local History Happy Hour (ask her about it!) but she is also a sometimes adjunct natural resources instructor at MN North Community College-Vermilion campus, and a volunteer member of the Wolf Care Team at the International Wolf Center. However, most of her free time is spent with her spouse and two dogs exploring the Northwoods or playing on the Ely women's hockey team.

Catch Jess at the Folk School on Friday, April 11th at 1pm for her Norwegian Lefse class!

INSTRUCTOR HIGHLIGHT: Jess Edburg

Have you met the illustrious Jess Edburg?? She wears many hats, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others. She teaches Norwegian Lefse (a delicious potato flatbread) classes here at the Ely Folk School, as well as root beer making classes.

Her day job is as the executive director of the Dorothy Molter Museum and she hosts the local History Happy Hour (ask her about it!) but she is also a sometimes adjunct natural resources instructor at MN North Community College-Vermilion campus, and a volunteer member of the Wolf Care Team at the International Wolf Center. However, most of her free time is spent with her spouse and two dogs exploring the Northwoods or playing on the Ely women's hockey team.

Catch Jess at the Folk School on Friday, April 11th at 1pm for her Norwegian Lefse class!

The Ely Folk School Community Survey ends April 1st! Thank you to everyone who has shared their opinions thus far. If you haven't, it's not too late!
Whether or not you’ve patronized the Ely Folk School recently, please help us better understand our reputation in Ely by taking 15 minutes to share your thoughts with us. All entries will be submitted into a random drawing; three winners will receive a $50 gift card to the Ely Folk School.

The Ely Folk School Community Survey ends April 1st! Thank you to everyone who has shared their opinions thus far. If you haven't, it's not too late!
Whether or not you’ve patronized the Ely Folk School recently, please help us better understand our reputation in Ely by taking 15 minutes to share your thoughts with us. All entries will be submitted into a random drawing; three winners will receive a $50 gift card to the Ely Folk School.

The final "Call of the Wild" poetry night, in collaboration with Northern Lakes Arts Association, will be held on Thursday, April 3rd at 5pm! The theme will be "Awakening the Wild Within" – write to explore the connection between personal growth and the blooming world. Please join us to read and/or listen.

And if you're worried about continuing your poetic journey without Call of the Wild this summer, fret not. "The Poet's Way" - a four part class series on poetry writing - begins Tuesday, April 8th. Save the date also for our Spring Storytelling event on May 3rd and our Summer Solstice Poetry Open Mic event on June 20th!

The final "Call of the Wild" poetry night, in collaboration with Northern Lakes Arts Association, will be held on Thursday, April 3rd at 5pm! The theme will be "Awakening the Wild Within" – write to explore the connection between personal growth and the blooming world. Please join us to read and/or listen.

And if you're worried about continuing your poetic journey without Call of the Wild this summer, fret not. "The Poet's Way" - a four part class series on poetry writing - begins Tuesday, April 8th. Save the date also for our Spring Storytelling event on May 3rd and our Summer Solstice Poetry Open Mic event on June 20th!

"Writing With Your Child, For Your Child" is a youth class designed for parent and child or grandparent and child pairs. Instructor John Kopp, who has had an over 40 year career working with families, will lead pairs through writing their own personalized children's book. Pairs will finish the class with a bound manuscript that imaginatively captures what your child values about your family.

There are no prerequisites or level of skill necessary to join, although an ideal age range might be 6 to 10 years of age.

Registrations will be accepted up until the course begins on Saturday, April 5th.

"Writing With Your Child, For Your Child" is a youth class designed for parent and child or grandparent and child pairs. Instructor John Kopp, who has had an over 40 year career working with families, will lead pairs through writing their own personalized children's book. Pairs will finish the class with a bound manuscript that imaginatively captures what your child values about your family.

There are no prerequisites or level of skill necessary to join, although an ideal age range might be 6 to 10 years of age.

Registrations will be accepted up until the course begins on Saturday, April 5th.

Another session of our Intro to Wheel Throwing class starts Thursday, April 3rd and runs for six sessions over seven weeks. This is a great introduction to clay if you're new pottery, or a perfect chance to refine your skills if it's been some time since you sat at a wheel. Students also get 24/7 access to our studio space during the class, so plenty of time to practice and create on your own!

Visit elyfolkschool.org/ceramics to learn more.

Another session of our Intro to Wheel Throwing class starts Thursday, April 3rd and runs for six sessions over seven weeks. This is a great introduction to clay if you're new pottery, or a perfect chance to refine your skills if it's been some time since you sat at a wheel. Students also get 24/7 access to our studio space during the class, so plenty of time to practice and create on your own!

Visit elyfolkschool.org/ceramics to learn more.

Looking for something to do during this last little bit of March? Check out some of our upcoming classes:

Gelli Plate and Fabric Paper
Wednesday, March 26th from 6-9pm

Sew a Necktie Purse
Friday, March 28th from 1-4pm

Meal Prepping Dinner (with wine)
Friday, March 28th from 6-9pm

Scrapmetal Jewelry: Earrings
Saturday, March 29th from 10am-12pm

Looking for something to do during this last little bit of March? Check out some of our upcoming classes:

Gelli Plate and Fabric Paper
Wednesday, March 26th from 6-9pm

Sew a Necktie Purse
Friday, March 28th from 1-4pm

Meal Prepping Dinner (with wine)
Friday, March 28th from 6-9pm

Scrapmetal Jewelry: Earrings
Saturday, March 29th from 10am-12pm

We want to hear from YOU!

The Ely Folk School 2025 Spring Survey is a chance for you to give your direct feedback to the organization about how we've been doing, and what you'd like to see from us in the future. Are there classes and events you really love that you want to make sure we continue offering? Gaps you think could be filled? Give us your feedback, and be entered in to a chance to win a $50 gift certificate, good for mercantile purchases or towards classes.

Click the link in our bio to take the survey now.

We want to hear from YOU!

The Ely Folk School 2025 Spring Survey is a chance for you to give your direct feedback to the organization about how we've been doing, and what you'd like to see from us in the future. Are there classes and events you really love that you want to make sure we continue offering? Gaps you think could be filled? Give us your feedback, and be entered in to a chance to win a $50 gift certificate, good for mercantile purchases or towards classes.

Click the link in our bio to take the survey now.

The Ely Folk School is a proud sponsor of the Ely Film Festival and this year we were psyched to partner with EFF to offer five events over Festival weekend. Pictured here are some scenes from the Improv workshop on Saturday, where we learned about the comedic theory of clowning. It goes without saying that we had tons of fun!
Big thank yous to Benji and the team leading this workshop and to Paula Thiessen, director of Kam Theatre Lab. Congratulations @elyfilmfestivalmn!

The Ely Folk School is a proud sponsor of the Ely Film Festival and this year we were psyched to partner with EFF to offer five events over Festival weekend. Pictured here are some scenes from the Improv workshop on Saturday, where we learned about the comedic theory of clowning. It goes without saying that we had tons of fun!
Big thank yous to Benji and the team leading this workshop and to Paula Thiessen, director of Kam Theatre Lab. Congratulations @elyfilmfestivalmn!

Have you ever lamented the fact that you can't be in Ely to join us for our classes in person? The good news is we do offer some virtual and hybrid classes as well! In Dy Korda's writing classes, creatives from all over can share their original works. Cooking classes with Lacey Squire allow you to whip up pie dough and more in your own kitchen. Fiber arts classes with Laura Berlage allow you to learn about needle felting and sewing from her farm in northern Wisconsin. Here are some upcoming classes you should check out!

Nature Writing for Women: Welcoming Spring (live online)
Saturday, March 22nd from 1-3pm

Felt a Loon (virtual teacher)*
*Students can join online or in-person at the Ely Folk School
Saturday, April 12th from 3-6pm

Hand Pie Class (live online)
Saturday, April 19th from 9am-12pm

Stash Busters: Stitch a Flower Pin Cushion (virtual teacher)*
*Students can join online or in-person at the Ely Folk School
Saturday, April 26th from 2-4pm

Have you ever lamented the fact that you can't be in Ely to join us for our classes in person? The good news is we do offer some virtual and hybrid classes as well! In Dy Korda's writing classes, creatives from all over can share their original works. Cooking classes with Lacey Squire allow you to whip up pie dough and more in your own kitchen. Fiber arts classes with Laura Berlage allow you to learn about needle felting and sewing from her farm in northern Wisconsin. Here are some upcoming classes you should check out!

Nature Writing for Women: Welcoming Spring (live online)
Saturday, March 22nd from 1-3pm

Felt a Loon (virtual teacher)*
*Students can join online or in-person at the Ely Folk School
Saturday, April 12th from 3-6pm

Hand Pie Class (live online)
Saturday, April 19th from 9am-12pm

Stash Busters: Stitch a Flower Pin Cushion (virtual teacher)*
*Students can join online or in-person at the Ely Folk School
Saturday, April 26th from 2-4pm

We're excited to share that the Ely Folk School will be partnering with the Steger Center again this summer to offer stone masonry classes, with priority given to local students who plan on continuing to use masonry skills in their own personal and professional futures. Two of the courses will focus on the Center's Shackleton Hut replica project (one of which will be exclusively for women-identifying students) and the third is a Dry Stone Course.

We are very excited to be helping run these programs again this summer, and so grateful to the Steger Center for helping to provide knowledgeable instructors, camping opportunities, and meal plans in the name of accessibility and community-based educational growth.

All three courses are now accepting interest form applications, which will be reviewed by our teams--the first round of invitations to register will go out on Friday, May 9th. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more, check out the link in our bio for course descriptions.

We're excited to share that the Ely Folk School will be partnering with the Steger Center again this summer to offer stone masonry classes, with priority given to local students who plan on continuing to use masonry skills in their own personal and professional futures. Two of the courses will focus on the Center's Shackleton Hut replica project (one of which will be exclusively for women-identifying students) and the third is a Dry Stone Course.

We are very excited to be helping run these programs again this summer, and so grateful to the Steger Center for helping to provide knowledgeable instructors, camping opportunities, and meal plans in the name of accessibility and community-based educational growth.

All three courses are now accepting interest form applications, which will be reviewed by our teams--the first round of invitations to register will go out on Friday, May 9th. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more, check out the link in our bio for course descriptions.

Join us for Makers Morning every Thursday from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Join other makers and crafters weekly at the Ely Folk School for a relaxed morning of creativity and sharing. Whether you crochet, quilt, solder, write, or weave, any project is welcome. This space is also excellent for students who did not finish a project during their class.

All are welcome, no matter skill level or (reasonable) project type. Drop in whenever as you like, for as long as you like.

Our equipment is available for you to use and select materials are available for purchase. You must clean and return any equipment used. Registration is not required, but welcomed.

Join us for Makers Morning every Thursday from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Join other makers and crafters weekly at the Ely Folk School for a relaxed morning of creativity and sharing. Whether you crochet, quilt, solder, write, or weave, any project is welcome. This space is also excellent for students who did not finish a project during their class.

All are welcome, no matter skill level or (reasonable) project type. Drop in whenever as you like, for as long as you like.

Our equipment is available for you to use and select materials are available for purchase. You must clean and return any equipment used. Registration is not required, but welcomed.

We've had some wonderful new instructors teach with us recently--so this is a reminder that the Ely Folk School is always looking for skilled craftspeople to teach a class!

We are looking for folks who are passionate and eager to share their wisdom and talent with others. Experienced educators make excellent instructors, but our staff is also available to help people for whom teaching would be a new and exciting challenge. Ultimately we are seeking instructors with an ability to scale instruction to multiple skill levels, even within the bounds of a single class.

If you're interested in teaching a class, start by filling out the "New Class Proposal" form on our website, and our program staff will reach out with next steps.

We've had some wonderful new instructors teach with us recently--so this is a reminder that the Ely Folk School is always looking for skilled craftspeople to teach a class!

We are looking for folks who are passionate and eager to share their wisdom and talent with others. Experienced educators make excellent instructors, but our staff is also available to help people for whom teaching would be a new and exciting challenge. Ultimately we are seeking instructors with an ability to scale instruction to multiple skill levels, even within the bounds of a single class.

If you're interested in teaching a class, start by filling out the "New Class Proposal" form on our website, and our program staff will reach out with next steps.

#ThrowbackThursday to some of our wonderful February classes! We had yet another busy month of creating and community here. The past month was filled with learning, making, and connecting. We're grateful to everyone who joined us--here's to more inspiring together this spring!

Want to be part of the fun? Check our upcoming classes and sign up today at the link in our bio.

#ThrowbackThursday to some of our wonderful February classes! We had yet another busy month of creating and community here. The past month was filled with learning, making, and connecting. We're grateful to everyone who joined us--here's to more inspiring together this spring!

Want to be part of the fun? Check our upcoming classes and sign up today at the link in our bio.

The 2025 Ely Film Festival is coming up quickly, and the Ely Folk School is happy to be a sponsor and partner again this year! Be sure to catch a few movies at the Ely Historic State Theater from Wednesday, March 12th to Thursday, March 20th, then join us across the street for a class, discussion, or workshop. Check out the link in our bio for all the details about the action that's part of the fest.

The 2025 Ely Film Festival is coming up quickly, and the Ely Folk School is happy to be a sponsor and partner again this year! Be sure to catch a few movies at the Ely Historic State Theater from Wednesday, March 12th to Thursday, March 20th, then join us across the street for a class, discussion, or workshop. Check out the link in our bio for all the details about the action that's part of the fest.

From water storage and filtration, to wildfire protection, to habitat creation, to carbon sequestration, and of course biodiversity, beavers are extremely valuable to our ecosystems. Their fur is also highly valuable! On top of being incredibly soft and warm, it is highly durable and water repellent.

Learn more about beavers, their fur, and its benefits with the Ely Folk School and instructor Kaitlin Ostlie in March's Make Your Own Beaver Musher Mittens class. Scheduled to be accessible for working adults, we'll spend four evenings working with fur. By the end, you'll walk away with a high quality pair mitts.

The class runs March 17-20th, 6 pm - 9 pm daily. Learn more and register here: https://elyfolkschool.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/elyfolkschool/event.jsp?event=15156&

From water storage and filtration, to wildfire protection, to habitat creation, to carbon sequestration, and of course biodiversity, beavers are extremely valuable to our ecosystems. Their fur is also highly valuable! On top of being incredibly soft and warm, it is highly durable and water repellent.

Learn more about beavers, their fur, and its benefits with the Ely Folk School and instructor Kaitlin Ostlie in March's Make Your Own Beaver Musher Mittens class. Scheduled to be accessible for working adults, we'll spend four evenings working with fur. By the end, you'll walk away with a high quality pair mitts.

The class runs March 17-20th, 6 pm - 9 pm daily. Learn more and register here: https://elyfolkschool.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/elyfolkschool/event.jsp?event=15156&

Have you been wanting to dip your toes into wood carving but have been a little nervous about where to begin? We have two spots left in Wednesday's Butter Knife Carving class with Amos Kolodji!

This class will allow you to learn how to use and become comfortable with a sloyd knife, Carving axe, and various other carving tools. We will use these tools in a safe way to make a simple but effective Butterknife. Additionally we will explore the design of simple tools such as spoons and knives.

Amos Kolodji has been a canoe and winter guide in Northern Minnesota for several years. From these trips a love for making tools was born. Those tools have included paddles bowls knives and yes spoons and butter knives. Anything that could be used in the woods. His day job is teaching math in the Babbitt school district and his full time passion is sharing skills and stories about learning, woodworking, and more.

Have you been wanting to dip your toes into wood carving but have been a little nervous about where to begin? We have two spots left in Wednesday's Butter Knife Carving class with Amos Kolodji!

This class will allow you to learn how to use and become comfortable with a sloyd knife, Carving axe, and various other carving tools. We will use these tools in a safe way to make a simple but effective Butterknife. Additionally we will explore the design of simple tools such as spoons and knives.

Amos Kolodji has been a canoe and winter guide in Northern Minnesota for several years. From these trips a love for making tools was born. Those tools have included paddles bowls knives and yes spoons and butter knives. Anything that could be used in the woods. His day job is teaching math in the Babbitt school district and his full time passion is sharing skills and stories about learning, woodworking, and more.

With that the 2025 Ely Winter Festival has come to an end! We had some fabulous classes ranging from traditional Saami bracelet making with instructor Diane Thomson to Beaver Hats with instructors Bert Hyde and Mark Olson... We'd like to say a big thank you to the festival organizers, and to everyone who stopped in either to participate in a class, support our local artists in the mercantile, or just folks looking to check out what it is we do and say hello!

With that the 2025 Ely Winter Festival has come to an end! We had some fabulous classes ranging from traditional Saami bracelet making with instructor Diane Thomson to Beaver Hats with instructors Bert Hyde and Mark Olson... We'd like to say a big thank you to the festival organizers, and to everyone who stopped in either to participate in a class, support our local artists in the mercantile, or just folks looking to check out what it is we do and say hello!

The first meeting of our Backyard Herbalism Club was very successful, and this month our focus is on usnea! You might recognize the light-colored, bushy lichen growing on the branches of northwoods trees in this area. But what is usnea all about from an herbalist's perspective? You'll just have to come to February's class with local expert Sue Larson.

Backyard Herbalism Club meets the third Thursday of every month at 6pm. Classes are $20 plus a materials fee that is paid the day of class to instructors. Join us in learning more about the bounty of the plant world that's hidden in plain sight all round us!

The first meeting of our Backyard Herbalism Club was very successful, and this month our focus is on usnea! You might recognize the light-colored, bushy lichen growing on the branches of northwoods trees in this area. But what is usnea all about from an herbalist's perspective? You'll just have to come to February's class with local expert Sue Larson.

Backyard Herbalism Club meets the third Thursday of every month at 6pm. Classes are $20 plus a materials fee that is paid the day of class to instructors. Join us in learning more about the bounty of the plant world that's hidden in plain sight all round us!

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